The Silver Fern

I hate reserves warming up behind the deadball line then celebrating their team mate's try in a massive pile-on. You're not part of the game, don't enter the field of play.

@Jaguares4real said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

@KiwiMurph

Fair enough but Aumua not making RWC squad unless there are multiple injuries to hookers

He's likely to be on wok experience, carrying water and holding tackle bags

World Cup is in Japan, not China

With a name like that he should be playing golf

Seems like Dwayne Sweeney will come in to cover for Charlie Ngatai. Callum Bruce couldn't be released from his Japan contract, Scott McLeod was locked into the Highlanders and Keith Lowen couldn't be contacted because no one could find his phone number.

The Rieko/Blake beef stemmed from early in the evening at the game. Rieko had been knocking back a few drinks in the stands. Then was acting the goose on the field post-match when all the squad gathered. Gibson told him to pull his head in.

Meanwhile Rieko and Akira's dad had to be separated from a fan by security after Dad lost his cool with the spectator who was yelling abuse at 'lazy' Akira all game; unbeknownst to him that Akira's dad was sitting behind him.

Akira saw the scuffle and waded into the grandstand and had to be calmed down himself.

Awful and sad. Playing touch, minding her own business. She wasn't even involved in the action when it happened.

She was on life support over the weekend and the family were waiting for her brother to fly back from the UK to say goodbye before ultimately turning off life support.

NZ Netball ought to name the new ANZ Championship trophy in her honour.

You want me to specifically watch scrums? The reason I have MySky is so I can fast-forward through stoppages until the ball is a the Number 8's feet.

Heads-up for all the Steamers fans on here, and provincial rugby fans more generally, there is a doco on Sky Sport this week looking back at the 2004 Bay Of Plenty side that won the Shield off Auckland... and the three weeks of celebrations that followed.

Some awesome anecdotes from Vern, Schmidt and Jacko amongst many others.

First airs Thursday night 9pm and there's a replay playing between the two NPC semis on Saturday.

I don't know if it breaks a rule but it ought to; what really grinds my gears are reserves running into the in-goal to celebrate a try scored by their team mate.

... you're not part of the game. If you're warming-up then retreat behind the dead ball line and don't come into contact with those who are legitimately playing the game.

Sooner of later there is going to be a post-try scuffle (there seems to be a few of these recently) which involves a reserve and the ref will resort to carding a guy who's not officially part of the game.

@Dice said in AB's v Samoa:

@Tim said in AB's v Samoa:

@Dice said in AB's v Samoa:

Matt Duffie

I thought he was a safe white boy?

Seeing this team actually reminded me that he's eligible for Samoa. I remember seeing his name in a wider team list for the Samoan league team a number of years ago.

That's Rugby League, though - you only have to visit the Otara Markets to be eligible for the Samoan league team.

Pulu strikes me as someone with a bit of a discipline problem, and often seems to have bad rapport with refs. Would be well down my list of potential captains.

Richie Mo'unga won't be feeling so bad after that

The Highlanders would be smart to gift a contract to little-known brother Blake Barrett in the hope it entices Jordie south.

I know the consensus is we need Mo’unga back ASAP but Ardie, Beauden and Cane show the folly of parachuting players into Test rugby from Japan

We won't know the full story until Hoskins makes a sulky post on Insta

@Chris-B. said in Crusaders vs B&I Lions:

@Frye Yeah- it will be interesting to see how much time these guys get vs the Lions - and vs Samoa for that matter.

It's hopefully going to be a busy few weeks for the Crusaders tight forwards - might look something like....

Lions, Samoa, Lions, Lions, Lions, Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs, Lions

Is that the sequel to Gary Freeman's book?

The ratings of All Blacks tests on FTA would rinse the numbers on SKY. Both NZR and the FTA network would leverage the shit out of those numbers to commercialise the product. The same applies for all sports being suggested as part of this bill.

People who think money will suddenly disappear from sport because the viewer doesn't have to open their wallet don't understand the economics of commercial television.

There's a reason SKY don't release the numbers watching through MYSKY decoders. They don't want advertisers to know the piddly numbers they pull compared to cooking and makeover shows on the free to air networks.

Club rugby? Pfft, I'd have thought he'd be stepping back straight into his vacant All Blacks jersey this June.

Money well spent by Harbour...

@Stargazer said in Blues 2017:

@KiwiMurph If true, I hope Canes are not going to get a back-up for BB from outside its catchment.

Super Rugby-hardened Jackson Garden Bachop is from within the region