SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders
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@act-crusader about time someone pointed out the forwards make smith look good
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@act-crusader said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
@nzzp said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
@cgrant said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
The forwards battle should be interesting, to say the least. Less big names in the Highlanders pack but collectively, the latter looks better.
Scrums : even
Lineouts : advantage Highlanders
Rucks : even
Mauls : advantage Highlanders
Driving : advantage BluesScrums should be advantage blues. It's been a weapon the last couple of years... until we shit the bed like against the Chefs.
Highlanders scrum is very good. In fact the way their pack works together as a unit is excellent.
That Aaron Smith kid gets a sweet ride 😉
I think the Highlanders forwards have the best ruck work in the comp (yes, even better than the Evil Empire). They make great decisions quickly about where to attack, and do it really well. It's clearly training rather than individual capability, and they make sucha difference.
but yeah, Smith would clearly suck but for the outstanding pack in front of him
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How convenient.
Seriously though, BB would be completely undercooked for this game. -
The coach confirmed Black had joined sidelined flanker Tom Robinson and crocked prop Ofa Tuungafasi – neither of whom took part in Tuesday’s session – as the major doubtful starters for the final on Saturday night (7.05pm kickoff).
On the positive side, standout openside flanker Dalton Papalii trained fully and appeared to have recovered well from the hip knock he took in Saturday’s qualifying finale against the Force.
“It’s just precautionary,” said Halangahu of Black’s early departure for treatment. “He’s earned a bit of a rest from training. It doesn’t look too bad at the moment – just a bit of a bruise. We expect him to train fully Thursday.
“He took a bang to his lower leg, nothing serious, but enough to send the jitters through the coaching staff.”
Halangahu confirmed All Blacks tighthead prop Ofa Tuungafasi was the most unlikely starter of the trio nursing injuries. He sat out two of the last three matches with knee soreness and is also nursing a finger injury.
“He’s probably more 30-70 to play. He’s dealing with a pretty serious hand injury that’s inhibiting him and a little knee complaint. He’ll be able to play if we needed him.”
Halangahu said they would give stand-in skipper and in-form blindside flanker Robinson every chance of playing in the final after he took a head knock on Saturday against the Force.
“He’s going through protocols around his head, and it’s really poor timing for Tom. The doctor is saying 50-50 … but the fact he’s not training is concerning for us. At the same time we’re hoping he’ll make it back in time.”
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@tim arent there usually rules around players having to have played certain number of games when coming in like this?
Appreciate he has been contracted to NZR the whole time, but what, 4 weeks ago he was playing for another team wasnt he?
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@taniwharugby said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
@tim arent there usually rules around players having to have played certain number of games when coming in like this?
Appreciate he has been contracted to NZR the whole time, but what, 4 weeks ago he was playing for another team wasnt he?
Ask Hansen and Joe Moody about that!
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@taniwharugby said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
@tim arent there usually rules around players having to have played certain number of games when coming in like this?
Appreciate he has been contracted to NZR the whole time, but what, 4 weeks ago he was playing for another team wasnt he?
pretty sure i saw the NZR have already said the Blues would have to proved there was no one else in the squad that could cover
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Time for Carter mk11 to step up into the 10 jersey!
But, the kerfuffle would be hilarious if Barrett played.
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@crazy-horse said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
Time for Carter mk11 to step up into the 10 jersey!
But, the kerfuffle would be hilarious if Barrett played.
We have a Carter MkII? Who is he, where is he? How did I miss him? I read all of @Stargazer 's info about the new up and comers.
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@crazy-horse if Barrett plays that’s a big middle finger to all the players that got the Blues to the final. If it happens I think that Landers support for this game might just grow a little bit more.
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@canes4life He's not playing - Blues are just toying with the media.
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@kiwimurph said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
@canes4life He's not playing - Blues are just toying with the media.
...but thats what they want us to think .....
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@kiwiwomble do you have any evidence of that?
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@crazy-horse
no but that just mean theyre playing this well -
@kiwiwomble said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
Just a silly reference to the 'discussion' in the Highlanders thread.
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@crazy-horse i did think that and replied in turn but thought better of kicking it off in here
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@nepia said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
@crazy-horse said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
Time for Carter mk11 to step up into the 10 jersey!
But, the kerfuffle would be hilarious if Barrett played.
We have a Carter MkII? Who is he, where is he? How did I miss him? I read all of @Stargazer 's info about the new up and comers.
But he's a blues player.
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@bones said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
@nepia said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
@crazy-horse said in SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders:
Time for Carter mk11 to step up into the 10 jersey!
But, the kerfuffle would be hilarious if Barrett played.
We have a Carter MkII? Who is he, where is he? How did I miss him? I read all of @Stargazer 's info about the new up and comers.
But he's a blues player.
I was actually being slightly serious in the new up and comers part, Stargazer is good at listing them, even the ones not from Hawkes Bay or the Crusaders.
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