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    @Chris-B Mate it's the shield, and shit happens. As I said you want to change to something it never was and I like it being special. I want it to keep it's mistique,let's just leave it at that.
    I enjoy tradional things in game and I think it's been changed enough.

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    @Stargazer said in Wellington vs Ta$man (RS):

    @Dan54 said in Wellington vs Ta$man (RS):

    Don't know wht Naki would put up that (I know it was a joke etc), because we play Ta$man in New Plymouth, so wouldn't of got a crack, unless they were hoping someone took it off Ta$man.

    Because there's more than one route to a Shield challenge*: if Ta$man had won it off Wellington and then lost the Shield to Harbour; Harbour successfully defended it to Waikato and then lost it to Otago, and Otago defended it successfully against Northland, then Taranaki would have their only possible challenge this season against Otago in Dunedin on 16 September.

    *according to picture in NPC thread

    F*** me Star, appreciate the info, and eyes might stop spinning in an hour or so, and brain will try and compute that!😲

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    @Winger I'd rather we give guys like Pettett and Plummer game time if that's the case. Blackwell doesn't offer any more than what they bring, especially height.

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    @Darren Ethan Webster-Nonu isn't Ma'a's son despite what the commentator said. I think he's a nephew.

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    @act-crusader said in Hawke's Bay v Waikato (RS):

    @williethewaiter said in Hawke's Bay v Waikato (RS):

    That last shoulder charge pisses me off in general.. That's what a red card should be for.. dirty cheap shots..

    Add to that Toala putting his hands up and asking the the ref “what did I do?”. Clear as day shoulder charge with no attempt whatsoever to wrap arm(s) around. Should always be a red.

    Any update on Tongia? He was down for a bit

    You're rubbing it on a bit thick, he slightly put his hands up at the time and then acknowledged the card with a gesture to the ref as he walked off.

    On replay I think @Bones is correct Tongia cut in just as Toala was setting for the tackle.

    I would post diagramed pics if I was Australian and/or not lazy.

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    @kiwipie said in Hawkes v Bay of Plenty - Shield Match!:

    @cpt-kumera said in Hawkes v Bay of Plenty - Shield Match!:

    Interesting chase and mitch got subbed early in the 2nd. The last 4.5 years they been our best players

    Some of Tiatia's kicking was poor in that first half. And Trask wasn't a calm head at 10. We looked much better with Black at 10 and Trask at 15.

    I was pretty happy you left Black on the bench as long as you did, imagine losing to an Of Plenty team with a Manawatu poach at ten. Talk about indignity.

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    @stockcar86 He stepped nicely off his left foot a couple of times in the first half to easily get past his opponent and there was a very nice flick on of the ball when under pressure to create space for the player outside him later on. I agree with you, he shows promise but you have to take into consideration the amateur level of the opposition, particularly their ability to fall off tackles when tiredness set in. In addition our guys would probably have had at least 80% of possession. A clear case of professionals v amateurs in this case.

    I would have expected the Shield Defenders to utterly slaughter the challengers given the difference in personnel available to each team but that did not really happen. I know that might not make sense when 93 points were raked up but I got the impression that the Magpies were holding an awful lot back that they might not have wanted video analysists of upcoming opponents to see. For example I would have expected the scrum to shunt the Coast backwards big time every scrum (they did not) and to swing the ball wide showing off Harlem Globetrotter like plays way more than they did. We must also consider that it was nowhere near the complete Bunnings Cup team on the field at the same time at any stage so Messrs Ozich and Syms were keeping things under their hats to a certain degree.

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    I thought the most interesting selection in this game was Grace at 8. I wonder if that's a decree from above (Razor and/or the All Black selectors)? There's definitely an opportunity there for the Crusaders as we have better cover on the blindside in Blackadder and Sanders (Roots also) and really fuck all behind Douglas at 8. Given the MOTM award went to a debutant on the blindside, maybe he'll stay there for the season.