Crusaders v Blues
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@taniwharugby It has been a common theme this SR season, Summations and Reasoning from the officials has been bewildering.Yes I noticed the TMO was gently trying to ask the question he should have been more forceful instead of a whimp.
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@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:
@taniwharugby It has been a common theme this SR season, Summations and Reasoning from the officials has been bewildering.Yes I noticed the TMO was gently trying to ask the question he should have been more forceful instead of a whimp.
The problem with TMO interfering is that they are sometimes (often?) wrong. Example being the recent dud call on the Crusaders in SA.
Without seeing the video again, last night I thought he stayed on the shoulder and didn't make any sort of forcible contact with the neck. Borderline, but OK for me. But again, all you want is some consistency.
On the subject of forward passes, I've just been re-watching ABs vs Wales in 2016. It had the Wayne Barnes overrulling his TMO, and callin ga forward pass that even the Welsh comms called as bckwards out of the hand. Seems bizarre that these mistakes keep getting made at the top leve
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@nzzp refs seem to have directives of things to focus on, which is all good, but seems other rules seem to get relaxed or overlooked to ensure the 'KPI' rules are ruled on.
Contact with the head was a big thing a few seasons back, similarly touching a man in the air, but seems both have not been as strict the last couple of seasons...
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@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:
@nzzp He defiantly contacted the head the pic Machpants posted above shows the start of the head contact, it just gets worse following on from that pic.The last part of the tackle that pulls Mo'unga to the ground is all head contact.
Yeah there are lot of damning pics around
](https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/v/a/5/s/z/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.1240x700.1va7at.png/1558833057935.jpg)
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@Machpants there is no reason for the TMO not to get the call on this one correct. As said before he wimped out, because the on field ref kept repeating what he thought he saw rather than watching the replay. The TMOs job is to avoid that preconception. He should be really definite in his call. They need to more like Cricket and directly say change your call to the on field ref. In that regard George Ayoub is the worst offender - when he is there the TMOs role is handed back to the onfield ref making it worthless.
The call last week with the Crusaders was pure incompetence. Interestingly the TMO wasn’t asked by the ref (I think) but offered his opinion. Given the number of things happening on a rugby field at once, this is probably the most difficult situation - what are the rules re when TMO can interfere ( foul play, and in the act of scoring a a try )? But regardless if in the comfort of the TMOs chair you cannot avoid preconception then you should not be in a TMOs role.
So neither case should be accepted. The TMO is a great step towards improving decision making (NRLs better) but just need to keep getting better at it.
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@SammyC - Excellent post.
On Whetu Douglas - I wasn't sure of how good he would be. Started season slowly, but has become an increasingly important lynchpin to the pack. Looks to be a useful and effective option at 8.
On Big Red - I also like watching him play, you know exactly what you're going to get from him. He's young and urgent and raw and above all else HUNGRY.
On Akira - Man I would love to see him totally dominate, but he just dips in and out of games too often for my liking.
On Nonu - Hate to say it, but his time in Black has come and gone I fear. He'.s been invaluable for the Blues this season, with his experence and leadership, but perhaps just too much of a logjam in his position for a WC berth. -
I think if Nonu was ever a true shot, he needed to be managed better by the Blues, and maybe if SBW wasnt injured, he may well have been, but seems the minutes on the park are taking its toll on him.
Akira is a bit of an enigma, has all the physical attributes to totally dominate, and does from time to time, all too infrequently, but is just missing that desire or want to take himself to the upper level. Think his minutes will also affect his chances of getting in black too.
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@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:
Don't criticise Rieko! Even if it's something that has zilch to do with his rugby talent.
So Akira is having a quiet year after a couple of barnstorming years...andcthis year is world cup? Plays nicely into my RWC secret weapon theory...
this is now serious tinfoil hat territory, and damn it, I'm going there. I wondered last year if they were getting flogged in training on the end of year tour. The Ireland game in particular, the forwards looked lethargic and slow. I'm hoping we are tapering nicely for the business end of the tourney, and may struggle at times as we go through. There needs to be a powder dry meme for this
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@nzzp said in Crusaders v Blues:
@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:
Don't criticise Rieko! Even if it's something that has zilch to do with his rugby talent.
So Akira is having a quiet year after a couple of barnstorming years...andcthis year is world cup? Plays nicely into my RWC secret weapon theory...
this is now serious tinfoil hat territory, and damn it, I'm going there. I wondered last year if they were getting flogged in training on the end of year tour. The Ireland game in particular, the forwards looked lethargic and slow. I'm hoping we are tapering nicely for the business end of the tourney, and may struggle at times as we go through. There needs to be a powder dry meme for this
If that seriously was the case, I would feel so sorry for the Blues to have to "play him" like that.
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Besides the obvious overplaying issue with Akira (which hopefully will ease off now they have started looking at Sotutu), they play him the same way Auckland did in the NPC, stationed outside the centre to use his attacking abilities against the backs.
Problem is the Blues struggle to get the ball wide without dropping it, and Ruru and Pulu aren't fast passers so by the time it gets out there he has three tacklers on him.
Also, he's stopped running from the base of the scrum, which was devastating earlier in the season. That has to be a team pattern thing.
Defensively, he's been huge for us. Easily the best Maul defender, and cleans up so much for the team. If anything, he's getting criticised for doing what people criticised him for NOT doing earlier in previous years.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Crusaders v Blues:
@Kirwan I thought the conditions favoured the Blues and their forward dominant style. When it’s been dry and less slippery, that is when we have excelled with our midfield making metres and our quicks our wide being dominant.
Have to disagree, your forward pack is your strength. Strong set piece, attacking maul experts, and disruptive at the ruck. Perfect pack for wet weather rugby, and a lot experienced kicking options in your backs.
With the handling mistakes we make, across the team, it needed to be dry for us to have any shot.
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Guttered we didn't pick up a bonus point, although I didn't expect one going into the game.
Strange that Aumua came on and went to 12 instead of centre. I don't think I've seen him play there before. Maybe they thought he'd get exposed by the Crusaders if he went to centre.
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@Dice said in Crusaders v Blues:
Guttered we didn't pick up a bonus point, although I didn't expect one going into the game.
Strange that Aumua came on and went to 12 instead of centre. I don't think I've seen him play there before. Maybe they thought he'd get exposed by the Crusaders if he went to centre.
I guess because Nonu needed less minutes, and TJ was defending like a demon. Also he probably would not have got much ball at centre in those conditions and wanted him to bash it up closer in?
Big boy.
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@Kirwan Yeah, I think they wanted to use him as a battering ram in close, which they did.
Definitely a big boy, probably 10-15 kilos too big for a midfielder at this level. He'd be so much better if he shed some weight. He looks like a bigger Laumape for Ta$man, but doesn't have the workrate or defense because he's so big.
