Blues v Hurricanes
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@chris-b said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Jerome's surely gone isn't he?
He's leaving NZ after Super rugby, 35 years old, and based on what I saw last night he's going through the motions.
Yep, and we have missed out on the last of him on the back of self inflicted damage. Really sad ending to someone who was a monster in black for 4-5 years. One of my favourite players when on song, and has two RWC medals.
Also probably appears in Digby Ioane's dreams still ... but not the happy dreams, the other kind
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@mimic said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@mariner4life 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.
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?
Evans plays for Hawkes Bay. Post was made by Stargazer. So yeah, no surprises about his post.
Yeah, because Blues fans are so objective. So no surprises about their posts.
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highlights...
@kirwan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@taniwharugby said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@kirwan you didnt seem concerned Parsons did it?? He was closest and a leader.
He was poor too, wasn’t closest though.
Parsons DEF the closest player to the quick tap, many of the Blues turn thier back, rookie error all round lead ably by Pulu & Parsons.
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@stargazer said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@mimic said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@mariner4life 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.
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?
Evans plays for Hawkes Bay. Post was made by Stargazer. So yeah, no surprises about his post.
Yeah, because Blues fans are so objective. So no surprises about their posts.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but a little self awareness goes a long way.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues v Hurricanes:
highlights...
@kirwan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@taniwharugby said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@kirwan you didnt seem concerned Parsons did it?? He was closest and a leader.
He was poor too, wasn’t closest though.
Parsons DEF the closest player to the quick tap, many of the Blues turn thier back, rookie error all round lead ably by Pulu & Parsons.
I see 5 players turn their backs. Harsh to single out one.
At least Wright is running back.
For some reason I'm a fan of Wright but that was poor by him. And Parsons, and Taramai, and Pulu, and Cowley-Tuioti.
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@hydro11 said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@bones said in Blues v Hurricanes:
I know I'm a broken record, but geez Ardie is the supreme avoider. Goes from breakdown to breakdown and positions himself perfectly to not have to defend 9 times outta 10.
Just watch the play around the 48th minute. One tackle, always there.
Todd averages 11.8 tackles per minutes this season, Ardie averages 10. So there is a difference there but it isn't huge.
AB selectors made the comment a year or two ago that they want a 7 who is stopping props on the advantage line, as opposed to dragging down guys as the skirt past. So numbers alone don't cut it. I haven't watched Ardie much this year, so genuine question - does it seem like he's making more dominant tackles?
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@booboo said in Blues v Hurricanes:
For some reason I'm a fan of Wright but that was poor by him. And Parsons, and Taramai, and Pulu, and Cowley-Tuioti.
Yes, plenty of blame to go around on that one.
I like Wright too, but he had a bit of a shocker last night. Errors and penalties that kept the Blues on the back foot. That try was his last involvement in the game. Subbed off after 32mins
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@kirwan said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@stargazer said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@mimic said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@mariner4life 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.
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?
Evans plays for Hawkes Bay. Post was made by Stargazer. So yeah, no surprises about his post.
Yeah, because Blues fans are so objective. So no surprises about their posts.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but a little self awareness goes a long way.
IMO it's pretty poor to try invalidating someone's opinion by pointing at the team he supports.
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@steven-harris said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@pakman SBW”s offload was pure genius,was not just thrown anywhere,he’s actually dropped it into space knowing Ledger would be there.
I also thought while Caleb Clark did not see a lot of ball,I thought he kept Julian Savea in checkYa reckon? Looked like the offload was thrown without any recognition, just an expectation/hope of someone running that line. Great play in the end though.
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@stargazer Mate, you often put down Akira undeservedly. Evans is having a good year, and like you I always want to see Magpies do well, but Akira is class, and he's been doing immense work in a shit team this year. The bullshit excuses for denigrating him (more so on PR then on the Fern) are just tiresome.
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@nepia If I have "often" - what you call - "put down" Akira (I don't think it has been that often), that may have been a reaction to the excessive talking up by, particularly, Blues supporting Ferners. I think he's one of the better Blues players, but because he stands out in the Blues squad doesn't IMO mean that he also stands out in the NZ conference and "should" get that no. 8 jersey as some seem to claim here. He has class in some respects, but so do other players. I think there are also good reasons to pick either Evans, Taufua and/or even Whitelock ahead of him. As he has already been in the squad, he'll probably be picked. Hopefully, they'll also pick Taufua and/or Evans, but due to the selectors being so conservative, the second player will probably be Whitelock.
This year is, more or less, the last opportunity to try new guys. Fifita, Squire, A Savea, (E Dixon) have hardly been convincing. I wish they'd have the guts to opt for guys like Evans and Taufua, in addition to Akira, to see whether that works better.
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@stargazer While I can follow your reasoning, I don't think Ioane gets talked up anymore than other players out there, and he gets put down a lot more for not being, how shall we say this, a more steady player when that is not his role in the Blues team.
Whitelock is a tackling machine but nearly non existent in attack. But a good choice if a looser 6 is played.
Taufua and Evans play less minutes than Akira, they have less average runs, less average metres, and less average tackles. He's in the top 3 for nearly every stat for the Blues. There is a myth out there that he's lazy in comparison with other players - it's bollocks.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@booboo yeah def no single players fault there, but as leaders Parsons and Pulu didnt cover themselves in glory there either
Agree, this pic sums up the Blues season;
Ross looked worse when I was watching it because he was the last to react and Evans ran right at him
On the plus side, at least Patrick was awake.
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Heard on the radio that Tuipolotu hurt his shoulder and expects to be out for a week or so. He's apparently desperate to get back in time for AB consideration, but I'm not sure he needs to be too worried.
Two of last night's Blues pack is probably enough.
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This post is deleted!
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Some delayed thoughts on the game:
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Laumape had a golden opportunity to put his hand up for a starting spot against SBW, but was very quiet. SBW was all class in his first game back and showed why he's the incumbent.
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Akira was the other Blues player to really stand out. Have said it before, but he came of age as a player in the Maori v Lions game last year and has gone from strength to strength since. I'll be pretty bloody annoyed if he doesn't start against France given how much we will need his extra physicality.
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For whatever reason it wasn't a game for the wingers. None of them did much in this game.
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Was great to see Ofa getting around the track well. He's a truck and put in some seriously big hits at times, was a big part of the Blues defensive efforts particularly in the first half.
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Perofeta reminds me of Mo'unga when he first started. Obvious talent but mixes in sublime with very poor. Don't write the kid off yet though, once he finds his feet at this level he'll go a long way IMO.
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The Canes have been far from clinical this year. They've won ugly more often than not, so was a little worried going into the game, and still so at the 60 minute mark. But the Blues have the same issue as the Aussie teams - they don't know how to finish a game. The last 20 is when the senior leaders need to stand up and they are lacking in that department right now.
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