The Silver Fern

@darylmitchell Inferior competition. Difference last year was Moana were worse so we beat them 2x, we beat the Tahs because they were worse, and we beat the Force in the worst game ever.

We lost our way at points this year, but the direction of travel has again been upwards.

@Canes4life said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@Mr-Fish said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

Few big injury returnees for the Chiefs this week.

Sititi?

Lord, Trask too.

Got around to watching this finally. Holland is very, very bloody fit, isn't he. Good to see JRK back, a few nice touches and a few errors, to be expected. Fakatava looks like he's been working on his kicking this year - he made a couple of errors with kicks just going out on the full, but I like the ambition - there's a big difference between a box kick which drifts too far infield and one which is very close to the sideline. Important if Miller is going to play, as he stands way too deep.
With everyone fit, there's a pretty dangerous side in there: Nareki, Tavatavanawai, JRK, Tangitau, Fakatava is a decent list of attacking threats, and they all look for space.

@KiwiInLondon said in Force v Highlanders:

@Bones said in Force v Highlanders:

@KiwiInLondon like I said earlier, he's not even noticeable apart from the odd lineout, definitely haven't noticed any niggle.

I notice it a lot around the ruck. He has resorted to pushing and pulling players in trying to disrupt but completely ineffective. He’s young but he’s had u20 and AB XV caps now and was touted as an all black. You expect those players to stand up in adversity, not shrink

Players get dragged down by those around them... he's running on fumes because we have no other locks, Dunshea is struggling, the loosies suck and the props have been ailing.

If he was looking good in this rabble, he'd be the best lock of all time.

@Dan54
The no-arm tackle on Hastie was a game decider. 40 meters in front of the Brumbies posts. This could have led to 3 points for the Highlanders. But the Ponies scored a few phases later from their scrum.
And the Lasaqa's turnover which was penalized just a few meters from the Highlanders try line. It also led to a Brumbies score.
And the three turnovers which seemed perfectly valid and which did not lead to Highlanders penalties : they allowed the Brumbies to keep on playing and to score the winning try.
However, I agree with you that the Highlanders made stupid mistakes (two out on the full restarts and one penalty kick which failed to find touch are the ones which come to my mind plus the ball they kept in their going forward scrum which they should have cleared out). BTW, the ensuing penalty was very harsh as it did seem that Bartlett was pushing straight.

@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Reds:

@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders v Reds:

Slug out it out for this season. Then two words. Better Recruitment.

Our recruitment is miles better than what is has been. We have actually recruited players who have made a difference.

Good recruitment is not bringing starting players in. It is bringing the right young guys through.

Seems we were quick to sign U20 talent. Some may have not been the right guys.

Yes in retrospect I didn’t quite make my comment clear. The recruitment this year has been good and getting some players with actual super rugby experience has been incredible beneficial.

It was more a reflection on the past 2-3 years. I’m just incredibly frustrated that a group that has largely been together at NPC and super rugby has made very little progress. Everyone was very confident 2-3 years ago that we had a lot of up and coming talent and it really hasn’t resulted in many gains

no no you guys have got it wrong. Dan assures me that the players on the field know best, and the powers that be have thought this through. You guys just don't have the same level of understanding as they do.

dur.

@Kiwiwomble said in Waratahs v Highlanders R1:

@Dan54 sweet, where was that announced?

Just last night I think .It on super rugby website.

@frugby said in Super Rugby 2025 predictions:

@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2025 predictions:

@frugby said in Super Rugby 2025 predictions:

@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2025 predictions:

@frugby said in Super Rugby 2025 predictions:

@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2025 predictions:

you can pretty much pen in the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Reds and Brumbies to the finals, leaving one spot for most probably the Waratahs, the Highlanders and the Crusaders to fight for.

And the Waratahs get to host the Highlanders and the Crusaders, which i think gives them a little advantage.

Penning the Canes in is a big call when they don’t have a first five or Jordie Barrett… they may lack a little in the outsides too.

The Canes will be fine, Cameron wasn’t exactly special last year at 10, we only need someone steady with the talent outside our 10 in that backline. Roigard is back as well which will take huge pressure off whoever runs the cutter. Higgins will be the big mover in NZ rugby IMO at 12, Jordie not a huge loss with the depth we have.

Our pack is the strength this year and we have two AB tight head props which is gold. You’re a brave man for picking the Landers above the Canes and Saders but I expect that’s more heart than head. Over a whole season I just can’t see the Landers staying with the other Kiwi sides, they just don’t seem to quite have the star power to me.

The beauty of this year is everything will play out one way or another. A few of us will be happy and a few of us will be planning for 2026 pretty early on if things don’t go well.

I absolutely own heart over head, but I do seriously think that if Cashmore doesn't click, it will cost the Canes. Like or loathe Cameron, I suspect you won't realise how important he was until you are struggling on derby games with the lack of a first five.

No coincidence the Highlanders, and the Blues before them, have been the weakest NZ sides because they lacked a 10. Having Jordie I think would have helped off-set that somewhat, and even if Higgins has a big year, which I agree he will, he does not have the kicking game Jordie has, or perhaps more pertinently the experience. I also think if Kini Naholo picks up an injury, the Canes could be a little light in the outside backs.

I think the Crusaders lack of a 10 hurts them too - it is the most crucial position by a country mile.

For most of the season last year Roigard carried the Hurricanes in terms of decision making. There was a noticeable drop in Cameron's performance once Roigard got injured so with him back again I think he'll call most of the shots from the base of the scrum. All Cashmore needs to do (if he's the guy selected) is put us in the right areas. I would agree with you if Roigard wasn't there but I think someone will step up accordingly.

I think for most teams keeping key guys off the injured list is going to be vital.

Absolutely. I guess more my point is, the only team I actually think you can ink into the playoffs are the Blues. I genuinely believe they are the only side who where if everything goes wrong (ala the Crusaders last year) they will still make the top six.

The exciting thing about this season I think, is that there is actually jeopardy for every side, perhaps for the first time since the Super 15 was done away with after 2015. There is bound to be an Australian side his a little better than the others, but this promises to be a year where everyone beats everyone, and I think spots 4-8 will be decided by really fine margins.

Part of the reason I favour the Highlanders for a top six spot (outside of bias) is the way their draw is set-up. Some of this could obviously work against them, but I suspect playing the Waratahs away first-up will be about as easy as it gets to play them there. They avoid a trip to Queensland, play Moana Pasifika 2x, and avoid having to play the Blues 2x. They'll need to start fast, because the end to the season is brutal, but that is far easier than a hard start to the season.

Contrast that to the Chiefs for example, who play the Blues 2x, the Crusaders, the Brumbies and go to Fiji in their first five. There is a world where they lose all five (you wouldn't think they would), and as the Crusaders showed that is almost impossible to come back from.

I definitely see where you are coming from and that's what makes the season so intriguing. Really looking forward to it and I hope (maybe a little less for the Saders 🙂 that all NZ can clinch a playoff spot). The Aussie teams are definitely going to be a lot tougher than last year so I expect one or two kiwi sides will miss out but we will just have to wait and find out.

@Mr-Fish said in NZ First Five Crisis:

@cgrant said in NZ First Five Crisis:

Plummer is a stop gap if DMac gets injured. Jacomb and Simpson won't be ready before two or three years. They are the most promising 1st Fives right now. I am not on the Godfrey's bandwagon. He is more a fullback than a 10 IMO. Harkin looks fine at NPC level (so do Jacomb and Simpson). Let's see how these young guys perform at SR level (which is no more the best competition, BTW) to have a clearer view.

Jacomb is 23 and was NPC POTY after leading Taranaki to a title last year. Yes, he's not played an awful lot of Super Rugby - but he's certainly ready for some lower level international matches. Get him on the EOYT and he can play against Japan and Italy.

It's crazy that so many good players don't get a chance to play international rugby well past the age that they had breakout seasons

Imagine if Little and Horan had to wait until they were 23 to play for Australia for the first time

Also given our season is over. Do we need a new thread for 2026 Season?

@SouthernMann said in QF - Brumbies v Highlanders:

@KiwiMurph said in QF - Brumbies v Highlanders:

You need to put things in perspective

Highlanders had very young 10s - missing by fair their best midfield back, missing by far their best 8 in Renton.

Teams struggle to win in Canberra. They were undefeated there all season.

100%. No issue with saying we gave it good bloody go. Then in the second half, the team with several international players at home ran over the top of us. Compare the two teams and about five of our guys would make their team.

Bang on mate.

Incredibly tough to watch at the time and I let it get the better of me but take a few steps back and let the result for a bit and you do have to remind yourself of the bigger picture. Did bloody well to be there and to be honest, I can’t imagine many of us saw us finishing 6th once the slump started on the Aussie tour.

All eyes on the future, 2 or 3 solid signing and another year in the jersey for a lot of the young boys and we should expect a similar(if not better) table finish but hopefully more convincingly and also have some closer loses. The loses we had against NZ sides really got away from us so if we could close that gap and really push for 2026 then I’d be over the moon.

Huge emphasis on bigger picture.

@Frank said in Blues v Highlanders:

@Kirwan said in Blues v Highlanders:

One of the best moments of the game for me (as an Akira fan) was watching him smash a Clan forward backwards, get up and drive through the ruck and then steal the ball. His work clearing bodies at the ruck this year has been top drawer.

Huge workrate, as normal.

What do you think Foster and (possibly Razor) see as his drawbacks?

It's hard to answer, as was said above his workrate has consistently been above a player like Frizzell who the coaches seemed to love. At the height of "he's lazy" he was often playing 80mins, and the last defender on the line on breaks, our main maul defender, etc. Never agreed with the laziness call.

The head patting, giving lip, probably doesn't help how he's perceived, but it's extremely rare for him to be penalised for that. And one of my favourite players was Sean Fitzpatrick, and AI isn't in the same league at being annoying as he was. At least I've missing him having his ear bitten in complete frustration.

He's not been helped with coaches putting him wide to make use of his handling and running skills against the backs. With Cotter keeping him tight he's been shining. Big defender, good in the lineout, covers two positions and has great link play.

Could be his year.

@Machpants said in Moana Pasifika v Highlanders:

MP 15 been very good

He’s David Havili’s brother. William Havili is the best player in the MP backline this year in the absence of their stars they lost to the Highlanders (Tavatavanawai) and Crusaders (Aumua). The MP forwards have been a bit better this year but they’ve lacked a killer punch in the backs that they had with Aumua & Tavatavanawai. If only those guys had this year’s MP forwards giving them front-foot ball, MP would’ve had a few more wins.

@Bones

add in the 'bad passes' maybe?

That was 13 (Highlanders) v 12

@Stargazer this is gold aye. I could be wrong but I think Peter has had the better of Thomas in all the games they've faced each other in professionally. I wonder if we'll ever see them on the same side again.

@booboo said in AB RWC Squad:

@nostrildamus said in AB RWC Squad:

Foster in that article
"He's good, he's realistic… They always feel gutted because they want to give their best and Scott's at the top of the tree when it comes to that.
He's fine, we just go back into process mode now and just try and take the emotion out of it."

Foster doesn't seem to think SB has a tendency to be carded?

Obviously. Because that's exactly what he said ...

Just confirming as that is my reading too but if he doesn't think SB has a weakness re: cards (perhaps his one big major flaw) and going into this tiddlywinks RWC that is a crucial concern ...I am speechless!

@Nogusta there you go was really hoping Caleb stayed at least

I got a new cap and jacket in the online sale but looks like they’re clearing everything out, makes me wonder if we’re moving on from Gilbert?