SR T-T FINAL: Blues v Highlanders

[nzzp]

feels good to start this thread

[sparky]

Should be a good game. Blues start as favourites.

[nzzp]

@sparky said in FINAL: Blues Highlanders:

Should be a good game. Blues start as favourites.

Have to - but the Highlanders with A Smith will be real contenders. Can't wait...

[Bones]

Trick will be to target the halves, easier said than done but we've got the pack to disrupt.

[Anonymous]

@nzzp said in FINAL: Blues Highlanders:

feels good to start this thread

You were so excited to start it you missed the v! (from the title)

[Machpants]

I think this game will be bloody close, really looking forward to it.

[Kirwan]

Home advantage is a thing, but who the refs end up being will be more of a factor.

Hope Robinson, Ofa and Dalton are all good next week. Oh and we can start BB from the bench…

[Machpants]

@kirwan said in FINAL: Blues Highlanders:

Home advantage is a thing, but who the refs end up being will be more of a factor.

Hope Robinson, Ofa and Dalton are all good next week. Oh and we can start BB from the bench…

Lol nope, not unless black gets an 'injury'

[Kirwan]

@machpants said in FINAL: Blues Highlanders:

@kirwan said in FINAL: Blues Highlanders:

Home advantage is a thing, but who the refs end up being will be more of a factor.

Hope Robinson, Ofa and Dalton are all good next week. Oh and we can start BB from the bench…

Lol nope, not unless black gets an 'injury'

Time for some Escape to Victory tactics?

[Kiwiwomble]

[nostrildamus]

This post is deleted!

[KiwiMurph]

Weather forecast looks rubbish.

[Old Samurai Jack]

Reckon the Clan can take this. Blues got the big boppers but a dysfunctional backline. If the Crusaders were in the final, it would be game over but I suppose they have a chance now

[KiwiMurph]

Michael Collins to score the match winning try and disappoint Blues fans one last time.

[nostrildamus]

@old-samurai-jack said in FINAL: Blues Highlanders:

Reckon the Clan can take this. Blues got the big boppers but a dysfunctional backline. If the Crusaders were in the final, it would be game over but I suppose they have a chance now

Auckland-born Josh Ioane waves a cheery hi from the back..

[ARHS]

Well done to both teams. Question though. How many home games did each of the kiwi teams end up with? Does that largely correlate with finishing positions? And is there any correlation with nz refs and tmos v Australian ones? If so then this needs to be looked at moving forward.

[Frank]

Good to see the final at Eden Park - however, making the final simply being determined how much you can thrash the Aussie teams rings a bit hollow to me. This is very much a 2nd tier competition compared to the NZ Super Rugby tournament.

[Stargazer]

@arhs said in FINAL: Blues Highlanders:

Well done to both teams. Question though. How many home games did each of the kiwi teams end up with? Does that largely correlate with finishing positions? And is there any correlation with nz refs and tmos v Australian ones? If so then this needs to be looked at moving forward.

Yes and no (Hurricanes).

The Blues and Hurricanes each played 3 games at home (yes, I count McLean Park as home, because it damned should be considered as such).
The Chiefs had the least home games (1) and finished fifth.

The Highlanders and Crusaders had two home games.

[Kiwiwomble]

@arhs as @Stargazer said, we had a home game moved to aus so ended up having to fly Dunedin>Auckland>Sydney>Perth …and back and then back to Sydney and back in less that two weeks…so I don’t think we got any favours

[Stargazer]

There are more factors that may or may not have played a role, like the Chiefs and Crusaders (and Reds and Brumbies) after having played a final, not getting a week off like the other franchises. And the mandatory All Blacks rests apparently not applying to every All Black.

To me, that's all just circumstantial. In the end, there's just a points differential separating the top 3. In such a short comp, adding semi-finals would have been better. But who was really keen on making the comp longer? I'm glad SR TT is almost over.

Can't wait for the NPC!