SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues
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@dan54 last year they ran Smith 80 most games, I think Fakatavas injury certainly thrown a spanner in the works on managing Smiths workload.
I think the Blues really started to wobble and lacked direction after Big Red went off
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@billy-tell said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
@old-samurai-jack said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
Wow! Loved that! That young loosehead from the Clan looks good (replacement today). Anyone who can stand up to Nepo Laulala at scrum time is worthy of mention.
For the Blues, no. 14 & 15 offer very little and have all season. Ofa played well as did Clarke and Papalii.
For the Clan, the usual suspects Frizell (must be the no.1 starter for the ABs at this stage), Smith, etc play well but I reckon the biggest bow needs to be given to Tony Brown. In every game, you see his influence in attack.So much crap is posted about akira >>> Shannon but frizzell is playing really well.
This was a game where Shannon actually lived up to the TJs hyperbole about him.
Hopefully he can translate that form to higher levels this year.
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Just saw that hit from Hodgman again, and I must say it's pretty sickening. He actually launches off the ground before planting his shoulder in Lentjes' face. Because Lentjes was already being tackled by two other players, he had nowhere to go, which also shows how unnecessary Hodgman's hit was. What I find really bad, however, is that the Highlanders didn't take Lentjes off for a HIA.
It should be a lengthy ban for Hodgman (but he'll probably get 6 weeks reduced to 3), and a stern talking to from NZR to the Highlanders staff about HIAs and the risks of concussion.
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@hooroo said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
@kev said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
What a great performance by the Highlanders. The Blues are back to the drawing board. Pretty shit really when you look at the squad.
But they do have nice and pretty hair. That obviously counts for something in that team
Shit don’t knock the hair.
NB: The Northland boys always have best hair anyway.
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@nzzp A large part of today’s game is competing physically and winning the contact. But that is always with the objective of creating space for players to run into. The balance seems wrong in the Blues.
No one has a better squad than the Blues including the Crusaders. In the past, half back first fives have been blamed for their lack of success but even with the over whelming player riches they have, they still haven’t established a winning team formula.
Noticeable that the Highlanders have had a lot of success with moves off set piece when forwards are not spread out across the field.
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I’m not going to bag the blues, they’re still above us in the table
Only real comment I had for them was surprised with their scrum, is it four all black props? They should and I think have had before a more stable launch platform for that back line
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@kev said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
@nzzp A large part of today’s game is competing physically and winning the contact. But that is always with the objective of creating space for players to run into. The balance seems wrong in the Blues.
No one has a better squad than the Blues including the Crusaders. In the past, half back first fives have been blamed for their lack of success but even with the over whelming player riches they have, they still haven’t established a winning team formula.
Noticeable that the Highlanders have had a lot of success with moves off set piece when forwards are not spread out across the field.
I pointed it out in the game, the blues use of pods is utterly predictable. Almost every time they have a pod of three, in an inverse pyramid. And they always got to the guy out the back. It is really straight forward to defend. When they brought someone like Caleb in from deep or at the cut, boom line break. But the blues normal phase paly is pedestrian.
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So just watched the try scoring highlights of the match, does anyone else think the Highlanders were bloody lucky to get the eventual match winning try?
Firstly there was the holding on when Reiko had a legitimate go for the turnover, but you can understand that being a 50/50. But secondly the Highlanders ran a player in front of the ball who interfered with the player in the best position to stop the try scorer. Considering that the Blues were rightfully penalised for impeding attackers I'm surprised none of the officials bothered to review this.
Is this yet another drawback of the referral system? The Blues had lost their referrals (assuming my timeline is correct) so would a ref then not want to check if a Blues player brought up the issue with them as it may be seen as a referral they aren't allowed? Not saying this was was what happened this time but I find it weird it wasn't even checked.
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@taniwharugby said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
@dan54 last year they ran Smith 80 most games, I think Fakatavas injury certainly thrown a spanner in the works on managing Smiths workload.
I think the Blues really started to wobble and lacked direction after Big Red went off
Wasn't that in the first 5 minutes? Ginga Messiah indeed.
Actually it looks like Akira is carrying an injury so him coming of when he did would appear to be a double blow. When Akira was chasing MMT he looked like he was struggling to run at pace so I wonder if that strapping is for something ongoing?
Do you know how long the Messiah is out for? I was hoping that Rangi might give Akira a go at 8 with the Messiah at 6 as I don't think Sotutu has been going as well this year as last year.
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Just watched the replay after missing most of the game last night. Haven't read the thread.
Fun game - especially on mute - a lot of ball in play under the roof which is always fun.
Aaron Smith is amazing to watch - even when he's destroying your team. Crazy to think he's been chugging along for a decade. Has to be in the conversation for the best 9 NZ has ever produced.
Thought the Highlanders loose forward trio had the edge. Highlanders did a really nice job taking care of Papali'i.
Highlanders attack is really good to watch - Tony Brown has them humming even with all the injuries. I think Tony Brown is a far superior coach to Leon MacDonald.
Thought the Blues attack looked better once Ruru went off. I had to laugh when Ruru got tackled for a knock on after Caleb Clarke's huge break. It sums Ruru up.
Good to see Caleb Clarke look a bit more like his old self.
Blues discipline awful once again.
Just a note on Sotutu - he really is not playing very well - has one or two big plays per game but otherwise just floats along with very little impact on the game.
The Blues fan in me wants Blues to make the final. The rugby fan in me hopes Blues don't - Crusaders will smash them next week and in the final if Blues make it.
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@nepia they looked good for 5-10 mins, maybe just a coincidence but they they started to lose shape after he went.
Not sure how long he's out, sounded like a cut, so could be back next week with a bandaged head.
Ruru def the better of the Blues 9s, but it is Christies turn to start next week.
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@nepia said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
Actually it looks like Akira is carrying an injury so him coming of when he did would appear to be a double blow. When Akira was chasing MMT he looked like he was struggling to run at pace so I wonder if that strapping is for something ongoing?
He just looked unfit to me. He spent most of the 2nd half jogging slowly around the field, moving at barely more than walking pace and trying to look busy whilst not contributing much.
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@cantab79 said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
@nepia said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
Actually it looks like Akira is carrying an injury so him coming of when he did would appear to be a double blow. When Akira was chasing MMT he looked like he was struggling to run at pace so I wonder if that strapping is for something ongoing?
He just looked unfit to me. He spent most of the 2nd half jogging slowly around the field, moving at barely more than walking pace and trying to look busy whilst not contributing much.
Well of course you’d think that AC. 😏
Odd that he’s already lost the fitness from the early rounds (where he wound up playing 7 in parts) and the strapping has nothing to do with it ....
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@nepia I expect he could lose some fitness and condition in a couple of weeks if he wanted too, but you'd be surprised if he would let himself go or the trainers would let him slip.
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@taniwharugby said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
@nepia I expect he could lose some fitness and condition in a couple of weeks if he wanted too, but you'd be surprised if he would let himself go or the trainers would let him slip.
It would be quite an effort to lose that much condition in that time - well not for us fat keyboard warriors but it must be fairly difficult for a pro player who is training and playing.
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@nepia id argue it would be much easier for some of them to lose condition quicker than us, further to fall.
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@taniwharugby said in SRA round 8: Highlanders v Blues:
@nepia id argue it would be much easier for some of them to lose condition quicker than us, further to fall.
I don't know, a three day trip to Melbourne and I turn into a Klump.
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@kiwimurph it’s been quite interesting watching the way sides like Chiefs and Highlanders operate without anywhere near the cattle of what the Blues have but they seem to have plans built around lightning quick ball from the ruck and swift ball movement..
The try that Josh Ioane scored off a simple scrum was so easily constructed because Mitch Hunt is a genuine runner at the line drawing in 2 defenders because he has a step leaving a hole for Ioane to score ..
Whilst the Blues did score a very good try of their own , the number of times we see players just shoveling the pass and someone does the individual brilliance thing is annoying to say the least .
I am wondering , you can have all the best ingredients in the world , but you have not got the right chef to put it together , you have got start wondering if it’s time to actively seek out a decent attack coach...
Just on a final note , whilst Stephen Perofeta has played well at fullback , I still think he would offer a point of difference in the 10 jersey .,also disappointing that they have not given Zarn Sullivan a run , it seemed pointless having Harry Plummer coming off the bench on Friday night .would have preferred to have seen Perofeta slot into 10 or a Zarn Sullivan off the bench at fullback..and to me Jacob Ratumaitavuki Kneepkins would have been a much more impactful player than what Bryce Heem has offered off the bench ..
