Blues v Crusaders
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quick post match reaction.
Good game. Clearly the best two teams in the comp. As expected, teh experience of the Crusaders tight 5 and Richie were pretty much the difference.
The Crusaders maul is a thing of beauty. They set it and defend it better than anyone else - respect.
Not at all disappointed with the Blues. Clear dominance in the scrum, and when we got going with foraward drives the Crusaders couldn't live with it. It was good to watch. Dumb play cost us though - feeding possession and gifting points early in the second half was the game.
Crusaders were good, very well drilled, but the Blues have shown enough dominance to see a path to victory. Get to teh final, and it's all on. You know you're rattling them when flopping starts - and lots of injury breaks. Plues physicality was strong today.
So, pretty much as expected. Roll on the rest of the comp - would love to see these two in the final. It's a game of millimetres, and today the Crusaders were better. Who knows next time ... Blues building nicely from what I can see
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@nepia said in Blues v Crusaders:
@african-monkey said in Blues v Crusaders:
@frank He was solid without being spectacular. Blackadder was the standout.
Yeah a lot of Blues players got smashed about, but I wouldn't panic too much and start making wholesale changes**. I wouldn't complain if Robinson came in** but that's the only change I'd possibly make in the pack and maybe Eklund. The game had broken up a lot by the time a lot of the changes were made, it's questionable if they would have had the same impact had they started.
Oh, and Ruru can go to. Nock and Christie are a far better combo.
I think he should be given rotation starts but the hype about him today has been a bit overboard, he came on later in the game when most of the structure was gone and looked good, he didn't walk on water or solve world peace.
He's definitely a cult figure round here, so much so that I think we're secretly filled with gingas.
He was on track to be in the AB squad ahead of Akira until he got injured.
It looks as if Akira's hold on the starting 6 spot might be in trouble. -
@chris those were my thoughts about the Blues being conservative
when the team was named ..if you are playing the crusaders you need everyone in the pack at 100% full noise , not some having quiet games ,also the backline selections had conservative all over it ..Crusaders worst enemy on the home straight is probably themselves ,can’t see them being beaten to be fair
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@nzzp Not saying you're wrong, but I saw it differently. I thought we were miles off the pace today. I'm confident we can improve, but yeah, there was a massive difference in quality between the sides today imo.
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@nepia said in Blues v Crusaders:
..he didn't walk on water or solve world peace.
[adopts voiceover tone] Well, it wasn't that kind of a game.
He's definitely a cult figure round here, so much so that I think we're secretly filled with gingas.
Don't think it is a secret.
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I was worried I had no excuses this week but yet again forgot the Blues have a secret 16-year-old agreement to play mediocre 9s and 10s.
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@nostrildamus said in Blues v Crusaders:
I was worried I had no excuses this week but yet again forgot the Blues have a secret 16-year-old agreement to play mediocre 9s and 10s.
It wasn’t 9s and 10s that lost that game. It was stupidity.
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Well done to the Crusaders, comfortably the best team in the comp.
We are clearly second, but still plenty to be happy about. We looked much better when Christie came on. Think we erred by being too conservative. There were plenty of gaps out wide when we when there. And our kicking out of hand was really poor.
Some weird refereeing decisions, but was going both ways. Must suck for the players when they can’t get consistent decisions.
Mounga’s tackle was a highlight. Good to see he’s working on weakness, and awesome goal kicking.
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I just saw a replay of the last try. I thought it looked weird at the time but that “turnover” was from the tackler lying flat on his back and playing the ball on the ground. Was another deliberate and cynical play by the Crusaders when another team gets them under pressure. Fuck they get away with that shit a lot.
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@chris I didn't notice that 😀
EDIT: forum doesn't listen to time stamps, but his arms crossed Ioane impression is in there at the end
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@machpants said in Blues v Crusaders:
@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@chris I didn't notice that 😀
EDIT: forum doesn't listen to time stamps, but his arms crossed Ioane impression is in there at the end
Very cynical pisstake from Reece. They constantly get away with it too.
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Crusaders clearly better despite the early discipline issues they've shown the last two games - resulting in precisely zero warnings even when they ship 4-5 penalties in a row. It is a study in how to infringe without looking like you infringe.
Get down the right end, accumulate points, make the other side chase.
Blues looked like they could break it open at any moment when they used those second man in passes to hold the Crusaders defence - one on one they were doing well with that right through the game, so why not chance your arm from the start? That Heem guy was doing his best to fuck it up, mind.
Sevu Reece decision: I agree with the outcome, but he should get booked for bringing the game into disrepute. Go play soccer.
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@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
And then lying there like he'd been hit by a truck. It looked like a massive flop.
HE looked like a massive flog.
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@african-monkey said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nzzp Not saying you're wrong, but I saw it differently. I thought we were miles off the pace today. I'm confident we can improve, but yeah, there was a massive difference in quality between the sides today imo.
we were not miles off at all. Plenty to be happy about, and the bits that aren't there are mental/tactical and I think eminently fixable.
Not whinging, as in Rugby all teams cheat, but the Crusaders do it better than damn near everyone else. It's all the little things, that put together add the 1 percenters that add up to a margin. Changing lines to block runners, slowing down the ball, just lots of little things. Well played - it's a well drilled, well coached smart rugby team.
You saw when they are fresh how hard it is to break them down - half breaks won't do, you have to keep at them.
That said, when teh Blues got into their stride it looked bloody good. Two key moments for me were conceding a scrum penalty after winning 3-4 in a row ... different outcome there and it's a possible YC and a different game. Then the Sevu Reece flop - stupid from Ekland.
That said, despite the comments here, I thought htere was about 10-15 minutes early in the 2nd half where we just kept giving away penalties and letting the Crusaders ride away with points. It's that discipline that's the differnece between winning and losing.
So, all in all, set piece was fine (or dominant), defence was generally pretty strong, and the mauls were a work on (as they are for everyone playing the crusaders).
As I said above - you only have to win one game against them, and it better be the final. Would be nice to take one down south, but it's unlikely. Crusaders are better, but the gap has certainly closed
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
I'm astonished ... he went down and stayed down like he'd been shot. Very soccer-like
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@nta is he the first player ever to do anything like that though? Unfortunately it's not unusual.
