SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil)
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@antipodean said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
@KiwiMurph said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
How about the Blues having an entirely predictable attacking shape (again).
The worst aspect about this is every time they use forwards as distributors out the back to backs, they never engage the defence because they're doing it flat footed. So it's the easiest thing to make a good decision on as a defender - come forward and make a dominant tackle. Next thing you know, the defence are moving forward and the attackers can't support at the breakdown. Rinse, repeat, kick possession away because you're going nowhere.
The damning thing is it didn’t change at half time. Game plan clearly not working, fucking change it.
Ironically the few cross kicks we tried weren’t terrible, go back to the kicking game for a bit to slow the blitz.
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@Canes4life said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
Well Foster has plenty to ponder after that one.
That’s the interesting thing for me. No one expected that score line but I think everyone would say that for large % of their games this year the Blues have been poor but still good enough to sink teams with 20 minutes of runaway rugby. So what do you do with the AB Blues players that were on the end of that hiding? So hard to say…systems, skills, decision making.
But if someone likes Laulala makes the AB squad I would be surprised.
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There’s just something about playing the Blues at this time of the year that gets a Crusaders team buzzing. Perhaps it all stems back to 2003 and Carlos running to the corner 😉, but we do seem to lift several notches.
I wouldn’t be all down on the Blues. Thought they had a good season. But after 20 minutes it looked as though the tank had been emptied and the players confidence had dropped considerably.
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@Bones is that not how you judge a coach ..?, on his ability to deal with adversity when injuries and unavailability happens
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@ACT-Crusader said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
I wouldn’t be all down on the Blues. Thought they had a good season. But after 20 minutes it looked as though the tank had been emptied and the players confidence had dropped considerably.
A good season? Blues lost to Chiefs, Brumbies and thrice to Crusaders.
When push came to shove against a team that they can't bully they sucked.
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Thought Angus Gardner was superb
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@KiwiMurph said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
@ACT-Crusader said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
I wouldn’t be all down on the Blues. Thought they had a good season. But after 20 minutes it looked as though the tank had been emptied and the players confidence had dropped considerably.
A good season? Blues lost to Chiefs, Brumbies and twice to Crusaders.
When push came to shove against a team that they can't bully they sucked.
Oh come on, coming third is not a good season? Get your hand off it.
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@Steven-Harris said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
@Bones is that not how you judge a coach ..?, on his ability to deal with adversity when injuries and unavailability happens
Adversity is not having a still stacked team. Oh fucking woe is me, poor Razor.
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@Kirwan said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
@KiwiMurph said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
@ACT-Crusader said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
I wouldn’t be all down on the Blues. Thought they had a good season. But after 20 minutes it looked as though the tank had been emptied and the players confidence had dropped considerably.
A good season? Blues lost to Chiefs, Brumbies and twice to Crusaders.
When push came to shove against a team that they can't bully they sucked.
Oh come on, coming third is not a good season? Get your hand off it.
So if Crusaders had the above record it would be a good season? Lol.
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@antipodean he was exactly as I expected, evenly shared his weird calls.
We would have lost by 80 if Ben was reffing his mates.
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@Kirwan said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
@antipodean he was exactly as I expected, evenly shared his weird calls.
We would have lost by 80 if Ben was reffing his mates.
I think the Blues completely took the ref out of the game, didn't matter who reffed.
Some of the "counter-ruck" was rather interesting from the Crusaders, I don't think they would've got away with that under Ben, but it ended up not being important anyway.
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@Bovidae said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
You have to accept that the breakdown is a mess with Gardner. Best to try to be dominant/physical and take your chances.
Exactly. And for some strange reason, after weeks of playing people like Akira close to the ruck Leon moved him out wide, same with Dalton.
Ok, find for the first 20, but for gods sake change it when it doesn’t work.
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@kev said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
@Canes4life said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):
Well Foster has plenty to ponder after that one.
That’s the interesting thing for me. No one expected that score line but I think everyone would say that for large % of their games this year the Blues have been poor but still good enough to sink teams with 20 minutes of runaway rugby. So what do you do with the AB Blues players that were on the end of that hiding? So hard to say…systems, skills, decision making.
But if someone likes Laulala makes the AB squad I would be surprised.
The skill for the ABs coach is to take players who may have not shown their best in their Super squad and get a tune out of them at the next level
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Great by Crusaders. Ennor and LF were terrific again. Forwards were very good indeed.
But what the heck is going on with Blues gameplan and onfield leadership. They just seem to lose composure in all facets and keep taking risky options.
Thought Akira had easily his best game this year and Tucker was effective around the ball in first half. But some of the AB's looked way out of form. Sotutu was ineffective as were props. Clarke made bad defensive decisions and Christie played with limited vision.
Blues should have had this one on paper.
