SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues
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@sparky said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@billy-tell said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Papilii was excellent for the Blues and would be my choice for the AB 7 jersey.
My ABs backline from 9 to 15: Smith, Mounga, Ioane, Havili, ALB, Jordan, Barrett the giraffe
Papilii has been the Blues Player of the Season by some distance. Ready IMHO to be given the AB 7 Jersey until Sam Cane if fit.
More or less agree on that backline. The AB coaches might back themselves to fix Caleb Clarke's workrate and finishing issue. Such a talent, but he hasn't delivered for the Blues this year for some reason.
I'd go with DMac at 10 ahead of Mo'unga. Loving his distribution and game management at First Five this year.
Yeah DMac has been going very well. I wouldn’t be fussed if he was chosen ahead of mounga for the start. Think mounga is a better goal kicker though.
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@nostrildamus He was good. Everytime he carried he got us going forward. 11 strong carries in 30 minutes suggests to me that his workrate that continues to get questioned for whatever reason Was strong.
I've admitted myself that he has been below standard of late but he was very good when he came on. Don't really wanna say it, but to say he wasn't good today is out of pure dislike for the guy.
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@nostrildamus said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Not according to other posters, can't see the game live but in particular, judging by this thread, posters are watching two different Akiras.
Watched him closely for about 10 minutes and he was doing a shed-load of unspectacular grunt work.
Always thought he was talented, but had plenty of concern about his attitude in the past, but he really seems to have put that behind him and hope he can kick on from his AB form of last year.
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@african-monkey said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@nostrildamus He was good. Everytime he carried he got us going forward. 11 strong carries in 30 minutes suggests to me that his workrate that continues to get questioned for whatever reason Was strong.
I've admitted myself that he has been below standard of late but he was very good when he came on. Don't really wanna say it, but to say he wasn't good today is out of pure dislike for the guy.
Akira had his best game for year, or part game, but bottom line is he struggling to get a start in Blues, so says a bit about his form this year. I thought both him and Sotutu wer pretty below average in last game and left Papali'i on his own one of resons that Clan touched them up. Akira to me is just frustrating, so much potential, but has basically had one good game this year so far.
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@african-monkey said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@nostrildamus He was good. Everytime he carried he got us going forward. 11 strong carries in 30 minutes suggests to me that his workrate that continues to get questioned for whatever reason Was strong.
I've admitted myself that he has been below standard of late but he was very good when he came on. Don't really wanna say it, but to say he wasn't good today is out of pure dislike for the guy.
He was excellent yesterday. Offered a point of difference when he came on. Bought a bit of energy in attack which the Blues were lacking.
I’m more concerned about his brother, he is very up and down. I like him on the AB wing which is looking more and more unlikely IMO given his form.
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Does any NZ player divide opinions as much as Akira Ioane? There is something about Akira Ioane, people either love him or hate him. People can watch the same game and see completely different performances. Fwiw I thought he was excellent with ball in hand.
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@machpants said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@kiwimurph said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Brilliant by Sotutu.
Wow, didn't touch the line!
Just catching up with thread.
Two things pissed me off with this incident.
Firstly the comms going on about how (I think it was) Sotutu being accidentally offside.
I kind of don't mind them being wrong about matters of interpretation, but when they get clear and obvious facts wrong that's inexcusable.
Second, there was no clear and obvious evidence that the ball did not touch the line. In fact I reckon there was evidence to show it might just have scraped it. Therefore on field decision should have stood.
But, otherwise ...
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@gt12 said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Havili again, he’s good at 12, even if he doesn’t like it.
Yep. Warming to the idea. Looked quite a solid unit last night. He bulked up? Or just standing nearer to Mo'unga make him look bigger?
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@kev said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@crucial said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@machpants said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
A player must not tackle an opponent who is not in possession of the ball.
Sanction: Penalty
The whole dangerous play section says penalty. Once that penalty is decided you decide if it warrants more.
To me that was a prime example of why tackles without the ball are considered dangerous. Plus the player was injured to the point that they couldn’t continue.
Deserved more than a penalty IMO@crucial said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@machpants said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
A player must not tackle an opponent who is not in possession of the ball.
Sanction: Penalty
The whole dangerous play section says penalty. Once that penalty is decided you decide if it warrants more.
To me that was a prime example of why tackles without the ball are considered dangerous. Plus the player was injured to the point that they couldn’t continue.
Deserved more than a penalty IMOThe injury was caused by the way he landed not the contact. Penalty only for me. Unlucky though.
Well he ain't going to land that way unless he is hit dangerously off the ball ...
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@frank said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@gt12 said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Grace’s position in the ABs should be under serious threat from Blackadder. They are both big workers but Blackadder is also a running threat.
Yep. Grace doesn't look like anything special at the moment.
Second season blues. Was excited by his firm last year. Been quite meh this season.
Conversely, Sotutu seemed to step out of his second season funk last night. Much bigly step up in form after muddling through most of the season.
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@steven-harris said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
That’s seriously cynical from Taylor ..
After multiple cynical and not too subtle (even though he tried to be) spoils by Taylor was thinking how much he was pissing me off, and how much I'd love him for it when he does it for the ABs.
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@ploughboy said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
TIE BREAKER RULES
In the event of two or more teams being equal on competition points for any position on
either the Competition table, either during or at the end of the season, such position will be
decided upon using the following steps until the tie is broken:
a) Most wins from all matches;
b) Highest aggregate points difference from all matches;
c) Most tries from all matches;
d) Highest aggregate difference of total tries for versus tries scored against
from all matches;
e) Coin toss
Coin toss?
No boundaries? (Someone had to)
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@trodthesod said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Saddest part of that loss was Dalton Papallii’s knee injury.He Is having a fabulous year.A couple of weeks off now I suppose.
Yeah. Hope that's all
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What was good about Akira, was he didn't go missing yesterday, often he seems to go missing against a quality outfit.
Something seems not quite right in the Blues right now.
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@bones said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Haven't read the thread but will still crack on and say....I'm worried the crusaders cynical play and high tackles are going to cost us at international level.
Salt in the wounds for the blues on the penultimate try to have a guy score when he should have been in the bin.
The ref favouritism is getting a bit bizarre now. Knock on advantage early in the game, Mounga takes a droopy and Doleman calls it back for the scrum? When have we ever not seen a ref say advantage over when a team kicks it away? It's the little things, they add up.
Anyway, brutal game between clearly the top two teams in SRA. Blues had their chances but just not accurate enough. Crusaders relentless.
Could have been droopy ...
I reckon ref was confusing how he'd ref from a penalty advantage.
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@taniwharugby said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
What was good about Akira, was he didn't go missing yesterday, often he seems to go missing against a quality outfit.
Yeah and I don’t think the criticism in this thread by a couple of posters was about yesterday but more recent performances and why he was possibly moved to the bench.
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@stargazer said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@pakman said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@machpants said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@kiwimurph said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Penalty only?? Wtf.
Was normal tackle, penalty only, he tried to wrap but the guy flew backwards
Tele'a taken out of game by foul play. Feels like it ought to have been yellow.
As it turns out, Tele'a was taken out of the game by the match doctor, not by foul play.
Odd logic ...
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@nostrildamus said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
@african-monkey said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Well another year of turning up to that dump of a stadium in Addington and another year of leaving empty handed for the Blues (17 years and counting haha).
We vertainly created plenty of opportunities but as usual, we weren't ruthless enough when it counted, where as the Crusaders were, and that was pretty much the difference. We lack serious direction from our 9, 10, and 12 and Perofeta is offering bugger all from the back. Why Havili wasn't binned for his late shot I'll never know but never mind, it wouldn't have made a difference.
Akira, Sotutu and Papali'i were brilliant I thought but they lacked support from anyone else especially our backline which is all over the place right now. One thing that annoys me is our lack of urgency in support for when someone makes a break. Our fast men (especially our halfbacks) should be sprinting up to support but instead we had a broken Papali'i in support for Akira, and no-one in sight for Clarke.
Would like to see a few young players blooded for next week. Sullivan at the back for starters would be good, as would Kneepkins in there somewhere.
Not according to other posters, can't see the game live but in particular, judging by this thread, posters are watching two different Akiras.
You watch the Akira* you want him to be to confirm your bias.
I saw good Akira.
- get all sorts of Auto correct options for Akira, like Anita, Akita, Skies...
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@cantab79 said in SRA Round 9: Crusaders v Blues:
Does any NZ player divide opinions as much as Akira Ioane? There is something about Akira Ioane, people either love him or hate him. People can watch the same game and see completely different performances. Fwiw I thought he was excellent with ball in hand.
The trouble with Akira is he is usually excellent with ball in hand, but too often not without the ball, when he not on he will make a tackle coming straight at him usually, but as soon as the attack goes 5 meters wide of him he switches off and goes into jog mode. I get impression he was a very good college player who ran over top of people frequently, and was no doubt a star of his team, and maybe got into bad habits with rest of his game. I have seen him play what I consider probly 4 real good games in all the times I have watched him.
