Blues v Hurricanes
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@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! -
@nzzp bloody frustrating ,canβt 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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@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.
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@98blueandgold said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@kev By fringe I meant mistake. π
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@kirwan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Found footage of that Northland prop defending the line.
I would be more concerned that the two other guys with their backs turned were the two regular captains Pulu and Parsons.
Say what you want about the coach but those are the guys that need to be taking responsibilty first and foremost. -
@rapido said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Good old fashioned first-5/8 'tackle' attempt by Perofeta on NMS.
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@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.
This is retarded. Dude you have some weird blinkers. Akira is such a stand out in nearly everything good that happens in a Blues game. Tonight i watched him repeatedly get over the advantage line, repeatedly hold opposition up on defense ( including this nobody Evans) and whack dudes at ruck time.
I did see him drop a lineout, which is a caning offense in the school of mariner, but...
Akira has that bit extra you need in the test arena, backed up by a pretty decent workrate. Surely he's a lock?
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@mariner4life if we're replacing Kaino, I'd go with Ioane. If we're replacing Savea (which we bloody should), I'd go with Evans, although I guess Taufua has earned it a bit more, there's just something about him that doesn't strike me as Test Match.
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Aren't we replacing Read?
Without messing up the systems too much, surely we stick with Squire/Kaino, Cane and an 8 that can work in close as well as take opportunities in the tram tracks.
I'd go for Akira. When Read comes back he has more future as a reserve anyway.
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Considering last game he topped the canes tackle count and was third last night, I think you're wrong. It maybe he's been told to do a Pocock, be ready for the steal. And his steal last night was a thing of laser accurate lightning fast beauty. I think Ardie had been improving this season, getting back to his ABs call up form. If still pick Todd tho, unless we were playing a much less physical nation than France