The Silver Fern

@DurryMexted said in NPC Final: Wellington vs Bay of Plenty:

You know your 7 is awesome when every other teams supporters hate him. Kirifi a lions legend

There aren't many players that put their body on the line like Kirifi. Two championships as a Lions captain, he'll always be a Wellington legend.

You know we've finally got our shit sorted when we've been able to finish the business. A winning % of 85% over the last three seasons is pretty good going. Hopefully we can keep the core of this group together for another couple seasons yet.

Pleasently surprised, the BOP has always had the danger out wide but lacked startch/execution up front to really match it with the big boys consistently.

The final presents the neutral fan with a golrious oppertunity to watch two teams famous for losuing things up as soon as they get tagged as favourites desperatly trying to out-do each other on the big stage,

I'll be watching this one from behind the couch...

Whole lot of changes at that end to upgrade. Just seems logical to put a grandstand between the club rooms and the entrance... Where the temporary ones went up for the national sevens.

I've just watched this game. Good to see Fineanganofo brought out his pink headgear from his school rugby days.

McGrath and Bates didn't want to use their bench.

Just watching this game now. I felt like last week BOP didn't use their backline enough against Wellington, lots of predictable pick and go's without a lot of deception. Totally different against Northland, playing with a lot more width and variety.

Cashmore is really good at organizing a backline. He plays with zero hesitation, either directly attacking the line or otherwise quickly transferring the ball to his outsides to give them plenty of space to work with. Smart and silky player.

@voodoo if anything it’s a compliment. a shit Richie McCaw > good Peter O’Mahony QED.

Cane showed the mouthy Irish git exactly that in the QF. He was immense that night, inviting reasonable comparison with the Incomparable. Takes some going to make the ludicrous a serious consideration, even for just a game.

Go well, Sam Cane. They asked the impossible of you: leave the jersey better than you found it. You failed gloriously, honourably. Coming up to the scratch over and over, seemingly undaunted by the heavy yolk of your responsibility. Unbowed by a broken neck, still less the critics’ ludicrous, invidious comparisons.

Each of the 99 times you toed the mark reducing the awful weight of that famous jersey for the next few men to shoulder.

@dogmeat said in BOP - 20 years since the shield victory:

@Donsteppa I recognise way more names than I would if today's respective teams were named.

I knew every name in that BoP team - except for the guy mentioned in the article. I don't remember him.

@Donsteppa said in BOP v Taranaki:

Narawa seemed to look for his support quite early on that run. A group of either mates or his rugby club mates sitting nearby gave some good natured stick in his direction for getting caught though 🙂

On Friday I saw him nearly beaten in a sprint by some primary school kids - embarrassing. Real time at the game I think he knew the pass was the best option early on, I still think he could have gassed the chaser if he'd dug it in. Comfortable win although I didn't think we looked all that much better, just took the opportunities that came along.

@Bovidae Out for the season... I am assuming he is having a surgery so he is ready for the Highlanders.

Really nice by Narawa, but godammit put your foot down man.

@Kiwiwomble said in Otago v BoP:

@bayimports HOW DARE we steal your colours 30 years before you existed 😉

That's the whole fun of it 🙂

Yep, I got the impression the ref and tjs were waiting for tmo calls which never came. Looked like obvious infringements from the sideline.

@bayimports plenty of things to improve too. Anyone pick up on why the bloke picked at 10 didn't play?

A disappointing performance from some experienced backs like Roe, Sullivan and Moorby. Hopefully we get some of the wingers back. Tudreu was a poor selection and I would have rather given one of the young outside backs a chance. They obviously had fun against the BOP Dev team.

@booboo said in QF - The Bay v Coke Snorting, Historical Artefact Wreckers:

Good crowd. Play more in smaller grounds.

$15 tickets and a teeny-tiny stand at the old domain - don't need many in for it to look packed.

The try that Selby-Rickit scored would never have happened (reffing issues or not) back in the days when forwards actually had to pile into rucks. In some ways it was a consequence of the constant fanning out that happens now.

@Winger I wouldn't mind seeing this pack to start the year. Plenty of experience in that 8 now and there is a good mix of x-factor and grit.

Numia / Mafileo Aumua Lomax Delany Bird / Sangster Shields Kirifi (new Captain) Flanders

Bench forwards:
16. not sure about Hooker. Southall and O'Reilly are my preferred signings.
17. Mafileo / Numia
18. Lauaki
19. Bird / Sangster
20. Lakai (covering 7/8)

Players there or there abouts: Iose, Howden, Walker-Leawere, Rakete-Stones