The Silver Fern

I am sure if Clark Laidlaw is appointed head coach he would work with Tom Coventry,as they both coached Samoa to some success .Both men very experienced and players seem to play for them.Hope so,as a certain continuity would be assured.

A very physical game which lacked any great flow,but kept my interest because of its importance.I think the resurgent Crusaders were always going to win this,and the Blues losing a man for 20 minutes didn’t help their cause.
Of the back lines in the comp I think the Chiefs is the most creative,am I right in saying they play deeper hence are running at speed towards the defence with more time stepping and sometimes passing back to a second line of attack.?It came a little unstuck against the Reds,but generally very classy.The Blues attack in comparison disappoints.
Must say what a marvellous display of determination and guts from Adrian Choat,take a bow you have played bloody well all year.I’m picking a Crusader Chiefs final,and at Hamilton favour the Chiefs.

Just hope the Blues know what they are doing!Cant afford to lose a coach of his ability.I think all the Assistant Coaches at the Blues have done well.

Quite ironic Ross Filipo whose name has been mentioned as an up and coming coach,(I totally agree )was coached by Coventry at the Chiefs.

Media need to do their homework,and interview him.

What a shambles all this has become.Three franchises trying to win matches with assistant coaches not knowing what their future is going to be.,or even have a job next season.

I think it would be a shame for him to be completely overlooked,and to not be involved in some way.Who knows though what theBoard are looking for.Do all the present assistants have to wait their fate as well.?Very disruptive times for these assistant coaches I’m sure.

The forgotten man in all the talk about who coaches the Blues next is their present forwards coach.Over the past 5 years his forwards have always been at the least very competitive.He with his head coach won a title and were runners up last year.I would suggest selection errors cost them dearly in that match.He coached very successful HawkesBay and Nth Harbour sides ,and of course two titles with Dave Rennie 2012 /2013 with the Chiefs as forwards coach ,also Head Coach at International level with NZ Schoolboys and Samoa..Tom Coventry.

@Bovidae Think this could be the Chiefs year again.They looked strong at Pukekohe.
Come to the Ruakura cafe on the last Tuesday each month for a coffee and catch up 10.am.Has been going for nearly a year now..Former staff,good fun.

@Bovidae Hi mate ,so sorry we took your soccer field off you,but must say you handled it with great grace.
You never got to play on it anyway,I always had the closed sign up.

@Crucial Hard to get some players aggravated these days he bemoans. No disharmony in the camp,so just gossip.

@trodthesod One day my brother was watching Tom working the forwards on the railway line field and to his horror saw a right real bust up amongst Tom’s forwards Liam Messam,and Josh Honeck getting stuck into each other.When approached later on about the incident Tom said he was happy with both players,one for flaring up and the other retaliating,all good he said.

@Crucial Sorry couldn’t let it go past ! Halcyon Chief years for me .

As the former groundsman of the Chiefs Ruakura training ground ,I can assure you that after the renovation it was and still is a perfect surface.The other training ground on the campus was uneven but didn’t stop Tom Coventry using it to work his forwards relentlessly.Bust ups among the front rows very common. My brother voluntarily maintains Fred Jones and a better club ground in Hamilton would be hard to find. By the way the Chiefs won their first Super title using the old soccer field.,before the renovation.,and the Council’s Beetham Park wasn’t up to standard for the recent World Sevens.

Badly rolled ankle. Could be back in 5 or 6 weeks.Hope he gets back for some provincial games.

Don’t know if Ben Née Née and Sam Slade are already contracted,but thought both played well for Samoa recently.

Over the years the laws of rugby have in my opinion made rugby more dangerous to play.Play and tackles are now mostly head on collisions.Forwards don’t all go to the breakdown.,hands allowed in the tackle,no rucking allowed,all head down situations which exposes the head.
Hate saying this but most of the tackles made in the earlier years of rugby were made side on and around the legs.If as a forward you made a tackle at all you were applauded.
Scrums were screwed legally and weren’t the massive hits they are now.
In the process of making the game more of a spectacle they have made it more unsafe.Cant have it both ways.

There is a game with less scrums and kick out from the goal line,and it’s league.Some of rugbys differences are being eroded .It’s not less scrums we need but quicker ,much too long taken since the referees have taken over setting them.

Make that irrelevant.Wrong word!

With the high attrition rate in Super rugby I feel all squad members are potential starters,so where they are rated is irrevelant.