Super Rugby - June break matches
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="590794" data-time="1466658624">
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<p>Canterbury? He won't be playing Mitre 10 Cup for Taranaki this year?</p>
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<p> He is a crusader now right. Not sure where he is playing Mitre 10 Cup. Taranaki last year right.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="590815" data-time="1466668954">
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<p>Hard to criticise the backline play too much Chris when it's freezing cold and the pitch is a bog.. There were even puddles starting to form.<br><br>
mitch hunt had a good cameo, looks promising.<br><br>
Marty Mackenzie was terrible, fukafuka was just as bad.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>More an observation across several seasons. Specific to yesterday, though, Thompson looks like he's a better player than Wainui, Fonotia and Havili (and Goodhue) - it's a bit late to be discovering this.</p>
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<p>I didn't see much of the second half to notice Fukafuka. Toma looked bloody sharp, though - looked a lot like Aaron Smith out there.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="broughie" data-cid="590945" data-time="1466727579">
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<p> He is a crusader now right. Not sure where he is playing Mitre 10 Cup. Taranaki last year right.</p>
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<p>Oh, I responded to what you said ("<span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Why Canterbury pick him up I have no clue.</span>"). I asked my question because Canterbury is not quite the same thing as the Crusaders (geographically, competition and otherwise) and I thought you meant he was going to play Mitre 10 Cup for Canterbury. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="590953" data-time="1466728303">
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<p>More an observation across several seasons. Specific to yesterday, though, Thompson looks like he's a better player than Wainui, Fonotia and Havili (and Goodhue) - it's a bit late to be discovering this.</p>
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<p>I didn't see much of the second half to notice Fukafuka. Toma looked bloody sharp, though - looked a lot like Aaron Smith out there.</p>
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<p>Fair enough, and I agree with you. </p>
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<p>I think Goodhue has huge potential so I approve of keeping him there. Watched him play a couple of weeks ago for lincoln and he was excellent. He's a lot bigger than I thought too, must be pushing 100kg</p>
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<p>Agree on Thompson, he's just what we need in midfield. Was gutted we lost him down south.</p> -
<p>Whatever you think of Marty McKenzie as a player, it's quite sad to see he's again out with an injury. I just read that he has been ruled out of the Chiefs game next week because of the knee injury from yesterday's game. They have to wait until the swelling is gone to assess it further & to determine whether he'll still play this season. That may mean Volavola on the bench instead of McKenzie and we all know that Volavola is worse than McK.</p>
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<p>With Goodhue - let's hope so. Last time I saw him was a couple of years ago when Canterbury came to Nelson for, I think, the NPC semi. Fonotia had Goodhue for breakfast, on toast.</p>
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<p>In fairness, I didn't realise how young JG was at the time, but he was small and dismal.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="591023" data-time="1466733372">
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<p>In fairness, I didn't realise how young JG was at the time, but he was small and dismal.</p>
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<p>That's how I remember him too, but seeing him a couple of weeks ago he's packed on a lot of muscle.</p>
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<p>He's bloody big for a back now and definately more of an athlete than Donkey Fonotia :)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="591025" data-time="1466733526">
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<p>That's how I remember him too, but seeing him a couple of weeks ago he's packed on a lot of muscle.</p>
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<p>He's bloody big for a back now and definately more of an athlete than Donkey Fonotia :)</p>
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<p>Good!</p>
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<p>I was particularly disturbed to see Thompson listed at 103kgs, which is just what you need in midfield backs - some size coupled with some pace.</p>
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<p>Havili is a bit too small and Fonotia is a bit too slow.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="591016" data-time="1466732999">
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<p>That may mean Volavola on the bench instead of McKenzie and we all know that Volavola is worse than McK.</p>
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<p>It's a bit of "choose your poison" really.</p>
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<p>I doubt we'll go far with either, so let's hope Mo'unga stays fit!</p> -
Blues ahead 21-8 after 30. Different class of players with pros v club players but babarIans doing better than expected so far
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26-8 after 40
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One way traffic 2nd spell...73-8.<br><br>
Baabaas just couldn't get ball in 2ND half, huge gulf in player class more evident. -
<p>back from the game, not too worried about the Baabaa performance, it was half club players who probabkly wont play MItre 10 this year....and were a few guys who look good.. </p>
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<p>As for the Blues, well, they spent most of the night running the ball, think they may have kicked for touch form thier 22 twice in the first 20, then not again, barely noticed West at all, Francis and Guyton did the goal kicking.</p>
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<p>Guyton was good, Kara Pryor was excellent, played very wide and caused alot of damage with his running game and very agressive at the breakdown, nabbed 2 tries, game finished with both him and Gibson out there.</p>
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<p>Nanai and Visinia also looked good at the back, got plenty of running. Werent too many scrums, but ours held up pretty well against the Blues, so that was a positive for us.</p>
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<p>Think it was our FB and 14, holy shite they are quick, Little had about a 15m start from inside the Blues 22, and both of them, one from the other side of the park mowed him down on the other 22, and I think it was our 14, Clark who got Visinia from behind when it looked for all money he was gone from about 40 out too.</p>
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<p>Not really sure what the Blues wanted to achieve tonight, they looked good, busy and reasonably accurate in what wasnt much more than an opposed training run if I was honest.</p>
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<p>Many of these guys are straight out of club footy, our centre is an 18 year old Tamati Tua, big wraps, but still just a kid who has recently moved to Whangarei form Kaitaia after playing U18's last year and made the Northland dev side; the scoreline was pretty reflective of the teams. I'd be surprised if the Baabaas had more than 10% possession in the 2nd spell! </p>
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<p>The NOrthland players I was keen on seeing (Breen, Goodhue, Matich, Pryor) were all heavily involved, Moulds and Waa got on late in the 2nd spell and I am awaiting the Mitre 10 cup with quiet anticipation....</p> -
<p>as well as you would expect in a team that is being outmuscled in most aspects....very busy on d, had a bit of ball in hand in the first spell, but as I said, they barely saw the ball in the 2nd spell, when they did the Blues pretty much just bullied them off it, expect territory stats in 2nd spell up round 80%+ too</p>
