Final: Blues vs Crusaders
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@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average. -
Well done Crusaders, too good.
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@Chris Bower put in a big shift tonight. Had a touch of peak Ben Franks about him. Running hard and getting in past the first tackler, hit the tackle hard and really drove over the ruck. Was great to see.
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@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.Robinson had a strong shift as a 6 playing lock. Blues scrum was good with Hodgeman.
Not sure who was calling for Eklund to be an AB but he shouldn’t be grouped with the other two.
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@kev said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.Robinson had a strong shift as a 6 playing lock. Blues scrum was good with Hodgeman.
Not sure who was calling for Eklund to be an AB but he shouldn’t be grouped with the other two.
There was some chat about Eklund being Selected in the ABs,Maybe the Selectors should have waited to after the final as it’s closest to a test match you will get pre test season.
See who reacts well or folds under pressure. -
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@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
There was some chat about Eklund being Selected in the ABs,Maybe the Selectors should have waited to after the final as it’s closest to a test match you will get pre test season.
See who reacts well or folds under pressure.It was Canterbury legend and front row expert Richard Loe who wants Eklund in the team. Said he was the form hooker for the last two years and needs to be in the ABs.
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@Bones said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@mikey07 said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
As a Canes fan just want to say a big thank you for choking harder then us in 2015!
They were playing the reigning champs, not the reigning chumps...😉
So your saying the 2015 Highlanders team were chumps? 😉
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@Stag said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Hopefully all the crap floating around about Barrett just walking into the number 10 jersey for the first test against Ireland has been flushed down the dunny
Problem is both Mounga and Barrett are flash players, with no disrespect. Give them a platform and they will tear you apart. Beaudy tears the hardest but kicks shit, Mounga kicks better but is a liability on defence. We don't have a ten in the ABs (NZ?) that can tactically take control in the traditional way, with their kicking and intelligence like DC used to. Or most NH tens are focused on. They can pile on the points when we're dominant up front, and often pull some blinders out of nowhere even when pressured. But can mounga or Beaudy take control when on the back foot? Nope.
Most teams need to win upfront, with our tens ABs are much more susceptable to shitting the bed if the forward don't provide the ball needed. I'd still take Beaudy over mounga, cos he has a higher ceiling, but the ABs need a 10 (or a nine) that can act as a tactical general, rather than flash awesome individual> this is especially relelvant with our tight forwards being handed their arses every time we play a big NH team. But we don;t have the forwards and we don't have the tens. And playing off nine is verbotten since Lions 1, so no idea what fozzies genius plan is to get around this -
@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it
He was completely anonymous against the Chiefs to be fair. Non existent. Error-free though at least.
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@Toddy said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
There was some chat about Eklund being Selected in the ABs,Maybe the Selectors should have waited to after the final as it’s closest to a test match you will get pre test season.
See who reacts well or folds under pressure.It was Canterbury legend and front row expert Richard Loe who wants Eklund in the team. Said he was the form hooker for the last two years and needs to be in the ABs.
Richard was pissed again then.
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@Frye said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it
He was completely anonymous against the Chiefs to be fair. Non existent. Error-free though at least.
He certainly was anonymous against the Chiefs as he didn’t play that game.
Showed a bit tonight though -
@KiwiMurph said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Not really sure he needs to do the breakdance on Eden Park.
Settle down Karen
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@Machpants said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Stag said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Hopefully all the crap floating around about Barrett just walking into the number 10 jersey for the first test against Ireland has been flushed down the dunny
Problem is both Mounga and Barrett are flash players, with no disrespect. Give them a platform and they will tear you apart. Beaudy tears the hardest but kicks shit, Mounga kicks better but is a liability on defence. We don't have a ten in the ABs (NZ?) that can tactically take control in the traditional way, with their kicking and intelligence like DC used to. Or most NH tens are focused on. They can pile on the points when we're dominant up front, and often pull some blinders out of nowhere even when pressured. But can mounga or Beaudy take control when on the back foot? Nope.
Most teams need to win upfront, with our tens ABs are much more susceptable to shitting the bed if the forward don't provide the ball needed. I'd still take Beaudy over mounga, cos he has a higher ceiling, but the ABs need a 10 (or a nine) that can act as a tactical general, rather than flash awesome individual> this is especially relelvant with our tight forwards being handed their arses every time we play a big NH team. But we don;t have the forwards and we don't have the tens. And playing off nine is verbotten since Lions 1, so no idea what fozzies genius plan is to get around thisMounga’s kicking game was superb tonight. BB was crap this week and last week. Hands down Mounga starts.
BB is much better off the bench as a super sub.
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@kev said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Machpants said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Stag said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Hopefully all the crap floating around about Barrett just walking into the number 10 jersey for the first test against Ireland has been flushed down the dunny
Problem is both Mounga and Barrett are flash players, with no disrespect. Give them a platform and they will tear you apart. Beaudy tears the hardest but kicks shit, Mounga kicks better but is a liability on defence. We don't have a ten in the ABs (NZ?) that can tactically take control in the traditional way, with their kicking and intelligence like DC used to. Or most NH tens are focused on. They can pile on the points when we're dominant up front, and often pull some blinders out of nowhere even when pressured. But can mounga or Beaudy take control when on the back foot? Nope.
Most teams need to win upfront, with our tens ABs are much more susceptable to shitting the bed if the forward don't provide the ball needed. I'd still take Beaudy over mounga, cos he has a higher ceiling, but the ABs need a 10 (or a nine) that can act as a tactical general, rather than flash awesome individual> this is especially relelvant with our tight forwards being handed their arses every time we play a big NH team. But we don;t have the forwards and we don't have the tens. And playing off nine is verbotten since Lions 1, so no idea what fozzies genius plan is to get around thisMounga’s kicking game was superb tonight. BB was crap this week and last week. Hands down Mounga starts.
BB is much better off the bench as a super sub.
It's so much easier to kick well tactically when you get forwards handing it to you on a silver platter. And not under any real pressure. So I disagree
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@Machpants Richie's grneral kicking game was fantastic. Blues were strategically inept.
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@number9 said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Machpants Richie's grneral kicking game was fantastic. Blues were strategically inept.
Totally. Swap the tens, I don't think there would be much difference. Rolls Royce pack etc
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I don't think Mo'unga really took control of that game, despite the front foot ball and wealth of possession handed to him. What I do remember is all of the Saders backs kicking for the corner and playing the territory game - Jordan, Havili, even Reece put one over the touchline in the Blues 22. The best part of that performance from the Saders was that the whole team was on the same page and trying to execute the same gameplan, rather than Mo'unga taking control of the game himself - he's just not that kind of 10. Neither is Beauden. I don't think that game would have changed much in the selectors eyes, particularly for the first test where I'd say there would be concerns about Mo'unga's defense being exposed by the big Irish loosies running through his channel.
I'd be extremely surpsied if it wasn't Beauden 10 with Mo'unga on the bench to start with, that is what they favoured last season as well.
