Auckland v Tasman

[Nepia]

Well done Auckland, cleaned up a team with a better backline than the Highlanders and the Chiefs.

[African Monkey]

@kirwan Dead right. Very important win this is for us but we still have very tough competition to come including a trip to Christchurch next week (a place we never win at) so still a lot of work to do. All tonight has done is mean that next week isn't a must win game.

Having said that, great performance. Easily our best performance since Paul Feeney's 2015 side.

[Tim]

@nepia

[Tim]

@tim Last 55 minutes Ta$man were held scoreless. Dominance.

[Kirwan]

Hope the Blues are watching and seeing what can happen when you ditch a coach out of his depth.

[Gumboot]

Not bloody bad, Auckland. I don't know what was more impressive - scoring all those first half tries to get the 19-point lead, or holding Ta$man scoreless for so much of the game.

[Bovidae]

Well done the rookie ref as well.

[Gumboot]

@bovidae said in Auckland v Ta$man:

Well done the rookie ref as well.

Yes, he had a very good game.

[Stargazer]

I don't get the Sumo hate. Sense of humour is always a matter of taste. I don't mind him at all.

[Duluth]

@kirwan said in Auckland v Ta$man:

Hope the Blues are watching and seeing what can happen when you ditch a coach out of his depth.

Don’t you read what Sumo says? The Blues struggle because they don’t have coffee together often enough. It’s not the coaches fault.

[Tim]

@kirwan This puts to death all the bullshit excuses. "The players don't care." "There's no good players."

Umaga is just a bad coach and a worse selector.

[African Monkey]

@stargazer I don't mind it, I just think he goes way over the top with it.

[Donsteppa]

Great defensive effort from Auckland in the second half. The Ta$man backs were woeful in response.

[Chris B.]

Fuck it!

Mistake by Leon not to start Makalio and Aumua. Without a big munter in the loose forwards we lacked a bit of go forward in the first half - and then got rattled when Auckland picked up points.

Ten minutes of awfulness either side of halftime.

[Bovidae]

@donsteppa said in Auckland v Ta$man:

Great defensive effort from Auckland in the second half. The Ta$man backs were woeful in response.

Who's the Ta$man backs coach again?

[KiwiMurph]

Absolutely brilliant performance by Auckland. The ticker in defense was something else.

Akira had an absolute stormer. Higher ups would have been very pleased with that performance.

You can tell this team is well coached. Unlilke Umaga's Blues.

[Tim]

Whetton has been a real surprise this year. Nailing all his work.

[KiwiMurph]

@tim Holding up well in the physical stuff too. Effective ball runner.

[KiwiMurph]

Another thing id like to add.

Its an absolute pleasure watching an Auckland backline that looks well coached.

They look well drilled and have a plan.

The kicking was terrific tonight from them - everyone in the backline can kick and they utilise everybody to kick. Rayasi's left foot, box kicks from 9, chips and grubbers from 9/10/12.

It's very weird to watch as typically Auckland backlines are a bunch of wingers shoehorned in to spots. Tana i'm looking at you.

[Frank]

@kirwan said in Auckland v Ta$man:

Great team spirit. These coaches have really turned this team around.

What's all this nonsense about coaches? I thought all you needed was a former AB, some way-cool dreads, topped off with a splash of mana.