Force v Crusaders
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@African-Monkey said in Force v Crusaders:
Lol they won't lose this week. The Force are about as good as a mid table NPC side.
That aged well
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@MiketheSnow didn't see the game but fuck me lol.
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Can't believe the Crusaders lost again. 😢
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Well I watched first 20 minutes and saw a couple of teams that seemed to be full of journeymen players etc stumbling from one thing to next and said bugger me it's bed time! There is nothing from the bit I saw that would make you think the Crusaders are a team that is on same page, I get impression that Franks and Moody in front row are just going through motions, and really feel they may of been around too long. The rest of forwards look to be just looking for someone else to do the hard work so they can get in behind them. Backs are pretty average altogether, starting with Drummond and Hohepa who both look NPC standard , and so it goes on!
Rob Penney and co look lost in coaching box even! -
Hard to put your finger on why the Crusaders are so shit this year. The obvious reasons are the coaching and the "stem" of the team not up to it but still, they are much less than the sum of their parts. Shite in the areas what used to be strengths.
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@Chris said in Force v Crusaders:
Fucking clown show
Franks and moody starting should not be even in the squad.
Hohepa selected again he is just not up to it.
Penny needs to go Perrin can fuck off as well we can’t defend rolling mauls,don’t have a decent line out ,
Fuck up the kick off receives looking at you Perrin forwards coach you can’t fix fuck all.Razor must've done a fucking superb job of covering for the defeciencies of Perrin's abysmal forwards coaching last year.
I honestly think that given the substantial injury toll of 2023 and the losses of Jason Ryan & Andrew Goodman after 2022... Razor winning the title last year was his greatest achievement, by far.
Crusaders are now performing less than the sum of their parts after 3-4 seasons of Razor (in hindsight) massively overachieving considering all the average/limited players at his disposal.
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I think the Crusaders' arrogance has finally caught up with them. All that success meant some of the squad thought winning was a right not something you have to earn every step of the way. Without a few key individuals who drove standards in others, things have slipped and slipped badly.
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Force v Crusaders:
Hard to put your finger on why the Crusaders are so shit this year. The obvious reasons are the coaching and the "stem" of the team not up to it but still, they are much less than the sum of their parts. Shite in the areas what used to be strengths.
I think it's amazing the difference a 135 test lock, 85 cap hooker, "best ever Super Rugby player" at five-eighth and clarity of coaching can make to a team.
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@antipodean said in Force v Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Force v Crusaders:
Hard to put your finger on why the Crusaders are so shit this year. The obvious reasons are the coaching and the "stem" of the team not up to it but still, they are much less than the sum of their parts. Shite in the areas what used to be strengths.
I think it's amazing the difference a 135 test lock, 85 cap hooker, "best ever Super Rugby player" at five-eighth and clarity of coaching can make to a team.
*you forgot to add 135 test lock was out injured for much of last season and Razor's Crusaders still didn't miss a beat - going on to finish 2nd in the regular season and beating the Drua 49-3, Blues 53-12 in the Semi without 135 test lock, who only returned for the Grand Final the following week...
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@ruggabee said in Force v Crusaders:
*you forgot to add 135 test lock was out injured for much of last season and Razor's Crusaders still didn't miss a beat
Oh well, that totally destroys my point. Even if we pretend that his influence in driving standards wouldn't have continued.
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@antipodean it wouldn't matter, watching this Crusaders reminds of when Reuben Thorne coached Canterbury in the NPC - losing while playing ok is one thing but it's the team's structures and technical coaching which is clearly the underlying issue.
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@antipodean said in Force v Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Force v Crusaders:
Hard to put your finger on why the Crusaders are so shit this year. The obvious reasons are the coaching and the "stem" of the team not up to it but still, they are much less than the sum of their parts. Shite in the areas what used to be strengths.
I think it's amazing the difference a 135 test lock, 85 cap hooker, "best ever Super Rugby player" at five-eighth and clarity of coaching can make to a team.
Not to mention a missing All Black who scores a try just about every test
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@Nevorian said in Force v Crusaders:
@antipodean said in Force v Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Force v Crusaders:
Hard to put your finger on why the Crusaders are so shit this year. The obvious reasons are the coaching and the "stem" of the team not up to it but still, they are much less than the sum of their parts. Shite in the areas what used to be strengths.
I think it's amazing the difference a 135 test lock, 85 cap hooker, "best ever Super Rugby player" at five-eighth and clarity of coaching can make to a team.
Not to mention a missing All Black who scores a try just about every test
So take away your top 4 or so players and a team will drop from 1st (7 years running) to bottom? It would be an interesting theory to try out. ABs have lost only 'lesser' best players, so should be OK
18 Jordie Barrett
17 Ardie Savea
15 Mark Telea
13 Scott Barrett
13 Will Jordan
11 Damian McKenzie
11 Cam Roigard
10 Brodie Retallick
9 Aaron Smith
8 Richie Mo'unga
8 Shannon Frizell
8 Leicester Fainga'anuku
7 Rieko Iaone
6 Sam Cane
4 Sam Whitelock
2 Ethan de Groot
2 Codie Taylor
2 Samipeni Finau
1 Dalton Papali'i
