The Silver Fern

LCD and Watson are class acts. Have to start in the tests

Red card in my books, but he did it out of stupidity, nothing else. I was upset because I wanted Louis Schreuder to play the whole game. The better 9 was on the bench.

Thought the Stormers played much better then against the Blues. The defense was back to normal and Trokkie (Trokkie is afrikaans for truck) (nr8) had a massive game. Now we understand why Notshe moved to the Sharks.

Mallett and de Bruin analyse the Stormers loss to the Blues

@booboo said in Stormers v Hurricanes (Round 1):

@macandcheese said in Stormers v Hurricanes (Round 1):

Kolisi confirmed out for 6 weeks with a Grade 2 MCL tear caused by a dog shot by that piece of shit Riccitelli

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/kolisi-set-for-6-weeks-on-sidelines-20200203

I'm not convinced you know anything about rugby if you claim a player tackling around the legs makes him a "piece of shit".

I watched the "controversial" tackle and relied primarily on what my eyes saw at normal speed - a tackler aiming up, moving in head down and completing the tackle immediately after the ball was passed. When they collide Kolisi has taken less than a full stride and the catcher hasn't caught the ball yet. The linesman had an unimpeded view, did not react and followed the ball runner. The referee had a clear line of sight and showed no spontaneous reaction, he re-entered the frame looking merely inquisitive if anything.

The broadcast commentators, and fans since, drew a long bow on being late; and it certainly wasn’t a “cheap shot”, as the more excitable critics had it. There has been no citing.

I suspect they are getting all indignant more about who was tackled.

Riccitelli would be entitled to quote Andrew Hore, questioning Chris Pollock all those years ago “Is there a new rule that you can’t tackle Dan Carter?” (Ricky was only 9 years old at the time.)

More importantly, he is due a jolly good thrashing for sticking his scone in the wrong place in the tackle after five years professional rugby!

@Chris-B said in Stormers v Highlanders:

@Jaguares4real Right now, there's a pretty decent chance of the Crusaders and Jaguares finishing 1 and 2 for the regular season.

The Jaguares have one of the easier finishes to the regular season - but, probably can't afford a slip up, because the Brumbies have an even easier finish.

@nzzp said in Stormers v Crusaders:

@Billy-Webb said in Stormers v Crusaders:

Given where the pass took place, the ball clearly traveled forward a good few yards so one can understand the inclination to want to call it as forward.
But one would expect a TMO to know the laws of the game well enough to know that it is actually about whether the ball leaves the passing player "backwards out of the hand". So yes, disappointing and frustrating that Jonkers got it wrong.

Mate, if a TMO doesn't know basic laws, how the hell do the provide advice to the onfield ref? It's just bizarre. Wayne Barnes got this one wrong at Eden park a while ago too.

Wait for a terrible call like this to influence a game at the RWC and see what happens. The standard of refs is poor at the moment, and the laws don't help them.

Yup. That's what I am saying nzzp 😉

And you can bet the farm there will be at least one of these in the RWC. You just have to hope that it isn't against the team you're supporting.

Rebels game plan: attack until we win

Stormers game plan: defend until we win

Couple of tinny tries, all from pressure. Hardly a classic, but physical.

@Chester-Draws said in Reds vs Stormers:

@taniwharugby said in Reds vs Stormers:

@Chester-Draws some refs dont play it that way.

Too true.

I find it infuriating when penalty advantages are allowed to go for eight phases, but knock-ons for two passes. The rules make no distinction and refs should not either. Both should be allowed to develop.

I'm an advocate for 2-3 phases of penalty advantage. these days people run 20+ phases without scoring, and THEN the ref goes back for a penalty. It's garbage. Modern defences don't get ripped apart easily - if you know it's 2-3 phases, people will chance their arms or just go back to restart play

@Kirwan said in Blues vs Stormers:

@pakman said in Blues vs Stormers:

@Kruse said in Blues vs Stormers:

@taniwharugby said in Blues vs Stormers:

@Kruse yeah kinda (although isnt that just catch it full stop, not be on the ground?) but given there arent off-sides and > It simply isnt an easy fix because this game is all about the contest, but as soon as the ball goes in the air, one person seems to have all rights and the other doesnt, meaning there isnt really a contest.

Yeah - the "AFL" call was a facile comment,
But anyway - at the moment - which "one person" has all the rights? Some people seem to think it's the person who jumped first, some who think it was who jumped the highest, some who think it's who was in place first. And generally - it turns out to be (in the ref's eyes) who got least injured in some sort of potentially career-ending collision.
It's fucked.
And yeah, your particular suggestion - I'm not sure I agree with it being the best one, but it's certainly an option. Possibly one that achieves the effect both I was thinking of, and Mariner's.

If I were involved in the rule setting I'd get a couple of AFL experts in and ask how within their rules they ensure people don't break their necks. Those jokers climb up each other's backs, but I'm not aware (perhaps because of sheer ignorance) that lots of neck/back injuries result.

This a good question, would prefer a skills based solution

Mainly because they're jumping in the same direction, leaping upwards as opposed to forwards. The increase in forward velocity in rugby contests in the air make someone invariably unstable and easier to rotate when they hit another player who becomes a fulcrum. The faster both players in rugby are travelling at each other, the greater the moment (turning force) when they collide.

@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Hurricanes v Stormers:

@Crucial said in Hurricanes v Stormers:

@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Hurricanes v Stormers:

@Crucial said in Hurricanes v Stormers:

@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Hurricanes v Stormers:

@Crucial said in Hurricanes v Stormers:

@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Hurricanes v Stormers:

Any of you caarnts still don't think Jordie is a 12? Clearly he's far more comfortable there. The dilemma now is what the fug to do about Laumape...

Me.
Great with ball in hand and running lines. Medium length pass way too slow and loopy for distribution needs at international level.
He may be more comfortable there but at the top level I agree with the assessment of the AB coaches. Those skills work better at the back (except when attempting quick throw ins 😉 ). Needs to sharpen his passing game to be considered.

Well knock me down with a feather. I'm sure you applied the same standards to SBW when he burst onto the scene. Or probably not. His pass was fine today. Just needs more time at 12. Tiatia is a natural fullback. Jordie isn't.

Go and watch the first half again and watch how many laboured loopy passes he threw. If he got better then fair enough, but he was stand out horrid to start.

I don't think i've seen SBW throw a loopy pass ever.

You were probably too busy looking somewhere else.

I'm happy for you to prove me wrong. I just don't think that among all the masses of criticism SBW has copped over the years I have noticed a theme of poor passing.
Perhaps, if you are going to come up with a smart comment, back it up with fact instead of another smart comment?

Wouldn't have made any difference. You would have defended him regardless. And his passing in 2011 definitely wasn't world class. In fact there were multiple aspects of his game that needed to be worked on. Would have been rather unfair to straight out write him off as a 12 don't you think?

The point was that JBs passing was ropey. Try playing the ball instead of taking aim at the person making the point.
I haven’t written JB off as a 12 just commented that if he has international aspirations in the position he needs to sharpen his passing game.

@pakman said in Stormers vs Chiefs:

@crucial said in Stormers vs Chiefs:

@rebound said in Stormers vs Chiefs:

@shadowtrooper TMO didn't want to embarras the referee there. Referee rules no try knock on. TMO answers no clear evidence of knock on, stay with on filed decision (which he then makes up) forward pass.

Could he just not have said, no knock on but a forward pass. But clearly there neither was clear evidence of that as well. Just a f up and worrying trend.

I was pissed off at that one. Basically the ref said 'on field decision try' then changed to 'on field is no try' because the AR was insistent that there was an obvious knock on by Ngatai. As the pictures showed it wasn't clear and obvious at all. There was no proof of any knock on or forward pass and the grounding was clean, yet no try awarded.

Ref appeared to me to go with 'on field decision no try' purely out of solidarity with AR. Based on TMO AR was wrong, so no reason why try couldn't be awarded, which ought to have been the question.

Problem is that the TMO can only change on field decision if he has proof of difference. If the on-field was 'try unless you can prove a knock on' then the try would have been awarded as the TMO had no proof of a k.o.
Instead it was 'No Try unless you can prove there wasn't a k.o.'. TMO can't prove there was no k.o. therefore no try.
I kind of get why Fraser sided with his AR yet is seems inconsistent with how they deal with 'foot in touch'. Usually if the AR says there was a f.i.t they check the replay for that unless the AR says it was clear and obvious.
There is no way that potential touch by Ngatai was C and O.
And yet the Stormers are the ones crying about the ref and laying a complaint to SANZAAR. Go figure.

Sharks in 2014 might be the last time a team won its regular season games in NZ?

They beat the Crusaders and Blues (they lost a playoff game in NZ later that year)

Reds did it in 2013 too

Nock definitely has the talent to be a top halfback but he's way off where he should be. I don't think he's been helped by being fast tracked from high school by inept coaches. First year out of school straight away starting for Northland when some Jackass school teacher was coaching us. Probably would've benefited from a year or 2 of club rugby after school and understudy to an experienced halfback at NPC level.

No surprise he had his best season so far last year for Northland under a good coach in Derren Witcombe - was finally heading to where he should be.

Kitshoff might be my favourite prop now.

That young Stormers' 10 looks handy.

From the games I've seen, it seems the SA teams are playing more attractive rugby this season.

A.Smith is so annoying. Wish he was being annoying on my team. Been the best player in the comp in these early rounds.

@gt12 Goodhue has looked bloody good the last two games.

@Kruse Probably. I think last week I was a self-harming victim of no look recording!

@nzzp It's an utter disgrace that Veldsman is still employed as a TMO. He has form and his form makes Ayoub look like a genius.

@taniwharugby said in Hurricanes vs Stormers:

Think that rule of everyone being able to be put on side by a player moving forward changed last millenium??

Sounds like MN5 is our man here then.

@Frye Yeah, Sumo seems to have doubled down on it again, after I'd come round to quite liking him since he swore at me on here.

Only just watching recording now.

Fucking evil South African mad scientists have cloned Bryan Habana!