Crusaders v Chiefs
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@Machpants man the system is a joke.
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@African-Monkey I remember watching him in the NZ Schools trials. Google says 2020. Out of Rangiora HS. No idea since then.
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@Chris What's James Mullan like? I don't know anything about him.
Young player goes Ok was around the Canterbury NPC team last year,
21 year old out of Rangoria boys high.
188.m 107 kgs
Full on in to everything type, really inexperienced at this level of course has been in the Crusaders academy for a while. -
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@ruggabee said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Did Poihipi have a bad outing against the Landers last week? Surely he's better than Rona or Ioane off the bench?
Rona is covering wing and centre. Ioane is covering 1st 5 and fullback. Poihipi would be 12, 13 and 10 in an emergency.
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@Bovidae from the games I remember last year Poihipi was playing better than ALB.
I thought Rona and Poihipi were the two form midfielders of 2023 Chiefs season.
It's quite the logjam because Tupaea is back this year and it will be interesting to see if Wrampling can get a look in, McMillan might end up playing him on the left wing when Stevenson is rested with Nanai-Seturo at fullback.
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Chiefs have won 3 of the last 4 against the Crusaders. Chiefs have also won 2 of the last 3 in Christchurch
Very even contest in recent times:
In the 2020's it's 6 Chiefs wins v 7 Crusaders
In the last decade it's 11 wins Chiefs v 12 wins Crusaders -
Having Kellow out there is a good move imo. Get him competing for the ball at breakdown time as the Crusaders are currently making way too many tackles in games.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@ruggabee said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Did Poihipi have a bad outing against the Landers last week? Surely he's better than Rona or Ioane off the bench?
Rona is covering wing and centre. Ioane is covering 1st 5 and fullback. Poihipi would be 12, 13 and 10 in an emergency.
Poihipi's omission from the 23 is even stranger now that I remember this happened:
"Loose forward Kaylum Boshier and mid-field back Rameka Poihipi have been named vice-captains."
"McMillan said their choice was a nod to the future, but the general public would not know the pair's influence among the players."
https://www.allblacks.com/news/jacobson-named-as-chiefs-captain-for-2024-season/
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@ruggabee I'm expecting Jacobson to have a rest next round, and Poihipi will play and be the captain.
Clearly the first-choice midfield is Tupaea and ALB. As I said, Poihipi just doesn't provide as much positional cover if in the reserves. McMillan said he has left Ioane on the bench as that will be his role when DMac is playing.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@ruggabee said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Did Poihipi have a bad outing against the Landers last week? Surely he's better than Rona or Ioane off the bench?
Rona is covering wing and centre. Ioane is covering 1st 5 and fullback. Poihipi would be 12, 13 and 10 in an emergency.
Yep Ioane or Rona can cover 12, if you didn't just move ALB in one. I think they got a well balanced bench. Not saying Pohipi doesn't deserve spot etc, just I like the cover he has got on bench.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@ruggabee I'm expecting Jacobson to have a rest next round, and Poihipi will play and be the captain.
Clearly the first-choice midfield is Tupaea and ALB. As I said, Poihipi just doesn't provide as much positional cover if in the reserves. McMillan said he has left Ioane on the bench as that will be his role when DMac is playing.
McMillan doesn't seem to trust the younger players much - even if they're better than the alternative's. Jacomb and Norris are definitely good enough to make the best 23 but will likely spend the next year or two behind inferior players. Norris currently is playing for the development side and didn't he make the All Blacks XV squad last year?
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@ruggabee said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@ruggabee I'm expecting Jacobson to have a rest next round, and Poihipi will play and be the captain.
Clearly the first-choice midfield is Tupaea and ALB. As I said, Poihipi just doesn't provide as much positional cover if in the reserves. McMillan said he has left Ioane on the bench as that will be his role when DMac is playing.
McMillan doesn't seem to trust the younger players much - even if they're better than the alternative's. Jacomb and Norris are definitely good enough to make the best 23 but will likely spend the next year or two behind inferior players. Norris currently is playing for the development side and didn't he make the All Blacks XV squad last year?
Proffit had a very good game against the Highlanders and is a stronger scrummager than Norris, which probably explains his selection this week.
Jacomb is a newbie and is being slowly introduced to Super Rugby. I think getting a start against the Crusaders is a pretty big show of faith from McMillan. If he plays well maybe he'll usurp Ioane for that bench spot.
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Crusaders haven't been 0-5 bad, but that is where they lie. With the Chiefs resting players, they are certainly a decent chance tonight... and it is almost a must win.
Pretty hard to come back from 0-6... would leave them needing to win 5, if not 6 of their last 8 games, they could easily do that, but the margin of error would be so small.
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Drummond out before kick off
