Blues v Cheetahs
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@African-Monkey said in Blues v Cheetahs:
I never really took notice of it until someone mentioned it on here, but seeing James Parsons doing interviews in his headgear makes me laugh.
I think he does his online shopping here....http://www.rehabmart.com/category/special_needs_protective_childrens_helmets.htm
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@Bovidae said in Blues v Cheetahs:
@Crucial said in Blues v Cheetahs:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Cheetahs:
@African-Monkey its very frustrating. They just straight up are not fit enough.
They used to use that real hard ass S&C coach whose name I can't remember but when he left they promoted his assistant who had joined the team as an intern. Maybe it is his inexperience coming through, not knowing the levels needed?
Wally Rifle?
That's him.
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@Crucial Yup gotta agree, it got to the point where we didn't even make an effort and just let the Cheetahs score their tries. Unfortunately I can't see the problem being solved within a week so it could be a struggle next week if our discipline isn't on point.
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Really happy with that. Blues team has grown since last year.
Pulu's best game in a long time.
Nanai provides a whole different dimension to the attack.
My favourite part was Faiane though. That boy can seriously play. For someone with two ACL injuries he is very spritely. Blues need to keep him. A genuine 12 who plays to space and makes good decisions.
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@akan004 They need to lay off a bit though. If that was a test match Nanai passes - I think he's good enough to figure out the Cheetahs defend like paper bags and its not England he's up against. Goldie has a point but I think he could have worded it differently.
Considering the rain in Auckland today the skills on display were pretty bloody good - Blues especially (essentially because they used the ball a hell of a lot more than the Cheetahs).
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Yeah the criticism of Nanai was OTT. I didn't mind it given the inside player was on an awkward angle to the defender. Nanai made a nice move and the poor technique of the tackler to go high made it easy to get by.
He wouldn't do that in a test??? Who cares, it wasn't a test. There's plenty of risky things that test players try and don't come off whether it be in Super rugby or tests.
Was just good to see him get a start.
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@KiwiMurph the Cheetahs looked pretty good once they got it to their right wing. He might be on the short side for a test rugby wing, but Peterson has been very effective this season. Given the state of Springbok rugby right now, he could make things at least exciting
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@Damo said in Blues v Cheetahs:
Does Moala ever pass the ball in open space? I've seen him offload a few times but I can't recall him ever just passing the ball.
He's a better winger than midfielder in my opinion.
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@ACT-Crusader Yeah he's been dangerous all season long. Rhule and the others were kept mostly quiet though.
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I'm probably the only one who prefers Moala over Ioane at centre. I don't have as much of a problem as others do with his passing game and at least he gets us over the advantage line every time. Ioane is a better winger imo and has started playing better since shifting out there.
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One of life's mysteries is how Collins is preferred to Nanai.
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@African-Monkey At this point I agree. Ioane has a bit to learn but he is pure talent.
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@Crucial said in Blues v Cheetahs:
@African-Monkey said in Blues v Cheetahs:
We'll have problems next week in Cape Town with the rolling maul which could prove our downfall.
I just never see any of the Blues forwards setting low and driving with their legs. They all lean in.
I know it is a skill to get your timing right to do that but what I see from SA teams in particular is use of the whole body to drive. add that to their size and it becomes a real strength.
Disappointed that the Blues haven't improved in this area after the weakness was exposed massively by the Crusaders.
as much as I like Steve Jackson from the good work he did at CM, the maul defence was a weakness there as well.Can I like this twice?
Lot of whinging about mauls because the Blues are both shit at defending them and using them as an attacking weapon.
Seriously. Get better at it. Use your legs and body position and collective strength.
Mauls are awesome! As a spectacle in and of itself, and as a means of dragging in defenders and creating space out wide.
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@booboo Good that our NZ teams are getting some practice at defending the maul, because it will be a major weapon for Lions. If you look on the42.ie it is treated in Ireland for example a bit like chess. Just stopping the initial drive won't hack it. Need to target the guys who drive the change of angle (usually props I think).
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@booboo said in Blues v Cheetahs:
@Crucial said in Blues v Cheetahs:
@African-Monkey said in Blues v Cheetahs:
We'll have problems next week in Cape Town with the rolling maul which could prove our downfall.
I just never see any of the Blues forwards setting low and driving with their legs. They all lean in.
I know it is a skill to get your timing right to do that but what I see from SA teams in particular is use of the whole body to drive. add that to their size and it becomes a real strength.
Disappointed that the Blues haven't improved in this area after the weakness was exposed massively by the Crusaders.
as much as I like Steve Jackson from the good work he did at CM, the maul defence was a weakness there as well.Can I like this twice?
Lot of whinging about mauls because the Blues are both shit at defending them and using them as an attacking weapon.
Seriously. Get better at it. Use your legs and body position and collective strength.
Mauls are awesome! As a spectacle in and of itself, and as a means of dragging in defenders and creating space out wide.
But how often do you actually see them used to drag in defenders then spread it wide? The way they are policed at the moment mean teams just form maul after maul to earn penalties and play for cards or penalty tries. Way too often it is the domain of shit teams who have nothing else. Look at last night. Cheetahs had a shit hot maul but sucked everywhere else and got well beaten. The Brumbies and Wallabies have been the same in recent years.
Imo a tweak in the laws to allow defenders to pull it down would bring it back from being an aspect of play that is so heavily weighted towards the attacking team. A well set maul could still be used to score from close range and may also encourage the spinning it wide play rather than keeping it in waiting for an advantage.
I don't buy the safety arguement for not pulling mauls down. When was the last injury caused by collapsing a maul once it got over the try line or to prevent a player being held up?
It may also need a change of the collapsed maul law where instead of a turnover an unplayable ball results in a scrum to the team going forward like a ruck.It will never happen though.
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Are mauls that heavily weighted to the attacking team? To score a try from a maul you need, an attacking penalty, a good lineout and then finally a good maul. I wonder how many tries in a season come from mauls? it probably averages out slightly over one a game? I don't watch much South African rugby though. I always feel if mauls are so easy, then why are teams like the Blues and Hurricanes so shit at them? When we try them against the Saffa teams they shut us down quite easily.
