QF - Lions v Crusaders
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<p>Caught the last 30 minutes and blurgh, maybe the altitude had taken its toll by then but what I saw was a very flat and slow performance from the Saders. This entire campaign has been a weird one from them IMO. Usually they start the season really slow but are firing on all cylinders by the end, especially after the June test break, but this campaign has kinda been the opposite. They had a good start to the season and were looking scary good in the middle but fuck they came back from the June test break weak, with only one win from their last four games.</p>
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<p>Sucks we couldn't have had two all NZ semi's but the Lions deserved it. They made a gamble leaving so many players out of the Argie trip and it paid off because they were class.</p>
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<p>Oh well, I guess it gives half the AB forwards pack a bit of a rest before the RC.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiMurph" data-cid="599521" data-time="1469290672">
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<p>Congratulations Lions - young team played very well - happy for their fans after so many years of dross.</p>
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<p>Yep good on them, come a long way from being a guaranteed 5 points for opposition sides to potential winners in a few years. Ackermann is a superb coach. They were the far better side today and Joubert had fuck all influence on the game no matter what people say. The Crusaders are clueless when forward packs stand up to them and don't have Nadolo to get them out of trouble.</p> -
<p>Watching the replay now. Joubert hasn't been that bad in the 1st half. I can't stand Mr. Monotone Hugh Bladen as a commentator though.</p>
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<p>Despite what Larkham may think Angus Gardner is the best Australasian ref so I hope he gets the SF in Jo'burg.</p> -
Macilai has gone backwards this year, a lot<br><br>
At least a few ABs get a bit of a break now....<br><br>
A lot to like about the Lions play, definitely deserving of their place in the finals, unlike 3 of the other teams..... -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="599606" data-time="1469304817"><p>Macilai has gone backwards this year, a lot<br><br>
At least a few ABs get a bit of a break now....<br><br>
A lot to like about the Lions play, definitely deserving of their place in the finals, unlike 3 of the other teams.....</p></blockquote>
I like Macilai but does lack consistency,I'm guessing being in and out of the side is part of the reason.<br><br><br>
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="599606" data-time="1469304817"><p>
Macilai has gone backwards this year, a lot<br>
At least a few ABs get a bit of a break now....<br>
A lot to like about the Lions play, definitely deserving of their place in the finals, unlike 3 of the other teams.....</p></blockquote>
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Yes and no....<br><br>
Yes offensively he has gone back. ... wish he would straighten the attack..by running at defenders inside shoulder more often... which of course would actually mean his favourite outside break would appear more often too.<br><br><br>
Defense has improved...he's a beast and really hits hard.<br><br>
I do wonder if the mix and match centre pairing for the landers this season hasn't contributed to his drop in form...<br><br>
That said I agree with many ... hard to validate AB selection....and the biggest concern for me is his decision making....but I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the RC squad.. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Mattasaurus" data-cid="599614" data-time="1469307534"><p>Yes and no....<br>
Yes offensively he has gone back. ... wish he would straighten the attack..by running at defenders inside shoulder more often... which of course would actually mean his favourite outside break would appear more often too.<br>
Defense has improved...he's a beast and really hits hard.<br>
I do wonder if the mix and match centre pairing for the landers this season hasn't contributed to his drop in form...<br>
That said I agree with many ... hard to validate AB selection....and the biggest concern for me is his decision making....but I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the RC squad..</p></blockquote>
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Lol confused threads and names.... -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="leytonandamanda" data-cid="599612" data-time="1469307229"><p>I like Macilai but does lack consistency,I'm guessing being in and out of the side is part of the reason.<br>
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk</p></blockquote>
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I like him a lot cos I have seen what he can do for my team, and yes you might be right selection inconsistency has probably played its part, maybe he is trying too hard when he is getting his chance -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="599529" data-time="1469292281">
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<p>All in all, I think the Crusaders have proved all the nay-sayers wrong. From the start of the season, everyone (media, many Ferners, others) said they wouldn't get anywhere near the play-offs because they lost Richie and all their first-fives. They were the underdogs from the start. But they <em>did</em> make the play-offs and the Crusaders only lost to one non-NZ team. In the fucken quarter final!</p>
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<p>Certainly, a lot has to improve next year. But this was a rebuilt year for the Crusaders as well (not just for the Blues)! I hope Razor will sign some great players; the Crusaders certainly need to improve their backline and a lot of players are leaving. But that also offers opportunities. </p>
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<p>I think we can justifiably claim to have turned out to be the fifth best team in the competition - there's just a bit of a gap to the top three or four.</p>
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<p>Given the structure of the competition, we did reasonably well to make the play-offs and - you're right - pre-season most commentators probably didn't pick that. On the other hand, just before the international break we were starting to look like genuine contenders - faded pretty badly in the last couple of weeks.</p>
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<p>I hadn't really watched the Lions before this and - on the basis of this viewing - I think they'll struggle with the Highlanders next week. Highlanders have got far more backline strikepower than the Crusaders and we seemed to have no trouble winning possession. Highlander's defensive systems are also much better than ours - Razor really needs to change that - get more linespeed and more urgency to replicate the smothering defences the Landers, Chiefs and Canes all have.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="599644" data-time="1469318451">
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<p>I think we can justifiably claim to have turned out to be the fifth best team in the competition - there's just a bit of a gap to the top three or four.</p>
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<p><strong>Given the structure of the competition</strong>, we did reasonably well to make the play-offs and - you're right - pre-season most commentators probably didn't pick that. On the other hand, just before the international break we were starting to look like genuine contenders - faded pretty badly in the last couple of weeks.</p>
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<p>I hadn't really watched the Lions before this and - on the basis of this viewing - I think they'll struggle with the Highlanders next week. Highlanders have got far more backline strikepower than the Crusaders and we seemed to have no trouble winning possession. Highlander's defensive systems are also much better than ours - Razor really needs to change that - get more linespeed and more urgency to replicate the smothering defences the Landers, Chiefs and Canes all have.</p>
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<p>Hw did the structure of the competition effect the Crusaders any worse than any other NZ team? They actually had a good middle run where they built up points on the board before coming up against the strong NZ teams (bar the Chiefs in the first round).</p>
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<p>Oh, and regarding the post you replied to my Magpies bretheren Stargazer is talking out of his ass again, the Crusaders are always rated by fans (especially red'n'black ones besides SammyC due to Blackadder ;)) and media and it was no different this year. Hell, they were being talkied up as favourites in their two matches against the Chiefs even though they barely win against them now.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="599645" data-time="1469319156">
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<p>Hw did the structure of the competition effect the Crusaders any worse than any other NZ team? They actually had a good middle run where they built up points on the board before coming up against the strong NZ teams (bar the Chiefs in the first round).</p>
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<p>Oh, and regarding the post you replied to my Magpies bretheren Stargazer is talking out of his ass again, the Crusaders are always rated by fans (especially red'n'black ones besides SammyC due to Blackadder ;)) and media and it was no different this year. Hell, they were being talkied up as favourites in their two matches against the Chiefs even though they barely win against them now.</p>
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<p>Yup don't get this rebuilding talk about the Crusaders when they have what is judged by many as the best forward pack in the comp as well as the man that has carried their backline for the last 3 seasons in Nadolo. Carter and McCaw barely played for them in the last few seasons and when they did, they played well within themselves for the majority of the time.</p>
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<p>Oh, and the draw suited the Crusaders better than any NZ side where they got to play the Blues twice and the Hurricanes and HIghlanders only once.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="599645" data-time="1469319156">
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<p>Hw did the structure of the competition effect the Crusaders any worse than any other NZ team? They actually had a good middle run where they built up points on the board before coming up against the strong NZ teams (bar the Chiefs in the first round).</p>
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<p>Oh, and regarding the post you replied to my Magpies bretheren Stargazer is talking out of his ass again, <strong>the Crusaders are always rated by fans (especially red'n'black ones besides SammyC due to Blackadder ;)) and media and it was no different this year. Hell, they were being talkied up as favourites in their two matches against the Chiefs even though they barely win against them now.</strong></p>
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<p>I wasn't talking about Crusaders fans talking up their chances, of course they (or, at least, some of them) would! There are only a few of them on the Fern; overall, the majority of comments on the Fern have been mostly negative to hesitating from the start.</p>
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<p>I must have read a lot more articles in the media than you have, because <em>nobody </em>of the sports journos (not even locally biased Richard Knowler) has talked up the Crusaders at any point in the competition this year; not as title contenders or - in the beginning of the season - as a finalists. You're such a one-eyed Chiefs supporter that you obviously didn't read or remember most of the articles/comments about the Crusaders. I - on the other hand - read almost everything I can find about <em>every </em>NZ team.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="599645" data-time="1469319156">
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<p>Hw did the structure of the competition effect the Crusaders any worse than any other NZ team? They actually had a good middle run where they built up points on the board before coming up against the strong NZ teams (bar the Chiefs in the first round).</p>
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<p>Where did I say this?</p>
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<p>Most people thought the structure of the competition would preclude NZ having more than three teams in the play-offs. Since I'm pretty clearly saying we were the fourth best NZ team, logically, we should have been the one to miss out. Therefore....we did pretty well to get there.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="599649" data-time="1469320587">
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<p>Oh, and the draw suited the Crusaders better than any NZ side where they got to play the Blues twice and the Hurricanes and HIghlanders only once.</p>
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<p>Stick the boot in, when we're down. :)</p>
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<p>Someone else also got to play the Blues twice - and we had to play the Chiefs twice. And they got to play us twice.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="599649" data-time="1469320587">
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<p>Yup don't get this rebuilding talk about the Crusaders when they have what is judged by many as the best forward pack in the comp <strong>as well as the man that has carried their backline for the last 3 seasons in Nadolo</strong>. Carter and McCaw barely played for them in the last few seasons and when they did, they played well within themselves for the majority of the time.</p>
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<p>Oh, and the draw suited the Crusaders better than any NZ side where they got to play the Blues twice and the Hurricanes and HIghlanders only once.</p>
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<p>One man doesn't make a good backline. The Crusaders didn't have a good backline (unlike, for ex, the Chiefs & Highlanders). They had 3 good backs this year: Nadolo (out 4 weeks during suspension, and a few more due to injury and fading out at the end of the season), Crotty (out during several games, esp. in the beginning, due to injury) and Dagg (idem).</p>
<p>Most of the others are either rookies or bad to average. Only McNicholl may have been a reasonably positive exception in some games & Mo'unga until the June break. The backline has been the Crusaders weakness for years now, yes, but it got worse without - particularly - Slade (who was a rock last year) and Taylor (as 2nd five, not fullback).</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="599657" data-time="1469321959">
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<p>One man doesn't make a good backline. The Crusaders didn't have a good backline (unlike, for ex, the Chiefs & Highlanders). They had 3 good backs this year: Nadolo (out 4 weeks during suspension, and a few more due to injury and fading out at the end of the season), Crotty (out during several games, esp. in the beginning, due to injury) and Dagg (idem).</p>
<p>Most of the others are either rookies or bad to average. Only McNicholl may have been a reasonably positive exception in some games & Mo'unga until the June break. The backline has been the Crusaders weakness for years now, yes, but it got worse without - particularly - Slade (who was a rock last year) and Taylor (as 2nd five, not fullback).</p>
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<p>I count 3 good backs and 2 positives. Isn't that a backline when it isn't hit by injury?</p> -
<p>First time I've looked at TSF in five months - ie pretty much the entire Super Rugby season and I must say with relatively fresh eyes, it's not refreshing to see the same old petty, tired, whinging and moaning about - and sticking of the boot into - the Crusaders. The only thing that's changed is that there appears to be one or two new offenders and one or two new defenders as well. Yippee, pleased to be back.</p>
