The Silver Fern

I'm convinced this rotation stuff is BS at NPC level... put the best available on the park - game in, game out! It is 9 games, just smash it out.

BOP Lineout kept us in it and made the difference. Need to tidy up everything else...

Pleased to see we are playing Otago - rather them than Wellington for now. I hear the squad is quite beat up, but it has been for some time. Our forwards will be strong - set piece immense this year. 6 strong front rowers (essential nowadays), couple of genuine power locks and a medley of loosies led by the super bound (surely...) Tupe. Not sure how the backs will line up - would like to see Chase Tiatia in for maybe Te Aute. Some question marks over our mid field defence - not sure how we always get opened up at will in this area.

Looking forward to a good semi. Well done to the boys for getting this far. Mid season looked like a potential disaster looming.

I believe Carroll out with concussion, Laupepe has back problems. The latter may be back soon... The squad is walking wounded apparently - but this will be the same for every team.

Again - reasonably happy with the squad. 10 - 15 the same (amazing how consistent these selections have been this year). Question mark over Ardron at 8, but he adds some height in the lineout with Franklin moving back to lock. I haven't been a Karpik fan, but based on his duet with Blake last week - that is a good loose forward tandem.

Parete probably unlucky to not get a run on position, but his ball carrying did lack his usual go forward in the last 2 weeks. Stowers probably unlucky not to get a bench position for the final. Spare a thought for Retallick - a real BOP soldier over the years and injured for this important game. Also Judd, who was very consistent until; 3 weeks ago, but held us together a lot in the early rounds.

It's very exciting - we have the team to cause a major upset if we can match them up front.

Addendum - not impressed with the loose trio(s)... 2 fetchers did not work. Karpik had a shocking 10 minutes to start the second half, hence changing the game momentum. As for the big Canadian number 8 - I cannot recall any charging runs by him. Mate - when you are as big as a brick outhouse - carry the damn ball hard! Then we finished the game with 3 small loosies. Surely in the Bay we have some big bruisers (please come back Joe Tupe) who know how to hit and carry.

Impressed with Franklin. Big Super workload and then he puts in an 80 minute performance today.

I thought what Pulu did was stupid, but it was dealt with fairly by the ref. Sumo and co had a good chuckle about it - fair enough - but that kind of crap is why Pulu is not an All Black. Wasted talent really. Hopefully something positive will come out of it all. As a Bay supporter - we should have done more to win this game and we didn't.

Kane Hames was man of the match, ruthlessly dealt to the reputedly best tighthead in France. Got him yellow carded in the first half - unbelievable!

For some reason Bay are not monitoring the fringes of the ruck and maul...

A win is a win! Tough physical game... Manawatu failed to capitalise when given the chance. Surprising given we couldn't catch a high ball!

We lacked a little patience for 60 minutes, then the BOP forwards muscled up as the game progressed. Given the potential we have in our backline, interesting that we eventually won it up front.

Campbell was terrible - not sure what his rationale was in the last 20... the platform was good enough. Ioane is great - Super rugby for him next year unless they do a 'Tupe' on him.

Very disappointing semi final for BOP all round. Poor team selection, wrong strategy and all round skills not up to it.

Why was Hepetama not selected in the centres if he was fit? We have been very weak all year in this area. Why was Cane not playing straight up? Why did Hollinghead kick so often and so poorly? Why did we not keep it close to the forwards - where our strength is?

I feel we have recruited abysmally again - why so many 7s players? All the external 'stars' from outside the Bay were all injured come finals time.

Geez - I hope that an in depth review is done post season. We shouldn't be this bad. So many seasons now languishing at the bottom of the championship. The BOP RU have got to get serious. If McMillan is the man, lets resource the team accordingly.

Well done Otago and all the best v Nth Harbour. You were far too good for us and we probably over achieved by making the semi final again. I hope making the semi doesn't mask our inept season.

Bay are late in naming their lineup. I am assuming that we have some injury concerns... hopefully not too severe!

Tough gig for the forwards with Franklin and Retallick. Line out loses options, but some good scavengers. Ardron will need to provide some punch when he gets on - I haven’t seen anything from him this season thus far.

Good backline again, but Judd could count himself lucky. hopefully he regains some form this game.

Yep - I like the look of this team. 'Potentially' a competitive scrum, excellent lineout with tall options, our best 9/10 option, center pairing looks good and some strike power out wide.

Issues we need to overcome:

• Scrum hasn't performed to previous year's standard
• Need better ball carrying from the forwards
• I am still not convinced on our loose trio chemistry
• Backline need to convert opportunities

Having said all that, no excuses for this game (agree totally with Snollygoster). We must walk away with the 5 points. Some patience required in the first 20 to gain some dominance and then open it up. Sounds easy...

@Frye said in NZ Provincial Barbarians v B&I Lions (Whangarei, 3 June 2017):

@Chris-B. said in NZ Provincial Barbarians v B&I Lions (Whangarei, 3 June 2017):

@ACT-Crusader Could be worse - we could be Manawatu!

Two Feilding High lads there mate.

Of course when Rowe went there it was still called Feilding Ag

One there from Longburn College as well...

Bring back Buck!

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks eight part documentary series for Amazon Prime:

The sooner I can get rid of Sky the better.

Agree with No Quarter 100%. I live and work OS (Middle East). I use my SkyGo subscription to watch everything (ABs, Super, NPC) and it costs quite a bit for what is basically rugby streaming only. Then on top of that, these countries along with everyone else are cracking down on VPNs, meaning that the SkyGo App has recently been unavailable - leaving me with a subscription that is useless (apart from the fact that my Sons use it back in NZ).

Not sure if Amazon will be a game changer - but I have had enough of the gouging by Sky.

Reckon Clayton has made a bit of a mess around the last 2 games' selections. Is there too much made of these '3 games in 9 days' routines? F*ck - everyone has to do it!

I know he was targeting the Southland game for the W, but it has all gone a little pear shaped. Maybe we can salvage something against Auckland. Perhaps some of the injured troupe will be available again and will add some fresh legs and spark.

Ok, I have finally calmed down...

Firstly - congratulations to Northland, great comeback and a well deserved win. Hopefully we'll see you again at the end of the season.

Good effort from the BOP backline who at times showed endeavor. Collectively, they looked good for about 50 minutes. All contributed, with the exception of perhaps Webber who appeared absentia. Good game management by Delany and I was particularly impressed with Hepetema.

Forwards - well, scrummaging Monday training - bring your boots! We were out scrummaged from the first scrum to the end. I was bewildered when they took Mewett off early second half. What we did have was a sound lineout as an attacking platform and when Mewett went off it all went to hell!

Why did we not opt for a lineout when we gained a penalty at the end? Had we lost all confidence in our lineout and drive? Lacking leadership towards the end - we could have taken this one! That's a shocker to start the season and the opposition will not get any easier.

Like everyone else, I am hugely disappointed. We were well beaten - even up front which hasn't happened too many times over the last 4 seasons. Maybe our lineout outperformed theirs - but that was it. Tupe was a little quiet, but we can't rely on a single player.

What astounded me was how we were out thought. All their kicks paid off - I mean all! Rarely do you ever see that with the exception of maybe Canterbury at this level. Are we that dumb?

Actually 'dumb' summarises this game. Strange thing is, we can win our next 2 and make the semis. Somehow the coach and players need to think this through seriously. We have the players, we are not lacking skillsets or even fitness I don't believe. But we are lacking leadership and brains. Not sure where that is going to come from.

Well done Big Red. As always - strong 80 minute performance. You deserved better.