Crusaders v Reds
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The Highlanders got in 2 years ago off 4 wins and I don't recall many complaining about it, and sure enough, the Blues beat them with ease without really getting out of 3rd gear.
Obviously people are still nervous about the Crusaders for all the trauma they've caused us non Crusaders fans over the years, but from what they've shown this year, wouldn't you want to face them if you were the Blues or Canes?
As most Cantabs love saying these days, watch out 1st or 2nd seed as you won't want to play us when we get there, but if anything, I think the Reds are the team you would want to avoid if you're in the top 4, not the 2 from 10 Crusaders.
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@DaGrubster said in Crusaders v Reds:
If there was ever a reason for reducing the play off places, then Crusaders making the playoffs should be the smoking gun for it
Mate, I have a feeling there is not much appetite for reducing playoff places to 6 ,or even 4 that I would prefer, and admit the fact we still talking about whether Crusaders etc can still make it is one of reason. There still interest in whether the bottom teams make it etc, so probably equates to a few more bums on seats and eyes on tv in bottom Games. If I had my way, there would be 2 comps championship which is completely a 1 or 2 round comp then winner top of pile, follow that by a cup won where all teams are in a straight knockout tournament. Not going to happen though, so I gotta keep wishing.
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders v Reds:
The Highlanders got in 2 years ago off 4 wins and I don't recall many complaining about it, and sure enough, the Blues beat them with ease without really getting out of 3rd gear.
Obviously people are still nervous about the Crusaders for all the trauma they've caused us non Crusaders fans over the years, but from what they've shown this year, wouldn't you want to face them if you were the Blues or Canes?
As most Cantabs love saying these days, watch out 1st or 2nd seed as you won't want to play us when we get there, but if anything, I think the Reds are the team you would want to avoid if you're in the top 4, not the 2 from 10 Crusaders.
I think you'll find even some Landers fans complained it was stupid, and just lead to a big loss in the quarters. I like it though, were still talking and the season is still theoretically live for almost/all the teams. So unless there is relegation, you really need something like this
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@DaGrubster said in Crusaders v Reds:
If there was ever a reason for reducing the play off places, then Crusaders making the playoffs should be the smoking gun for it
A top eight in a 12 team table is fucken ridiculous and does give league heads genuine reason to say their competition is better.
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@Kirwan said in Crusaders v Reds:
Maths nerds, how many more losses before the crusaders are done and dusted?
5 games ago.
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The fact that DH's display of adequacy (and barely at that) was the best performance by a #10 for the Crusaders this year really does speak volumes as to how there season is going this year.
We really are scraping the barrel here if he's the bench 1st-5 for the AB's.
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Apart from the charge down which lead to the try.
Havilli played pretty well he found good distance with his boot,Passing was good, tackled well took it to The line when needed.
Considering he was playing behind a badly fuctioning forward pack which had no go forward to put him on the front foot he did well enough for a first start at First five this season.
It seems people have players they just dislike even if he was brilliant he would be shit in some peoples blinded eyes.Havilli showed as much as other first fives this season apart from D Mac who stands above everyone at the moment. -
This isn't an attack on Havilli - he's simply doing his best of the job that's been asked of him.
The cold, hard reality is that we now have a FB come 2nd-5 now come 1st-5 being shoe-horned into the AB bench spot.
It's a concerning lack of depth we have in NZ rugby at 1st 5.
I appreciate it's probably just a stop-gap measure till someone stands up but my goodness!! Someone please stand up!
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Yeah, Havilli played pretty well. The length of his punts are impressive. However, he has history with charge downs and the Reds probably targeted him. He needs to adjust to the lack of space and time in those situations. There were two or three times he couldn't get the team out from their line then the charge down happened.
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Crusaders v Reds:
Yeah, Havilli played pretty well. The length of his punts are impressive. However, he has history with charge downs and the Reds probably targeted him. He needs to adjust to the lack of space and time in those situations. There were two or three times he couldn't get the team out from their line then the charge down happened.
Yeah at those times they should have kicked from the base of the scrum or went deeper. Halfpenny,McNicoll or Fihaki if he was on then could have cleared with more space in front of them.
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@Windows97 i personally dont understand why they arent putting all their eggs into Reihana, hes had a great NPC season and despite his experience he is a classy 1st 5 with a great attacking edge and solid D. Just needs more game time to find his confidence and control.....goal kicking comes down to confidence, leading the team comes down to experience and backing from the coaches, give him opportunity and he'll come right, they should either start him or bring him on earlier before its too late to pull the reigns with only 15mins to go
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@raymelb Totally agree. But I guess they've been told that by the AB coach's...
Now whether the AB coachs told them to take Amua off and put their replacement first 5 into second five and keep their second five who was playing first 5 in at first 5 is another question.
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Crusaders v Reds:
Yeah, Havilli played pretty well. The length of his punts are impressive. However, he has history with charge downs and the Reds probably targeted him. He needs to adjust to the lack of space and time in those situations. There were two or three times he couldn't get the team out from their line then the charge down happened.
If its not charge downs it's intercept passes.
