Blues v Hurricanes
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Blues competitive tonight but don't have enough to win these games. In pack Ofa was good and Akira tried but the rest of the pack is pretty poor. I'm a PT fan but he looked waaaaaay off the pace and wld gladly have Romano (take that back!) ahead of him in ABs on that performance. SBW was awesome tonight, his d, top class and dangerous on attack. Ledger was good and Reiko defensively gave Lamb nothing.
Again Ricetelli impressed me but I wonder if he isn't as dynamic in loose for ABs when looking at Coles/ Taylor. Canes just clinical -
@kirwan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@canefan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@kirwan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@canefan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@kirwan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@canerbry said in Blues v Hurricanes:
With a new coach and a bit of luck maybe next year the Blues can finish as high as 11th?
New coach? A coach would be a start.
Tana is signed for next year isn't he? The only Blues coach i can recall being fired was Jed wasn't he?
Rumour is our wonderful CEO has signed the useless excuse of a coach for another two years. They are too chicken to announce it though.
He's waiting until you win a game first 😴
Like last week? Was expecting a parade and an announcement after that to be honest.
I guess even the Blues board don’t rate the Aussie teams.
Got to win a home derby as evidence of progress made
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@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@stargazer said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@kirwan Evans has been brilliant all season, and clearly much better in this game than Akira. Akira is just a big lump who's going hot and cold, but mostly cold in this game.
ha ha ha ha ha.
Genuine question: if Akira played in the Canes pack, with the Canes coach, and Evans played for the Blues, do you think you'd still pick Evans?
If Akira played as good as Evans (now, in the Canes' pack) and Evans as inconsistent as Akira (now, in the Blues pack), then I'd pick Akira. But if Evans played - like he is now - in the Blues pack, and Akira played like he is now in the Canes' pack, then I'd still pick Evans.
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@stargazer said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@stargazer said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@kirwan Evans has been brilliant all season, and clearly much better in this game than Akira. Akira is just a big lump who's going hot and cold, but mostly cold in this game.
ha ha ha ha ha.
Genuine question: if Akira played in the Canes pack, with the Canes coach, and Evans played for the Blues, do you think you'd still pick Evans?
If Akira played as good as Evans (now, in the Canes' pack) and Evans as inconsistent as Akira (now, in the Blues pack), then I'd pick Akira. But if Evans played - like he is now - in the Blues pack, and Akira played like he is now, then I'd still pick Evans.
You are talking rubbish. We can pick this up when Akira is named in the ABs.
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I obviously watched a different game to TJ and Smith because Proctor was fairly anonymous to me until scoring the late try. All I remembered were 2 offsides and a dropped ball.
The Blues won the midfield duel, not that it mattered much as the game was decided up front.
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@rocky-rockbottom said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@98blueandgold said in Blues v Hurricanes:
I'm a PT fan but he looked waaaaaay off the pace
PT, Paper Tiger.
Still, something was going right, Blues were still leading 15-14 at 60 mins. Then Cyclone Perenara swept thru town
The thing for me, is that we tend to be winning despite our structure and coaching, rather than because of it. And as a result, teams just finish over the top of us tactically.
The team looks fit enough, and generally committed enough. Just bloody poorly coached.
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@tim totally agree about SBW,though he was the Blues best by a long way in a beaten team,small margins at this level,it’s all about doing the little things right
I will start with the good,thought the defence was super aggressive,but did not always get rewarded at the breakdown from Paul Williams especially.
I thought the backline in the main did a very good job defensively keeping the Canes backs in check..given you had Caleb Clark,Orben Ledger and Stephen Perofeta in the backline,all were in last years NZ under 20 team
But like most games,it’s won up front,The Canes set piece lineout was superb,and the scrum had the upper hand throughout
Just a better team at the end of the day. -
@steven-harris said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Just a better team, with better coaching, at the end of the day.
fixed that for ya
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Afeaki the Blues scrum coach has actually done a decent job in his first season. Blues scrum is not the shitshow it was in previous years. Admittedly it isnt great but its definitely improved.
Defensive structure this week was much better.
Thats about as positive as ill get with Blues coaching.
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@nzzp I dont know, not really caring about Blues that much :). I just think their best players are in the wrong position. Akira at 8 in poor pack, SBW in midefield who played as well as any 12 in comp this year and Reiko on wing who saw no ball. Other ABs in team are fringe, Manu, Parsons, Pulu etc....
Pulu and Perofeta are ok individually but as a pair are terrible, Gatland..Ruru.... all just stink when paired together they just do not complement one another but hinder the team I believe. If one of them go to another club they would do ok because they would be paired probably with a player who complements them.
Also tonight outside Ofa and Akira that pack?????????????? mate your dreaming!
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@nzzp bloody frustrating ,can’t fault effort,but just some basic things like getting back on your line to negate quick tap comes to mind,or throwing numbers immediately at lineout Drive to stop momentum..gee these are the things we were taught at school boy rugby..
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@stargazer Agree he is good but against Sharks went missing and again nothing when up against international wing. Needs to show something else when isnt given space.
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The real question is, who would you pick between Evans and Taufua?
Both would be considered utility loose forwards if they select an extra loose forward or drop Savea/Todd. I would take Evans myself.
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@98blueandgold Parsons is not a fringe AB. Fortunate.
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This whole Evans in ABs please stop! I wouldnt compare him against other NZ opposition because he wouldn't play against them for ABs. think of it this way when playing SA and Du Preez is charging round, who do you want standing in his way, Akira or Evans?
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@bovidae said in Blues v Hurricanes:
The real question is, who would you pick between Evans and Taufua?
Both would be considered utility loose forwards if they select an extra loose forward or drop Savea/Todd. I would take Evans myself.
I'm not sure tbh. I think - talking about utitlity value - Evans is better at 7 than Taufua; Taufua is better than Evans at 6. There's not much between them at 8. Evans is faster & more often used in the line-out, Taufua is a (slightly) better ball carrier and has a bigger engine. Both have a huge workrate.
