NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry)
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@kirwan said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
And I can’t stress how bad the weather was, would have interesting to see how many would have turned up if the weather was better.
Did you go too? I managed to get a few beers into Duluth at the races beforehand.
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@hooroo said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@daffy-jaffy said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@hooroo officially 20,130.
That would be the largest turnout to a final in quite a few years? Capacity at Canterbury isn't that in the temp ground is it?
I was at the 2010 final at AMI/Jade. Less than 3,000 people.
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@hooroo said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@kirwan said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
And I can’t stress how bad the weather was, would have interesting to see how many would have turned up if the weather was better.
Did you go too? I managed to get a few beers into Duluth at the races beforehand.
Yep, remember that All Whites game I went to with you? Crowd as at least as crazy as that.
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@duluth said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
The only minor criticism I have of the free entry was where they put the fans.
They should have kept the end on stands stands closed. After the North stand filled up they should have opened the South stand
Particularly given the forecast
Yeah, they got there in the end, but took too long. At least they opened both levels on the South stand.
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@nzzp I don’t think that’s right. I never have been a Whitelock fan. I think he is a plodder but a role player. I have always been pushing Akira. After that game his work ons are obvious. Get fitter and more involved and you will be an AB. Unless you want to bring him on for a 15 minute cameo? Hell, if he lost 5 kgs which would mean he is probably in better shape they could not pick him.
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@kiwimurph Now is he good enough for Super Rugby?
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If Akira had been selected for the ABs and missed the semi and the final..does Auckland still win the title..?,I thought he was hugely influential in the semi final..
No question in the first half if you are doing an honest assessment I actually thought Whitelock was the busier player on the back of a more dominant scrum especially.Thought Akira got more involved in the 2nd half ,but he also fell off in defence when Tom Sanders scored in the first couple of minutes of extra time..
I think the guy is a talent no question,but really just wanted to throw a bit of balance into this conversation.
When a team has a very good victory as Auckland did,it’s easy to automatically think everyone had an awesome game..I read on this same blog,that Cameron had been outplayed by Plummer,I actually thought Cameron played very well,kicked well for goal in very blustery conditions and in the main took the right options and that’s not to say Plummer for a young showed some nice touches..but in the main,I reckon they may have ended up even.
The player I thought who was the best on the paddock and showed he should be in a super rugby squad was Olmstead..
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@sparky said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@tim Akira Ioane is clearly now a much better player than Vaea Fifita or Luke Whitelock. If he maintains form or pushes forward in Super Rugby next year, he'll be worth a place in the Rugby World Cup squad. Going easy on the beers and partying for a bit will help his cause. He might even move ahead of Kieron Read as the starting 8.
You’re kidding right. It’s Kieron Reid
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Just read this thread now lol. In classic 2018 fern style it turns into an Akira shit fight hahahaha.
Stoked for us that we could get up. Thought our loose trio really stood up especially after halftime as well as Seu and Faiane. Seu, for someone who runs so high and isn't the bulkiest of forwards seems to break the advantage line every time. Trainor has also improved out of sight this year and has barely put a foot wrong. Even Caleb Clarke looked alright out there and I am far from a fan of his at this stage.
Not hating on Brett Cameron, but how is he in the ABs squad? I don't see anything about him other than him becoming a solid Mitre 10 Cup player. Luke Whitelock has always been strong at this level. Don't think he's test level myself but still a very solid operator. I'd also expect to see Canterbury to keep hold of Ray Nu'u for next year to slot into their midfield. I get why they signed Burleigh but I'd have him ahead of Beard in their squad. He started to look very good for Southland towards the end of the season and was suprised that Canterbury didn't at least have him in their squad this season.
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@act-crusader said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@sparky said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
You’re kidding right. It’s Kieron Reid
*your
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@steven-harris said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
I read on this same blog,that Cameron had been outplayed by Plummer,I actually thought Cameron played very well,kicked well for goal in very blustery conditions and in the main took the right options and that’s not to say Plummer for a young showed some nice touches..but in the main,I reckon they may have ended up even.
Plummer easily outplayed him in general play. Cameron kicked for goal very well.
The game management from the Cantab 9 & 10 was poor when the rain arrived.. the pack wasn't the only reason the Auckland had 79% possession and 83% territory after the rain. They were both terrible in defence too
It was unusual for Drummond but Cameron has underwhelmed all year. Even most Cantabs haven't been happy with his selection. -
Drummond could be the modern-day Jason Hewett. Only looks good behind a dominant pack. Same for Bryn Hall really. So the Japanese test will be interesting for whoever of those two gets the nod.
The biggest difference to me was that the Auckland subs made a big impact, not so for all the Canterbury reserves.
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@duluth we will agree to disagree,i personally don’t think there was daylight between the 2..Like many people I am not entirely sure of the credentials of Cameron,but obviously higher powers than us like him.hence the ABs call up.
To have come in and replaced Richie Mo’unga is a massive ask,and to have have steered your team through to a final is no mean feat.To be fair to this years Canterbury team,they are not the team of previous years ,and given they debuted 15 new players across the Mitre 10 Cup, I was a little surprised they made the final this year,
And when you consider whom they lost from last years vintage,it’s not a bad return on their part.To me the biggest loss for them has been losing Rob Thompson in the midfield,that’s the one area they have looked underwhelming
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@act-crusader
Kieran Read has been solid this year, has the benefit of the experience of winning the RWC twice and is a superb leader of the squad. He rarely misses a tackle. His work off restarts is second to none in the international game. He is a strong lineout option. He can slot in at 6 or even Lock. General wisdom is that bolters don't win you World Cups.On the flip side, Read's form isn't as good as 2013 when he won World Rugby Player of the Year. At 33 he is going to more injury prone than some of the younger guys. Also, I think competition for places is always a good thing. The presence of Sam Cane in the squad helped Richie McCaw between 2012 and 2015 for example.
Ardie Savea showed in Buenos Aries that he can play bloody well at 8 for the All Blacks. That said, I could see a fit, focused and fired-up Akira Ioane causing carnage as a ball-carrier from the back of a dominant All Blacks scrum.
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@no-quarter said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@act-crusader said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
@canes4life the Coach the Canes had to have, you know like that loss the ABs had to have before the 2011 and 2015 WC victories
Haha a loss or two, or three, or even five I could take. But four years of consistent utter dross was a bit much.
Big picture NQ, you’re missing the big picture. As you know Hammer’s coat tails were well worn by Boyd and co....
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@steven-harris in all seriousness I had very low expectations for this season. A case of hope for the best but not thinking we would be really pushing for a final, let alone a title.
Agree that FABRT was our biggest loss. He’s been dominant for a couple of seasons and has gotten us out of trouble several times with his attack and defence.
There were a lot of fresh faces and many of those will be better for this years experience, but they aren’t even close to the finished product IMO.
On Cameron, there’s a few signs there of what could be, but if you compare to the factory line before him, right now I see more Bleyandall than Colin Slade....
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@steven-harris said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
To be fair to this years Canterbury team,they are not the team of previous years ,and given they debuted 15 new players across the Mitre 10 Cup, I was a little surprised they made the final this year,
And when you consider whom they lost from last years vintage,it’s not a bad return on their part.To me the biggest loss for them has been losing Rob Thompson in the midfield,that’s the one area they have looked underwhelming
Agree with all of this except the part about being surprised they made the final. Anything less would have been a huge underachievement
@steven-harris said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
To have come in and replaced Richie Mo’unga is a massive ask,and to have have steered your team through to a final is no mean feat.
I don't think he 'steered' the team to the final. That gives him far too much credit. The pack, Drummond, outside backs & Ennor all performed well throughout the year, those are the guys that deserves the credit. 10/12 has been an issue all year
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@steven-harris Reminder that Auckland also debuted 17 players this year plus Dunshea and Fepulea'i who had one game each off the bench last season.
