Final: Chiefs v Crusaders
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@Canerbry said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
There were two "shockers" by the ref tonight. ALB should have gotten a red, which would have had a major impact on the game, and a missed forward pass several phases before a try was scored, which would have had a marginal impact on the match at the time.
All of the rest were pretty normal ruby calls, nothing to call the WAHHHHHHHHAMBULANCE about.
Always trust your neutral take.
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@booboo said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
Well, fuck.
As much as I'd like to complain, I can't.
Close game. One team had to win.
ALB should have got red ... so ... meh ...
Congrats Saders.
Oh yeah. One complaint.
The forward pass before Taylor's try.
What the?
We wuz robbed
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At around the 60 minute mark I had massive doubts Crusaders would win this.
David Hill has done an outstanding job coaching the Chiefs defense, which has been superior to any team all season.
At about the 60 min mark I had massive doubts Crusaders would win this.
The Chiefs defence was so good, in that first 10 or so Crusaders would've put in 2 tries against most teams.
If Chiefs weren't down to 14 men for 30 mins they would've had this easy.
Can you believe the Chiefs' defense coach is going to the World Cup but isn't coaching our defense?
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@Stag said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
That game was the best advertisement yet why Cane should not be the AB captain. Should be Whitelock this year and Barrett going forward.
Interesting take. The only really strange strategic or tactical error came when we kicked for goal from 53 out. Cane was off the field by that time and so was Weber. We were let down but I won’t blame Cane for going for a turnover two metres out from our line.
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The Crusaders' wall in the last 7 minutes won the game.
Not what I expected, which was for us to battle stoically for 60 mins but lose in a battle of attrition to a team with better players, with one of World Rugby's most feral home crowds getting under the head of the officials with those godawful vuvucowbells.
But, no. What we got was an awesome contest, margin on a knife-edge all game, and it all hinged on playing smarter. What the Crusaders needed with a B- squad was to reduce it to an arm wrestle and then take their chances, and pray for mistakes or brain implosions from the opposition. And luckily the Chiefs were pretty fucking stupid most of the match. Right in front of the ref. They were the better team in flashes in the first half, and for the first 11 minutes or so of the second, but they were given heaps of chances to play smarter and blew it. There's probably more than half a dozen deliberate decisions taken by the Chiefs in the second half that with the benefit of hindsight they would have done something different.
And the Crusaders kept them close, played to their strengths, played down the right end of the field, were patient and disciplined, and stole it.
In an arm wrestle sometimes the key head-to-heads become critical, where key players are utilised or targeted and nullified, and tonight in a couple of key places were edged or dominated by the winners.
Mo'ounga > Dmac
Whitelock > Retallick
Christie > CaneThe best team won the final and are champions.
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@Canerbry said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
The Crusaders' wall in the last 7 minutes won the game.
That was epic. We made 30-40 metres without the ball and reduced the Chiefs to playing one-off the rucks and seemingly playing for time. The Crusaders found a second wind and it some them the game.
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@KiwiMurph said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
@Canerbry said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
Whitelock > Retallick
Surely the far bigger discrepancy was
Scott Barrett > Vaai
Scooter was everywhere whereas Vaai was nowhere.
Barrett > Whitelock > BBBR he was immense and MotM. All around the field
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@KiwiMurph said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
@Canerbry said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
Whitelock > Retallick
Surely the far bigger discrepancy was
Scott Barrett > Vaai
Scooter was everywhere whereas Vaai was nowhere.
Whitelock's work at lineout time was unsurpassed.
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@KiwiMurph said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
@Canerbry said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
Whitelock > Retallick
Surely the far bigger discrepancy was
Scott Barrett > Vaai
Scooter was everywhere whereas Vaai was nowhere.
Absolutely.
I'm not sure that Mo'unga was actually better than Dmac either and Christie versus Cane is well, anyway.
The thing that worries me about Mo'unga (and I'm happy to recognise that the Chiefs and other Super teams give them these opportunities) is that the Saders get downfield and in great positions off piggyback penalties and poor discipline.
His kicking game and manipulation of the field of play is not usually the reason that his team gets in the position to get points. Once they are there, he is lethal and tonight he was good in helping them get one good try, but if the Chiefs had better discipline, I think we'd easily be giving the kicking game to the Chiefs. That's a AB concern IMO.
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@Donsteppa said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:
Very flat. I was expecting us to win if it was an arm wrestle, otherwise I expected a Crusaders win to be much less close on the scoreboard.
Likewise. I was worried that if it was close that with the way we have played in second halves that the Chiefs class and pace would trouble us in the latter stages.
