SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues

Stargazer

@nogusta Playing club rugby on Saturday. His first game since his injury.

African Monkey

@stargazer Hmmm @Nogusta does know his stuff. Don't be suprised if he is in the side haha.

KiwiMurph

Kirwan

@bones said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@crucial said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@taniwharugby said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@crucial think they said Tom was a big cut (not HIA) so assume stitches and a bandaged head he could play?

Good, because apart from his beacon head I hardly noticed Akira. IIRC he made a good hold up tackle?
They needed a forward to take things on up the guts over and over again and get others doing the same. That was an area of the Landers that could have been broken down. Once broken the opportunities would have flowed.

I noticed him looking pudgy and unfit when he was losing ground on MMT - that was rather unexpected as he was definitely looking fit at the start of the season and you don't expect him to get blown away by anyone pace wise.

Umm, he got caught flat footed from the scrum, turned and chased him down and helped clean up the break. Caught him pretty easily, looked fast to me.

Was a good effort to fix his mistake.

Bones

@kirwan said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@bones said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@crucial said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@taniwharugby said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@crucial think they said Tom was a big cut (not HIA) so assume stitches and a bandaged head he could play?

Good, because apart from his beacon head I hardly noticed Akira. IIRC he made a good hold up tackle?
They needed a forward to take things on up the guts over and over again and get others doing the same. That was an area of the Landers that could have been broken down. Once broken the opportunities would have flowed.

I noticed him looking pudgy and unfit when he was losing ground on MMT - that was rather unexpected as he was definitely looking fit at the start of the season and you don't expect him to get blown away by anyone pace wise.

Umm, he got caught flat footed from the scrum, turned and chased him down and helped clean up the break. Caught him pretty easily, looked fast to me.

Was a good effort to fix his mistake.

alt text

Bit slow on the reply there Mrs Ioane.

Kirwan

@bones stupid work getting in the way of arguing with idiots on the internet.

Bones

@kirwan it's funny, I knew you'd reply and defend him to the hilt, just didn't think it would take this long

It's pretty easy to catch someone once someone else has stopped them, so yes, caught him easily, I agree!

Kirwan

@bones said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@kirwan it's funny, I knew you'd reply and defend him to the hilt, just didn't think it would take this long

It's pretty easy to catch someone once someone else has stopped them, so yes, caught him easily, I agree!

He gained ground easily, if you were focusing on his slow reaction from the scrum you’d have a point.

Bones

@kirwan I'll just refer back to Mr Reeves on that one.

pakman

Blues team I'd like to see:

Big Karl/Apisai/Nepo/Dalton P (c)/GCT/Darry/Akira/Hoskins/Nock/Black/TJF/Rieko/Caleb/Telea/Perofeta

Bench: Lay/Tolai/Ofa/Josh G/Choat/Ruru/Plummer/Narawa

Assuming Break Gibson still out. If available, would move Akira to bench.

Duluth

@pakman said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

Blues team I'd like to see:

Big Karl/Apisai/Nepo/Dalton P (c)/GCT/Darry/Akira/Hoskins

I think Eklund is back?

I would like to see the NH locks. GCT is in the form of his life and Pierce is the only other power lock in the squad. He should play when Tuiputlotu is injured.
But if we haven't seen Pierce yet I suspect he's unlikely to get picked.

Backrow - Sotutu has been just below 2020 standards all year and is drifting backwards. Not a huge issue, he wouldn't be the first player to struggle in his 2nd year as a regular starter. Ioane at 8 and Choat and Papali'i on the flanks. Papali'i is comfortable at 6 and it probably helps his AB aspirations. I'm a fan of Choat, he's still a little limited this early in his career but he will tackle a lot and accurately

Chris

Isi Tu'ungafasi,Fergus Burke and Ennor all playing club rugby Saturday for University.
Unlikely those 3 will be in the Crusaders 23 this week.

Chris

Williams on the bench, Barrett and Whitelock both back at lock,Grace stating at 8, Blackadder back to 6,
Hall starting otherwise same backline is what I hear,

Kirwan

Should be a good game, last one was very entertaining too.

Nogusta

@duluth said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@pakman said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

Blues team I'd like to see:

Big Karl/Apisai/Nepo/Dalton P (c)/GCT/Darry/Akira/Hoskins

I think Eklund is back?

The good oil is that Vikena will be the bench hooker!!

Tim

Captain speaks out: The 'ridiculous' numbers behind Blues' struggles

Down on troops and in serious danger of missing the maiden Super Rugby Aotearoa final, Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu has put the heat on his struggling forward pack to front in a defining trip to Christchurch this week.

Tuipulotu will miss a third successive game with a neck/shoulder injury he suffered in the loss to the Chiefs but he was on hand at training on Wednesday as the Blues went through repeated lineouts and opposed scrums to prepare for a torrid tussle with the Crusaders.
"It's not good but it's one of those things you can't put a timeframe on," Tuipulotu said of his injury. "I'm just waiting until it feels right but it's certainly taking it's time. I'm not trying to rush back into anything. I want to get it right."
With stand-in skipper Tom Robinson and Josh Goodhue (both concussion) also sidelined, the Blues are light on leadership and locking stocks for Sunday's match.
Pressure falls on second-rowers Gerard Cowley-Tuioti and 20-year-old rookie Sam Darry, against his former Canterbury teammates, to deliver a much-improved platform.
Second five-eighth TJ Faiane – strangely unused for much of the early season - is expected to fill the captaincy void.

Blues hooker Kurt Eklund will return from suspension this week and 19-year-old Soane Vikena, after starring for the under-20s team, could debut from the bench.

JK

@nogusta said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@duluth said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

@pakman said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:

Blues team I'd like to see:

Big Karl/Apisai/Nepo/Dalton P (c)/GCT/Darry/Akira/Hoskins

I think Eklund is back?

The good oil is that Vikena will be the bench hooker!!

Yep. Tolai playing for northcote this week. Think Shaun Stevenson too

KiwiMurph

Great to hear about Vikena - I'd much rather see Eklund and Vikena than starting hooker + Apisai.

Duluth

Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Leicester Fainga’anuku, David Havili, George Bridge, Richie Mo’unga, Mitchell Drummond, Cullen Grace, Sione Havili Talitui, Ethan Blackadder, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Michael Alaalatoa, Codie Taylor, George Bower

Reserves: Brodie McAlister, Tamaiti Williams, Oliver Jager, Mitchell Dunshea, Tom Sanders, Bryn Hall, Dallas McLeod, Manasa Mataele

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/300284140/super-rugby-crusaders-seeking-more-from-all-blacks-no-8-cullen-grace

Duluth

15 Stephen Perofeta, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane (c), 12 Tanielu Tele’a, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Harry Plummer, 9 Jonathan Ruru; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii (c), 6 Blake Gibson, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe.
Reserves: 16 Soane Vikena, 17 Marcel Renata, 18 Ofa Tuungafasi, 19 Taine Plumtree, 20 Akira Ioane, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Otere Black, 23 AJ Lam

Players not considered with injury: Patrick Tuipulotu (neck), Josh Goodhue (concussion), Jacob Pierce (leg), Tom Robinson (concussion), James Lay (foot). Season-ending: Jone Macalai, Dillon Hunt.

After two narrow losses in the last three games, the Blues are turning inwards for their focus for the Sky Super Rugby Aotearoa match against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Sunday.

Blues coach Leon MacDonald believes his side has created sufficient opportunities to prosper but lacked accuracy in implementation and our discipline.

“Our focus is on us. It is about us being more accurate so we can take advantage of the chances we are creating. We show it on the training field, and we need to take that focus and that confidence into the game.

“We have to front-up at set-piece, be physical but disciplined at the collisions, stay in the contest and trust our skills. At times we make the game look sublime and other times we switch off.

“I know and believe that this group can produce a performance that they and our fans can be proud of.”

All Blacks Karl Tu’inukuafe and Nepo Laulala start in the front row with Kurt Eklund returning from suspension at hooker with plenty to prove.

The experienced Gerard Cowley-Tuioti and Christchurch product Sam Darry are paired again in the middle row with skipper Patrick Tuiopultu will nursing an injury, while skilful Blake Gibson joins All Blacks Dalton Papalii and Hoskins Sotutu in an exciting loose forward trio.

The backline is largely unchanged with Harry Plummer starting at first-five and a fully-fit Tanielu Tele’a to add power and thrust to the midfield.

With stand-in skipper Tom Robinson unavailable with injury, the captaincy will be shared by Papalii and Rieko Ioane at 23 years and 24 respectively.

The Silver Fern

SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues