Blues 2021
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Let's break down the halfback usage for the Blues this season.
Game 1 - Nock Start, Ruru Bench
Game 2 - Ruru Start, Nock Bench
Game 3 - Ruru Start, Christie Bench
Game 4 - Christie Start, Ruru Bench
Game 5 - Nock Start, Ruru Bench
Game 6 - Ruru Start, Christie Bench
Game 7 - Ruru Start, Christie Bench
Game 8 - Christie Start, Nock BenchA total mess.
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@duluth said in Blues 2021:
@kirwan said in Blues 2021:
Not the coaches fault, up to the players to fit the gameplan and do the basics.
I think the bench halfback has performed better than the starting halfback in every match? Look at the MOTM voting the only times the halfbacks registered were from the bench.
(starts were Ruru 4, Nock 2, Christie 2)It's time to move on from Ruru at least. It appears Nock has not been rated by multiple coaches. Remember last year he missed a match because of an off field fight? I hope it's not that bullshit again.
That's not something that happens only at the Blues.
A couple of years ago at the Mako, we had Christie as the No.1 halfback and Keisuke Uchida coming off the bench looking like an absolute gun.
It seemed like a no-brainer that they should switch roles - but, when they did - Uchida looked like a roughie and Christie looked like a gun.
I concluded that it's a lot harder being a starting halfback when everyone is fresh and you've got fractionally less time.
I think the same thing happens regularly at the Crusaders with Hall and Drummond. Whomever comes of the bench tends to look slicker.
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@chris-b it isnt quite as bad when you have 2 9s alternating starting/bench roles, but the Blues do it with 3 halves, and while Ruru has a longer rope than the other 2, none really have had much chance to get going, as I think only Christie has had an injury but that was in the 1st game.
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@taniwharugby From Murph's post above, looks like Ruru has played in every game, except this latest dead rubber.
Otherwise there's a bit of a pattern of everyone getting some game time.
Maybe Leon has an eye to future and is trying to develop all three, while none is clearly standing out over the others (but, perhaps Ruru is a little bit ahead - in LM's eyes)?
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@chris-b oh I am sure he is, but I also dont think there 'seems' to be any real pattern (horses for courses) given until last week, the 8 & 10 remained unchanged.
I think all 3 have really been given a bit of a raw deal with limited chances to really claim the spot.
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@chris-b said in Blues 2021:
Maybe Leon has an eye to future and is trying to develop all three, while none is clearly standing out over the others (but, perhaps Ruru is a little bit ahead - in LM's eyes)?
I've always assumed that MacDonalds preference was for Christie (based on some media comments he's made)
My guess is the other two were trialling against each other for the bench spot while Christie was still out. Then Christie came back from illness/injury and kind of sucked
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2021:
@chris-b it isnt quite as bad when you have 2 9s alternating starting/bench roles, but the Blues do it with 3 halves, and while Ruru has a longer rope than the other 2, none really have had much chance to get going, as I think only Christie has had an injury but that was in the 1st game.
After game 1, Ruru has had 4 starts in 6 games and came off the bench in the other two - so he's arguably had a pretty decent run. I'd guess he'd have a similar pattern of starts to Hall and Drummond, who have switched around a fair bit - and maybe even Smith and Fakatava.
The other two have had a decent amount of game time, so neither can sit there like Ere Enari thinking, "I'm clearly number 3, I think I'll try my luck elsewhere".
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@nogusta said in Blues 2021:
So with Clarke heading off to the Mount now - who out of Narawa/Lam/Kneepkens/Heem should get first crack for the SR TT!?
AJ Lam had a tremendous few minutes on the park. High workrate, chased down the kickoff from the Blues at 19-19, and did a good job.
Not saying he'll keep that up for 80 min, but I was impressed.
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@nogusta said in Blues 2021:
So with Clarke heading off to the Mount now - who out of Narawa/Lam/Kneepkens/Heem should get first crack for the SR TT!?
Is that certain? All I could find in the media is this (from 1 May 2021):Caleb Clarke says he’ll use next week to decide whether he’ll go to the Olympics or play Super Rugby trans- Ta$man for the Blues and then for the All Blacks.
The team will then have week off, before preparing for their first game of the inaugural Super Rugby trans- Ta$man competition.
But the 22-year-old Clarke says he’ll spend the next few days deciding whether he’ll chase a gold medal at the Tokyo Games, or spend the rest of the season in the 15-man game.Clarke says right now he doesn’t know which way he’s leaning, but it will be one that Blues coach Leon MacDonald, All Blacks coach Ian Foster and sevens coach Clark Laidlaw will be anxiously waiting on.
“I’m talking to both parties at the moment,” Clarke said.
“Personally I feel like I haven’t really got to my full potential, it’s been a lot harder this year, trying to get into these games.
“So that’s one side of it, but on the other, the Olympics is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so we’ll see how we go.” -
@nzzp said in Blues 2021:
@nogusta said in Blues 2021:
So with Clarke heading off to the Mount now - who out of Narawa/Lam/Kneepkens/Heem should get first crack for the SR TT!?
AJ Lam had a tremendous few minutes on the park. High workrate, chased down the kickoff from the Blues at 19-19, and did a good job.
Not saying he'll keep that up for 80 min, but I was impressed.
I would go for Lam as well
It's interesting how many 14's there are. Caleb started every match at 11, Telea mostly was the 14 but occasionally it was Heem.
So the Blues really are looking for an 11Lam, Narawa and Kneepkens consistently started on the right wing for their provinces
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@duluth said in Blues 2021:
@nzzp said in Blues 2021:
@nogusta said in Blues 2021:
So with Clarke heading off to the Mount now - who out of Narawa/Lam/Kneepkens/Heem should get first crack for the SR TT!?
AJ Lam had a tremendous few minutes on the park. High workrate, chased down the kickoff from the Blues at 19-19, and did a good job.
Not saying he'll keep that up for 80 min, but I was impressed.
I would go for Lam as well
It's interesting how many 14's there are. Caleb started every match at 11, Telea mostly was the 14 but occasionally it was Heem.
So the Blues really are looking for an 11Lam, Narawa and Kneepkens consistently started on the right wing for their provinces
I want them to move Reiko there, he's their best left wing.
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@duluth said in Blues 2021:
@nepia said in Blues 2021:
he's their best left wing
and he's the best centre
There's a queue of exciting young wingers that are worth a look. The same can't be said for 13
For all those people moaning about his distrubition, check out his pass to Sullivan for his try. Perfect.
Some of the other Blues players could take a leaf out of his book, so many passes going behind the player, kills the attack.
