Crusaders vs B&I Lions
-
@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
@Stargazer Now THAT is what I call a passionate Crusaders fan. Love ya work mate.
Nope. You still don't get it.
-
@Rocky-Rockbottom said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
jaysus, Stargazer, imagine if he was a Blues fan, every time his team lost we'd get the Magna Carta seguing into War & fucken Peace
It has nothing to do with the Crusaders losing. You obviously missed my comment that the Lions deserved their win. I just responded to some Ferners who were exaggerating how bad they were playing (they weren't that bad; they just weren't good either) and to the ill-reasoned/unsubstantiated criticism of some players that I just don't agree with. I know some Ferners like to talk about players in terms that sound like attacks, and that just irks me. Not just when Crusaders players are the target. It's just not the way I like to talk about people. Too bad if you don't like that.
-
@Stargazer said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
Okay, my 2 cents. I haven't read most of the comments, because to my great surprise (well, not really), all these Ferners who have always expressed their dislike towards the Crusaders (remember the hatiest team thread?) suddenly come out of the woodworks to dish the Crusaders and individual players. The frustration about the Crusaders being unbeaten this Super Rugby season must be huge. And the frustration with some of their players not being selected in the AB squad. Really pathetic.
Holy persecution complex, Batman!
Totally not a Crusaders fan though, right?
-
From a Lions perspective I was impressed with 1-10. The midfield and the back three less impressive. Way too many blown opportunities. For all the bluster about Te'o his skillset is still more akin to league backrower than rugby midfielder. Watson looked dangerous but then he also watched the ball bounce and he seems like not the most secure fullback around, would only consider him for the wing. Liam Williams too many mistakes and then a horrible option to chip when he did finally latch onto one.
Test team:
Vunipola
Owens
Cole
AWJ
Kruis
POM
SOB
FaletauMurray
Sexton
North
Henshaw
Joseph
Watson
PayneIt's a difficult selection, there isn't a lot between most of the players. A lack of really world class guys screaming pick me unfortunately. Cole and Owens come in to help out the scrum. In the outside backs you have to go for the guys most likely to finish an opportunity when they get it.
-
That was disappointing, but gives the tour back its edge.
Taufau was quite poor I thought, Hall was so unbelievably slow, Mounga couldn't cope with the (at times clearly offside) rush defence, Crotty was badly missed, and Bridge had a mare.
And the ref rode the Crusaders scrum (that non-penalty about 5 minutes before half time especially).
This is a great game for Hansen and co - they know they will be facing a Lions side where Murray can land a box-kick on a 5c piece, and good luck stealing Lions lineout ball.
AB backs will be better than the Crusaders though for sure.
-
Hall is from Auckland somewhere right? Mounga is from Canterbury? What are you guys talking about, obviously Mounga was great, Hall is to blame for his dropsies, poor options and awful kicks.
@Stargazer whinge all you want, but as said, don't get all persecuted because people dare criticise your crusaders. Myself and many others who've commented have no axe to grind, very weird you'd go off on one about that.
-
Whee!
-
@Bovidae said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
Well done the Crusaders for taking my advice.
They read our comments yesterday and took one for the team ,
Thats all it was ..... no reason for people getting their knickers in a twist
-
@Bovidae said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
Gifford is reinforcing the stereotype about KIwis always blaming the ref for defeats.
He certainly is. I think it's a bit pathetic myself - yes the ref was a bit clueless at the scrum, and the offside lined seemed a bit optional at times, but twasn't the ref that cost the Crusaders the match.
TBH (hindsight is a great thing), we all should have foreseen this result - the Lions were always going to match the Crusaders pack, and if you do that you're talking about Bryn Hall vs Conor Murray, Owen Farrell vs Richie Mounga (which Lions fan told me Farrell is not a cert for the test side...), and a Crusaders backline with only one current AB.
In hindsight again, Bateman should have been at 12, with Dagg on the wing, Havili at FB, and Bridge in the stands.
-
@Billy-Tell yeah hindsight is a wonderful thing , but yeah thats it in a nutshell , didnt get the forward domination they are used to at super rugby level , and the backline fielded , collectively lacked threats
-
Ref was very poor, missed a lot both ways, but as we ought to have learnt from the past, take the refs inability to ref properly out by adapting, something McCaw was a master at
-
@Billy-Tell said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
@Bovidae said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
Gifford is reinforcing the stereotype about KIwis always blaming the ref for defeats.
He certainly is. I think it's a bit pathetic myself - yes the ref was a bit clueless at the scrum, and the offside lined seemed a bit optional at times, but twasn't the ref that cost the Crusaders the match.
And now Gregor Paul in the Herald is trying to blame the ref for the game, without quite saying he caused the Crusaders to lose.
I think the big issue is many Kiwis, and most Crusader fans, were pretty much sure the all-conquering Crusaders would have no trouble blowing away a weak Lions side.
And when their arrogance was punctured, they didn't like it. Someone had to be to blame -- and that left the ref as the only option.
-
Still feeling flat about that game. Pre tour I figured that was the best chance of a win outside of the AB's/NZM. After the Blues game I was looking forward to seeing a Super Rugby side cut loose.
At the risk of being a 'hater crawling out of the woodwork', that still feels bloody disappointing from the Crusaders... and it looked like Sam Whitelock felt similarly in his post match interview.
If there's any plus side, several All Blacks have had any possible slight hint of complacency for the Test series beaten out of them...
-
@Stargazer said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
Okay, my 2 cents. I haven't read most of the comments, because to my great surprise (well, not really), all these Ferners who have always expressed their dislike towards the Crusaders (remember the hatiest team thread?) suddenly come out of the woodworks to dish the Crusaders and individual players. The frustration about the Crusaders being unbeaten this Super Rugby season must be huge. And the frustration with some of their players not being selected in the AB squad. Really pathetic.
What a fucking bell-end of a comment.
Eeeiiits a persecution, I swear boss
-
@Chester-Draws said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
@Billy-Tell said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
@Bovidae said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:
Gifford is reinforcing the stereotype about KIwis always blaming the ref for defeats.
He certainly is. I think it's a bit pathetic myself - yes the ref was a bit clueless at the scrum, and the offside lined seemed a bit optional at times, but twasn't the ref that cost the Crusaders the match.
And now Gregor Paul in the Herald is trying to blame the ref for the game, without quite saying he caused the Crusaders to lose.
I think the big issue is many Kiwis, and most Crusader fans, were pretty much sure the all-conquering Crusaders would have no trouble blowing away a weak Lions side.
And when their arrogance was punctured, they didn't like it. Someone had to be to blame -- and that left the ref as the only option.
If the Blues play like that they get criticised and laughed at from all corners (and rightly so) and no-one would make a mention of the ref. Without trying to sound like a whinger, the Crusaders seem to be getting a free ride from the media here where they can't seem to admit that they just had a bad night at the office and that the Lions were far better than them.
Not trying to sound like a 'hater coming out of the woodwork', just a bit of consistency from these media clowns would be nice.
-
Ref was fine.
2 very strange scrum penalties aside.
2 bad calls in a game is nothing.
There are probably some the other way I didn't notice.
I'm not talking 50/50 quibbling here.
First 20 to 30 minutes. Poor little babies need a constant verbal feed telling them when to stop cheating. Instead of erring on the side of not cheating at all because he's giving you no clues.
