Highlanders vs Chiefs
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@Crucial said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
34 missed tackles for the Chiefs in the game! Highlanders win all the attacking stats as well.
That was a lucky 5 table points for sure.I don't think it was lucky. Chiefs scrambling D worked very well. Better than their close quarter ruck defence/attack anyway. A number of times they left the ball unprotected and got suitably punished.
Chiefs just took their opportunities in the Landers 22 and made the most of them. -
@Crash said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
@Crucial said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
34 missed tackles for the Chiefs in the game! Highlanders win all the attacking stats as well.
That was a lucky 5 table points for sure.I don't think it was lucky. Chiefs scrambling D worked very well. Better than their close quarter ruck defence/attack anyway. A number of times they left the ball unprotected and got suitably punished.
Chiefs just took their opportunities in the Landers 22 and made the most of them.I'm not saying they didn't deserve the win. I thought they showed great tenacity to hold the Highlanders out time and time again waiting for the inevitable error. They also created much of their own 'luck' with good disruptive linespeed.
But given the flaws in their game they were lucky the Highlanders weren't on song.
They came away with 5 points in a game against another NZ team where they didn't play all that well. -
@Crucial said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
@Crash said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
@Crucial said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
34 missed tackles for the Chiefs in the game! Highlanders win all the attacking stats as well.
That was a lucky 5 table points for sure.I don't think it was lucky. Chiefs scrambling D worked very well. Better than their close quarter ruck defence/attack anyway. A number of times they left the ball unprotected and got suitably punished.
Chiefs just took their opportunities in the Landers 22 and made the most of them.I'm not saying they didn't deserve the win. I thought they should great tenacity to hold the Highlanders out time and time again waiting for the inevitable error. They also created much of their own 'luck' with good disruptive linespeed.
But given the flaws in their game they were lucky the Highlanders weren't on song.
They came away with 5 points in a game against another NZ team where they didn't play all that well.Absolutely. I think 'tenacity' is exactly right. Chiefs showed plenty of that, and enough deft touches to keep the Landers honest.
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While i was glad that we won, I was also disappointed since it was two NZ teams that looked like shit. NZ derby games last year were always high caliber, and was expecting the same last night (which I know is unfair since it's the first game of the season).
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@pukunui said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
@Bones said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
For all the talk of the Chiefs defence, I think they were in trouble a few times if you take out the fuck ups by ABs.
Agreed, Highlanders were breaking the line almost at will at times but kept pushing passes and killing the movement.
Naholo, Squire, Thompson and Li were particularly good. Fekitoa was shit. That forward pass into the back of the dummy runner when he had two other guys outside was pathetic. He will be competing with Tamanivalu and Moala for 5th or 6th spot for the ABs this year. R Ioane and SBW should easily go past him.Strange game really. Chiefs didn't actually do much, just took their chances and defended until the Highlanders fucked up.
Hope Ben Smith is fine. Early in the game i found myself holding my breath every time he went into contact like back in 2008-2011 with Carter, not wanting him to get broken.
My biggest concern with fekitoa , is how often the attacking play breaks down when he receives the ball. Not exactly what you expect from an elite 13.
His physical commitment can't be faulted . -
@Crucial said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
@mariner4life said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
Anyone who injures a top level AB this year should get 3 weeks minimum, regardless of circumstances
Unless they are also an AB?
Actually it could be a cunning ploy by DMac .......Humour aside, I'd say Smith's concussion was self-inflicted. That was probably one of the few times in recent memory that BFA went up for a high ball and didn't win it.
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@JayCee It's going to take a few weeks for some of the ABs to get up to speed as they haven't played much, if at all, in the preseason. For that reason you can understand why Umaga and Boyd have introduced some of their ABs from the bench. We will see how the Crusaders ABs fare today.
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Fekitoa was rubbish. The constant music was irritating by the end. Lee looks a handy enough signing. I forget how much width nz teams give the ball compared to up north.
I reckon fekitoa will sign for overseas and we won't be too fussed. Dazzling first season, mediocre in 2016 and he won't want to see this game again.
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Anyone who thinks these teams were poor didn't watch the late game
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Everyone always forgets that its a long season and the first few weeks are always filled with shit rugby. The Landers and Canes in particular were fuckin crap at the start of last season, remember the Canes taking a 50 point drubbing by the Brumbies?
Sounds like this game was just like that early season Chiefs/Landers game a couple years back but the other way around. In that game, the Chiefs had all the ball, made all the plays but they couldn't make it over the line if their lives depended on it, their only two tries were penalty tries. The Landers took what little opportunities came their way and somehow walked away with a win.
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@Billy-Tell I watched Fekitoa in the second half because of the usual suspects deriding his performance and he was very good. His defence is still above his peers, and that sort of dependency is something All Black coaches love. He and Thompson also took good options.
And before anyone makes reference to Ioane's game, he was playing the fucking Rebels.
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@antipodean said in Highlanders vs Chiefs:
@Billy-Tell I watched Fekitoa in the second half because of the usual suspects deriding his performance and he was very good. His defence is still above his peers, and that sort of dependency is something All Black coaches love. He and Thompson also took good options.
And before anyone makes reference to Ioane's game, he was playing the fucking Rebels.
Yeah his defence was fine. Always has been. But my oh my his attack was like a Marx brothers film. Not remotely AB standard.
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