Highlanders v Crusaders
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@Duluth said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
Dermody's comments on some of the selections:
Highlanders skipper out of Crusaders clash
Billy Harmon will miss the opportunity to claim southern bragging rights over his former team. The Highlanders captain has been scratched —...
15,000 tickets sold already. Really good to see
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@Landers92 yeah, the highlanders socials are giving really regular posts about more and more sections being opened
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@Kiwiwomble not surprised by this at all. I used to work with the Landers social media guy/videographer at WellingtonNZ.com. Not being biased but the Landers have the best coverage compared to any other team in the comp.
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@Canes4life said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@Kiwiwomble not surprised by this at all. I used to work with the Landers social media guy/videographer at WellingtonNZ.com. Not being biased but the Landers have the best coverage compared to any other team in the comp.
For a near single operator the digital comms person is doing a great job. Last week I did a bit of a comparison between the Highlanders and the Warriors (viewed as a bit of a gold standard) and the Highlanders were either on a par or just above the Warriors. The only work on is getting some tactics/game/player focused material. The fan engagement and local focus has deveooped exponentionally.
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Is it fair to say the Highlanders have more to gain than the Crusaders this weekend, whereas the Crusaders have more to lose?
A Highlanders win I would say wraps up a quarter-final spot barring a miracle - and you'd still expect them to beat the Drua in Dunedin). With who the Rebels and Drua have left, that would probably have them finishing 6th.
A defeat this weekend, and with a win over the Drua they'd finish on a minimum of 23 (probably more likely 24-25) competition points.
That number is probably more than likely going to be enough to make the 8. Bringing onto the Crusaders having little to gain but more to lose. A win this weekend takes them to 17. Assuming they smoke Moana in the last round, that would be 22, so would leave them needing at least one, but more than likely 2 bonus points from this weekend, a game away in Canberra and at home to the Blues. Still a massive uphill battle based off what we have seen this weekend.
The consequence of defeat, is that their season is over unless the Drua collapse (seems unlikely) and they can win 2/3 v Moana, the Brumbies and Blues or they go 3/3.
The game itself is surely going to be close, so even with a win, Crusaders may only gain three points on the Highlanders, meaning they'd need to beat one of the Blues or Brumbies to go above the Landers. Not impossible, but seemingly improbable.
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@frugby said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
You'd think with Hurley. Even if there is an early back three injury Gilbert will go on. Looks like he really was the last outside back standing in the squad
im thinking i would have been tempted to have gone 6/2 split just too have bigger bodies and changed gameplan to suit
And it looks like Parkinson, Hicks, Sanders and the unplayed Hayden Michaels were all available
Will be interesting to see how many are playing club on the weekend. Hicks is clearly out of favor but I would have had Paripari ahead of Tucker personally, he could have been massive off the bench. Just hope PPP can get the injuries behind him because there is huge potential there and with Dunshea, Holland and him, that’s a great locking trio moving forward.
I have a feeling we won't see Parkinson in a Highlanders jersey again. He has been playing club rugby. There are rumours of two lock spots being available for next year. Oli Haig and Hugo Plummer have been selected ahead of him at lock. Resds like he is on the shelf and his ticket is booked out of Dunedin
It would be a real shame because as we know, when he’s fit and firing he’s as absolute weapon. Unfortunately, staying healthy is the best ability one can have and he doesn’t seem to have that.
Hopefully he isn’t leaving in the off season as I feel if he moved to another franchise he could really kick on to higher honours. Here’s hoping some good competition for the jersey takes him to another level, imo he’s levels above Will Tucker.
Parkinson quite simply has never recovered from that major knee injury. At the time it was between him and Lord for that ABs spot, they went with Lord - perhaps unfairly at the time, and the weekend Lord made his debut against the USA, Parkinson fucked his knee up playing for Ta$man.
Still limps and lumbers around. He has been absolute shite this season, barring about one half vs someone (can't remember who).
He'll go overseas is my guess, would another franchise want him?
I know rugby players hate the knife (who doesn’t) but both PPP and Lord need to get their knees properly fixed if they want to play at top level.
Better to write off rest of year, get the rehab in and by 2025 they’ll be fully rehabilitated and rearing to go?!
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@KiwiInLondon Or at the very least serve as a reality check of the Fern's Clan fluffers.
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@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@pakman well you’d hope one of our best ABs will annihilate him
That's the attitude... hope that one of our up and coming 21-year-olds has a confidence shattering game...
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders v Crusaders:
@pakman well you’d hope one of our best ABs will annihilate him
That's the attitude... hope that one of our up and coming 21-year-olds has a confidence shattering game...
That's the attitude...hope that our up and coming 21 year olds have the confidence of a mouse.
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@SouthernMann what do you mean attitude? One of the best locks going around vs a 21 year old who spends most of his time injured? It’s called acknowledging reality. Don’t be so wet
