The Silver Fern

A game between the NZ and Aust winners.

Champions Final headlines 2025 Sky Super Rugby Aupiki draw announcement Champions Final headlines 2025 Sky Super Rugby Aupiki draw announcement

History will be up for grabs in 2025 with an inaugural Women’s Super Rugby Champions Final to be played between the respective Sky Super Rugby Aupiki and Super W winners.

@MiketheSnow said in World Rugby confirms changes to be implemented across the global game:

The Law of Unintended Consequences

'We need to speed up the game'

'How about not straight at the line out when the defending team doesn't compete is play on?'

'Great. Implement it'

Most defending teams won't go up at a 5m line out as they wait for the attacking catcher to come back to earth so they can execute a legal counter maul

So there's no onus on the hooker to throw straight which creates a greater chance of securing possession and setting up an impregnable maul

This has increased the likelihood of the attacking team scoring and because they're in a stronger position (formation wise) more likelihood that the defending team will commit a foul resulting in a Penalty Try and/or YC.

The review by ref and TMO has actually slowed the game down and made the lineout less of a contest.

I agree but I’m even more offended by refs just ignoring the fact that the attacking team are getting into position to maul before the hooker has even released the ball, two or three men step outside of the line and circle behind the receiver, what happened to not leaving or joining the lineout until it’s moved off the plane?

To my eye, Moroni is lining up for a tackle, the pass goes low and Crowley goes low to try to grab it. It's clearly head contact, clearly clumsy, and on precedent it's clearly a card, is it deliberate foul play - maybe? Slow motion makes this stuff look terrible, but it doesn't really reflect the reality of the game.
But if the focus is player safety, and if he's going to act like he's been severely injured, where is the HIA?

@African-Monkey said in Autumn Test 2024 : Wales v Australia:

Random thought, but how has Gareth Anscombe only played 39 tests! Thought he'd be between 60-70 tests minimum by now. He's been there forever.

Injured and fucked off for a while

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Dylan Cleaver Rebel alliance to take on the Empire Rebel alliance to take on the Empire

Trying to make sense of both a proposed 'rebel' rugby tournament and Barrett's decision to kick for goal, PLUS: a smidge of cricket and day one of the Podmore Inquest.

@Duluth said in UFC / MMA:

@MiketheSnow said in UFC / MMA:

Turns out it was a great card

Cracking finishes from Oban Elliot, Brahimaj, Tybura, Miller and Jones

Nickal needs to show more to fight for the belt

Charles v Mike was one for the ages

Jones picked Stipe apart

Yeah some fun fights

The gap between Jones and Miocic was huge but Stipe was disappointing. He looked his age. Good decision from JJ to attack the body so much

Aspinall will be confident against Jones, he's considerably quicker and he's larger. I'm picking Jones will drag out negotiations and then try to talk up a Pereira fight.. I'm sure he could make that fight mostly happen off the feet

Charles was great but Chandlers resilience made that fight. The last round was an unbelievable effort

We know where Bo Nickal is at now. I thought he might be reluctant to take Craig down but I expected him to have more success with his striking. Unfortunately we had a kickboxing match between two limited kickboxers. The UFC have done Nickal no favours by talking him up so much.. who do they match him up against next? Maybe 15th ranked Michel Pereira?

Yeah Pereira would be a good call. Or Hermansson.

Did any of you with Stan watch the Australia A games? A draw with Bristol and a big loss to England A wouldn't have been what was hoped for.

@MN5 said in Boxing Thread:

A nice business transaction to get a cheeky 20 mill.

~$1M per punch thrown. 🤣

@Billy-Webb said in World rugby chair from the SH for the first time?:

@mohikamo said in World rugby chair from the SH for the first time?:

for those who dont know who benazzi is
he had a match winning try disallowed in WC95 semi vs SA
monsoon game, he definitely scored imo
no tmo in those days
would have meant a NZ v france final, and whole different rugby history
i wasn't concerned at the time, thought we were easily good enough to beat anyone

It certainly was close.
Having watched that game and that incident a few times - not sure whether he did or did not score.

Unlike Reuben Kruger in the final though 😛

Kruger didn't score ... it's not on the score sheet ...

As for Benazzi, agree it was not "clear and obvious". I recall he talked about it afterward (press conference?) and kind of played it down. Said something like "it was 'this' close".

@Nepia said in All Blacks MOTM v France:

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks MOTM v France:

Went Roigard, Williams and Vaa'i. Honorable mentions to Reiko, RD and Lakai.

You know you can click on the vote total and it tells you who did it?

EDIT: Quoted the wrong post.
@voodoo

Nobody likes a show off mate

Pretty cool seeing this in colour

Maybe if Scott Barrett had been aware that the Raeburn Shield was on the line, he would have told DMac to kick for the corner rather than take the three with 4 minutes to go?

Should be good. Southee retiring from test cricket after this series. I wonder if he got the nod, or if he just decided for himself. Looks covered in the other thread.

I have heard Brodie Rettalick wants to end his career by playing 2 seasons for the Magpies. Wouldn't be bad if he could talk his mate Sam Whitelock into playing the odd game for the Bay.

@Jet said in Ireland v Argentina:

@MiketheSnow said in Ireland v Argentina:

@Jet said in Ireland v Argentina:

Ref hatcheted Argentina, particularly in the final drive. Repeated green infringements.

Im getting sick of how normalised players getting carded is though....Rugby is a bit shit these days isnt it.

Im fed up of listening to refs and TMO's talk to each other.

Its fucking insufferable.

Slowly but surely we’re seeing more and more censure for human ‘Exocet missiles’ entering the ruck with abandon

That is a train I can get on board with

Always wondered why Exocet became the missile of choice for ruck entry descriptions....seems to be ubiquitous at this stage.

Particularly eye brow raising when Argentina are one of the teams under discussion.

Mike the Snow playing 4d chess.

Because it's a sea skimmer that came into UK, and therefore Anglo speaking rugby, consciousness in 82!

Prof is a very good host to be fair. Deadpan charisma.

I love when swoop is talking about a game he clearly hasnt watched and when Prof takes him to task on it he says

"I watched it whistle to whistle mate".

After the bad loss to the Jack Jumpers the Breakers needed a bounce back win vs Cairns. NZB started strong, Cairns fought back and took the lead early in the 4th as the Breakers went cold shooting, only to lose their import guard who fouled out after scoring 30 of the Taipans 60 points to that point. NZ finally warmed up again and took the lead back for good as Cairns could barely score the last 5 minutes. Far from vintage but they get a hard fought W and climb to 1st place with a 7-3 record. Not bad for a completely new team with a new coach

Aura still intact enough that the NH include wins over the ABs when rating a players career alongside 6 Nations trophies etc - Cian Healy tying with Coulda Doid for the most capped Irish player.