QF Blues v Highlanders
-
@Duluth was @Steven-Harris that mentioned it.
I think he had a knock pre-Brumbies game, that I thought i read if it was a final, he'd have been fine to play, but they were beign overly cautious with finals coming up, so hopefully that is what is being referred to as opposed to a new knock.
-
Yes, the Blues are (rightly) favourites, but sport isn't played on paper. We still have to turn up and as All Black fans know only too well, good teams can get knocked out by underdogs.
Coaches seem to have prepared the team (no matter who is rested/injured) really well. So I'm hoping for a complete performance. We've had games with good defence, and games with good attack. Rarely both.
Home advantage is also a huge benefit.
-
@KiwiMurph said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Highlanders have nothing to lose so can throw the kitchen sink at it.
Really interested to see TUJ vs RTS at 12.
@nzzp said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Beating 3 kiwi sides to win will be a massive, massive test.
If all the top seeds win this weekend Blues will play Brumbies in the semi finals.
ah right you are! Sorry, that slipped past - I thought they had locked up 3rd
-
Highlanders heroically managed to get one of the last spots in the top 66.66666% of round robin teams…where they should get pulverised by the blues.
Barring the blues shipping red cards, I can’t see how the southerners can win.
-
@Billy-Tell said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Highlanders heroically managed to get one of the last spots in the top 66.66666% of round robin teams…where they should get pulverised by the blues.
Barring the blues shipping red cards, I can’t see how the southerners can win.
Umm perhaps by scoring more points than Blues???
Christ even talking about the Clan to win..... what's next thinking Moana Pasifika could beat someone like Brumbies???Just taking the p*** mate.
-
Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
-
@NTA said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Tahs win at Leichardt v Reds
And Matt Burke scoring over the top of Ben Tune to seal the game. The glory days aye Nick…
-
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
-
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
they're massively outmatched on talent, so you do what all teams down on talent do
Make your tackles, make the rucks a shitfight, stay out of your end, and take every opportunity for points.
Then let scoreboard pressure take care of the rest.
-
@African-Monkey Could definitely be an upset. Per M4L above, they will copy the Brumbies game plan from two weeks ago.
-
@mariner4life said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
they're massively outmatched on talent, so you do what all teams down on talent do
Make your tackles, make the rucks a shitfight, stay out of your end, and take every opportunity for points.
Then let scoreboard pressure take care of the rest.
If Blues don’t give away penalties they should win. Landers have struggled to get out of their own half during large portions of games.
So Blues by only 999?
-
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance?
Not really. It would be a massive boil over. I don't think the Blues wanted to go 13 games straight in order to fail at the first hurdle against a team that wouldn't be playing finals football in a competently run competition.
-
@Tim said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
Saucer of milk, table two....
The 4-10 Highlanders, who lost to three of the five Australian sides over the run home, may be one of the poorest teams to have played post-season professional sport...
-
@Machpants said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@Tim said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
Saucer of milk, table two....
The 4-10 Highlanders, who lost to three of the five Australian sides over the run home, may be one of the poorest teams to have played post-season professional sport...
buuuuurn
-
Wait, Southland won 1 game in last year's NPC and got a semi final
Must be a deep South thing
-
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
Huge difference between what Blues fans are saying and what other teams fans are saying.
No guarantees in knockout rugby. Only takes one good performance from a struggling team to ruin someone’s day.
-
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
If Leon gets covid and has to stay at home it will be all on for young and old!
-
All in all, freshness and backups with minutes under their belts, the Blues are travelling well, with Caleb Clarke (hamstring) their only significant absence. Don’t be surprised if human band-aid Bryce Heem slots in on the right wing, and Mark Telea shifts across in a replication of last year’s adjustment.
