Official Rugby Thread

[Heboric]

Phew, Stormers really tried hard to stuff this up. Almost typical Stormers stuff up. But I guess they are through

 

[_Ed_]

'Genuinely looks wide': Questions hang over Stormers match-winning conversion

With a pressure kick to win the game from out wide, Libbok's effort looked online to start and then began to fade high, over the post height making it difficult to judge whether or not it had gone through.

www.rugbypass.com

 

[StephenZA]

Lol... at least they get the max click bait...

 

[James]

Wow, Fakatava over Weber. Massive call.

Retaining Cane as captain is disappointing, as he keeps much better loosies out of the team. Reminds me of the Taine Randell days.

 

[Flem274*]

Cane is the best tackler in the country. Deceptively fast somehow as well. Chopped down Mo'unga in space on the weekend. He has to play.

The boring stuff like defence, organisation and territory management is also why say Jordie Barrett is the best fullback in the country by a distance.

 

[Flem274*]

Squad is alright. Disappointed in the midfield depth but injury limits our options. last years front rowers are all on notice afaic. I would have picked Franks. Glad Ross is in, he was the lynch pin of a strong Chiefs scrum.

Thrilled for Perofeta. Thought he might have bottled it after the Blues had him defending the 12 channel for that try on the weekend (whyyyy) but he showed he can defend with that great try saver on a much bigger man later in the game.

RTS and Ioane for 12 and 13 imo. Fakatava over Christie too.

 

[James]

Cane is the best tackler in the country. Deceptively fast somehow as well. Chopped down Mo'unga in space on the weekend. He has to play.

The boring stuff like defence, organisation and territory management is also why say Jordie Barrett is the best fullback in the country by a distance.

Agree with you regarding Jordie, but haven't seen anything from Cane personally for where he's a shoe in to be named captain. I don't think he has the strength or build to dominate in that position against the bigger packs in South Africa and the NH teams. We need a big back row in my opinion and those that can generate good go forward which is where we failed in the last World Cup.

You could argue that Ireland go into this series as favourites on the back of their Six Nations form and their games against us in recent years.

 

[Flem274*]

Agree with you regarding Jordie, but haven't seen anything from Cane personally for where he's a shoe in to be named captain. I don't think he has the strength or build to dominate in that position against the bigger packs in South Africa and the NH teams. We need a big back row in my opinion and those that can generate good go forward which is where we failed in the last World Cup.

You could argue that Ireland go into this series as favourites on the back of their Six Nations form and their games against us in recent years.

7 and 8 have always been good. It's the front row and 6 where we need improvement.

I also think our complete lack of attacking structure is exaggerating issues. Against SA and England you're always going to have messy battles in the forwards even when you play well, but my god do we rely on individual talent to score tries right now.

We've got the players now to field arguably the fastest, tallest, strongest, most athletic and visionary backline in the world with Beauden, Leceister/Clarke, RTS, Rieko, Jordan and Jordie. It would be nice to give it structure for a change.

 

[_Ed_]

Might just be my Northland/Blues bias, but Tom Robinson was unlucky to miss out IMO.

 

[Flem274*]

Might just be my Northland/Blues bias, but Tom Robinson was unlucky to miss out IMO.

I was a bit surprised Scott Barrett made it. He's been a bit less good than others this year imo. Robinson's injury a couple of years ago when he was on a roll really screwed him over. Good player, would be on the radar for sure.

 

[James]

7 and 8 have always been good. It's the front row and 6 where we need improvement.

I also think our complete lack of attacking structure is exaggerating issues. Against SA and England you're always going to have messy battles in the forwards even when you play well, but my god do we rely on individual talent to score tries right now.

We've got the players now to field arguably the fastest, tallest, strongest, most athletic and visionary backline in the world with Beauden, Leceister/Clarke, RTS, Rieko, Jordan and Jordie. It would be nice to give it structure for a change.

Totally agree, the forward stock with the front row has been lacking in recent times. At least it's another year before the World Cup to try and get some structure and good performances under their belt.

A bit early to throw RTS into the thick of World Rugby isn't it ? Impact off the bench perhaps?

 

[_Ed_]

Heck of a first few minutes of the Super Rugby final.

 

[James]

A very predicable final so far at least. The Blues were done over by the Brumbies forward-pack last week, and it's happening again this week by the Crusaders. Shame Pablo Matera isn't a Kiwi.

 

[James]

Can't help but think this will mean Mounga will start the Ireland Tests ahead of Barrett too, but it's solely due to the poor Blues forwards.

 

[James]

You do have to wonder based off that performance if the All Blacks were selected tomorrow, how many changes would there be.... The Blues were extremely lucky to get past the Brumbies and were awful tonight.

Easy decision for the All Blacks midfield now, Havili and Goodhue. But for me, Ireland go into the series as favourties.

Bower
Taylor
?
Retallick
Whitelock
?
?
?
Smith
Mo'unga
Jordan
Havili
Goodhue
Reece
Jordie Barrett

 

[Fuller Pilch]

That was the Crusaders at their ruthless best. It all started from their dominant lineout and went from there.

 

[Flem274*]

GG Blues forward pack.

I've been death riding the Havili/Goodhue combo for ages as total mediocrity (and they have been meh through the season when forwards have actually put pressure on or played somewhat normally against the saders forwards) but the Blues backline panicking when they got rare ball did not help.

Statistically Chiefs had the best scrum all year so I'm actually going Aiden Ross at 1 in the absence of Moody.

Kind of a weird season where, Blues excepted, I felt like everyone skidded backwards with their pants down into the play offs. The Crusaders were not as scary as they have been in the past until today.

 

[Howe_zat]

?

*drinks more*

 

[BoyBrumby]

Pretty epic game, by any reasonable measure.

If it was submitted as a film treatment it'd be likely rejected as a bit too on the nose, so many redemptive arcs did it have.

The old champions, fallen on hard times and only saved from relegation two seasons ago by Saracens' points deduction, turned around by one of Sarries' own in Steve Borthwick, who gives a final shot at the big one to another ex Saracen who's about to turn 40 in Wigglesworth, only to have their star stand off limp off in the first half.

Then, right at the end, his replacement, a Tigers old boy returned to the fold at the start of the season, steps back into the slot to nail the winning drop.

You'd have to have granite for a heart not to be touched by Tom Youngs lifting the trophy having lost his wife last month after a long, long battle with cancer too.

Fair play Tigers.

 

[James]

I've been death riding the Havili/Goodhue combo for ages as total mediocrity (and they have been meh through the season when forwards have actually put pressure on or played somewhat normally against the saders forwards) but the Blues backline panicking when they got rare ball did not help.

Agree with you, but I think the Play-offs put to bed any idea of RTS pulling on the black jersey. At least a year too early for him, but I can understand if they want him around the squad. Big question marks over Rieko as well.

Ireland will be licking their lips at playing us - their dominant forward-pack are going to go to town on the All Blacks I expect.