The Silver Fern

I was at the game, first time at Ashton Gate. Really nice 27k seat stadium. Nice steep stands so really good views, good facilities and really clean.

It had been raining most of the morning but there was heavy drizzle from 10mins before kick off until about 5mins into the first half. First half handling reflected this (sometimes quite comically).

Scrums very solid although bristols scrum isnt particularly strong without Genge (although Sinkler played). First half was just played slow. Virtually no one ran onto the ball not helped by slow arrival to rucks by Heinz with a matching slow pass. Heinz decision making was good and experience on D was also good but the ball would go to a standing still Rehana who would pass to any of 5 players around him who would remain stationary until they got the ball.
Rush defence was rescued by some good wide scramble (Rova and Fihaki did well there) so a bit of work to do there.
Fihaki remains a bit of a 'not sure' player for me. Good kicker, good athlete but hands and decision making still let him down too often for a guy whose been there or there-abouts for a few years now, would have liked to see more improvement in those areas by now.
For conditions that would be ideal for someone with the size +speed of Manassa out wide I think he only got the ball once.
I had no idea someone got a yellow card.
Bristol used a lot of short chip kicks in the first half which was good to get go forward for them in the slippery conditions.
Big screen and announcements of who was replacing who was poor (and not helped that I didnt recognise so many of the players names) but the second half was a different game.
Pace really picked up. Hothams passing was lightyears away from Heinz, really quick and long and a really nice dummy and blind side run from a scrum but not tested as much defensively. So still inexperienced but with game changing skills. It got some movement forward so some momentum.
Overall it was a game where there was a lot of dropped ball that meant a score for either side was on the cards at any point.
Cant say I felt that we 'dominated the second half' as the stuff writer said but for a second pre-season game with new coach and systems they will be better for the experience.

@Bovidae said in Preseason - Munster v Crusaders (Feb 4th):

Is Coombes a regular starter for Munster? He was part of the Irish squad that toured NZ. They have both Synman and Kleyn in their squad but both were unavailable due to injury.

Sky NZ is obviously doing in-studio commentary for these pre-season games.

Coombes usually starts at 8. He's a try scoring machine but not in Andy Farrells plans for whatever reason.

This is Snymans 3rd season with Munster and he's played about 11 games. Been injured all the time. Just happened to be injury free for the world cup. Lucky Rassie! Then got injured again.

Jacomb is off the market now. Any word on who the Crusaders are after at 10? I assume that Reihana returns for another season?

@nostrildamus said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:

pakman is supposed to be a Blues fan? Should be all out of tears!

He’s getting in practice for next year

@His-Bobness said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):

Now that I think about the Blues’ shellacking this morning, I was struck by the Sky interview with Beauden Barrett ahead of the game. Asked about the game day ritual he sounded exceedingly chilled - talking about a nice lie-in and the extra space granted by being away from home and the kids. There was time for a leisurely breakfast and catchup with the US Open on TV before a team chat around lunch. Maybe this was their way of not being overawed by the occasion. But from what we saw on the field the result was they came on so ‘underawed’ and mentally unprepared they had no answer for the Crusaders’ intensity.

That sounds like BB's intensity for the last 3 years regardless of who he's playing for tbh.

"Clown's in a minefield" was headline put out by one journo which gave me a good laugh.

The Blues were just beaten soundly at every contact area in the game, lacked physical intensity to match or mental fortitude to dig in and fight in the trench's and instead went for the miracle off-loads just gifting the ball back to the Crusaders.

@Crazy-Horse Completely agree.

https://fb.watch/kZiX81ZcRk/

@SBW1 said in Crusaders v Waratahs:

He flew out just two days ago from France economy class.

Played one game, already one of the great Crusaders.

@SBW1 That clip is geo-blocked in NZ.

@Duluth said in Crusaders v Blues:

It didn’t affect the result but the TMO should be stood down for missing that huge knock on

Other ferners have even gone to the press about it.

'You shouldn't miss something as blatant as that': Why ex-All Black is unhappy with Papalii decision 'You shouldn't miss something as blatant as that': Why ex-All Black is unhappy with Papalii decision

Blues flanker Dalton Papalii was red carded in the 15-3 defeat to the Crusaders early in the second half but the sequence of events after the high shot has left ex-All Black John Kirwan scratching his head.

@nostrildamus The game against the Blues will be interesting for sure. He is still playing his way back into form, would be really happy to see Macca Springer emerge to be of a similar caliber. When looking at a highlights reel of Will Jordan some of his tries are quite freakish.

@ploughboy said in Chiefs v Crusaders:

@Crucial said in Chiefs v Crusaders:

Watched Stevenson try a few times to try and work out how DMAc had such a huge hole to run into.
Havili totally misread the play and bit in on a forward runner well after the pass out the back from Gatland was made.
I still have no idea what Christie and Ennor were doing charging up out wide as if DMac was going to pass before running.
Really poor defence and good taking advantage of it.

crusaders took the space outside dmac away in the first half, filled there lines with defenders. which will be why christie and ennor rushed up. dummy runnerin close fotced them to take him and make a different destion . good coaching who ever made the change at half time

Good point on them taking up the space out wide but in this case they failed to stay connected. The reason I rewatched is that they created such a huge hole.
Havili wasn't forced to come in, he misread the play IMO although I think RM had two runners coming at him so given his defensive weaknesses maybe Havili thought he had no option. Not a good sign for the ABs and will have been written down by other coaches with glee.
Would have to watch the phases beforehand to work out why the backline D was so out of order. It appeared to be RM, DH, TC, BE. Neither Saders or Chiefs had any wingers in that direction and Burke was MIA for the Saders.

@mikedogz I chuckled when I saw him running. Such a low centre of gravity aye.
Bench firepower unashamedly won that for the Saders. Some really good cameos and nice touches from the likes of Moananu, McLeod and Goodhue. And the subbing of Drummond who was a real handbrake.

@SBW1 if you're on a phone, that button on the right lets you reply to the thread instead of replying to a post..

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@SBW1 said in Reds v Crusaders:

@Chris Has Macca played Super rugby yet?

Yeah he came off the bench in Rd1 & Rd 2 against Chiefs and Highlanders started v Dura and off the bench v Blues.

I finally had a chance to watch this game. Good to see Wrampling have a strong game until he had to leave the field with cramp. I hadn't realised he was still so young, being eligible for the U20s next year too. Gabe Robinson did his NZ U20 chances no harm either.

@Crucial said in Crusaders v Brumbies:

@Canerbry said in Crusaders v Brumbies:

Crusaders play like shit and win, normal service restored in round robin play. I'm a bit disappointed in the Bumboys though, teams either grow another leg playing the Crusaders or spin the wheel picking a squad management 22 strategically and hoping for the best. Given the Crusaders absences you'd think picking the another leg team might have been an opportunity.

But no, look at the scoreboard.

You did see that the whole core of the Brumbies side were rested? They flagged this one as a development game in their season planning by the looks of it.
Dumb decision IMO as they aren't going to get a home semi without beating the Saders and it turned out that they painted themselves into a corner as with the reshuffled (but still strong starting XV) 23 the Saders listed the game would have been there for them to take.
I would find it funny except it did no favours to other NZ teams handing the Saders an easy win.

That seems to be exactly what he means. I think you and @Canerbry are just using different words to say the same thing.

Stating the obvious, but Talea looked good ball in hand again last night. I do wonder about his pace when it comes to higher honours though. I never noticed it before he played for the ABs last year, but he did look a little slowish in the tests he played. I know his brother plays in the midfield, has Mark any experience there or has he always been a Wing?