Sup, er, Rugby? 2020 thread

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Winless for the Chiefs. Any chance there will be pressure on Gatland? I'm not his biggest fan but I think after one particularly odd season it would be harsh.

[canta_brian]

[morepork]

Another belter. That Cru draw and pass game with Mo'unga chiming in is awesome. Looking forward to the Bloos Cru showdown now.

[cashead]

Winless for the Chiefs. Any chance there will be pressure on Gatland? I'm not his biggest fan but I think after one particularly odd season it would be harsh.

While the results didn't go their way, the Chiefs weren't terrible either, and were more often than not well in the game. They were very unlucky at times and had a lot of bad calls go against them, but they were also let down by the little coach-killers: handling errors, passes going to no one, kicks not finding touch. The stuff that Gats would have been drilling them with in training, that just wouldn't come together on the field.

[cashead]

Cruden has done his dash in NZ.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/423019 ... o-nz-rugby

Good luck to him, he has been through a lot, including getting on the piss and missing the flight to Argentina for the 2014 RC. A right Zac Guildford.

I think Gatland might have torpedoed any hopes of an ABs slot with this comp.

I don't think it's good form to use the name of someone who's suffering from a mental illness like you have here.

[morepork]

That's a fair point.

[canta_brian]

Another belter. That Cru draw and pass game with Mo'unga chiming in is awesome. Looking forward to the Bloos Cru showdown now.

I wish I could find more than just the highlights of some of these matches. It was really good to see the stadium full.

[Cameo]

How about a team of the tournament for the NZ comp (I know there are two games to go this weekend but I'm bored). I'll start:

1. Dunno to be honest (Armstrong maybe but can't say I've really noticed)
2. Codie Taylor (I think he is sometimes overlooked because of Dane Coles but really is one of the best in the world)
3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi
4. Pari Pari Parkinson
5. Patrick Tuipolotu
6. Shannon Frizell
7. Not sure actually - Christie? Boschier? Feels like a few have been impressive in particular games but no one dominated all tournament
8. Sitotu probably but has missed a few games
9. A Smith (one of the players of the tournament)
10. R Muonga (same)
11. Caleb Clarke (or maybe Sevu Reece)
12. Laumape (mainly for his performance v the Blues)
13. R Ioane (though Umaga-Jensen has impressed me to)
14. Will Jordan (better at fullback but Barrett has been too good to leave out)
15. J Barrett (he's done everything and also cut down on the mistakes)

Team feels light on Crusaders but it is hard to know with some of their individuals as the machine is just so good. Great to watch.

[Mikey Brown]

Jesus, WTF was going on with those Highlanders & Hurricanes kits? Who was responsible for those being chosen against eachother? Grey on grey in a grey stadium, where the Highlanders coaches appeared to be wearing Hurricanes kits along with their matching flat-caps.

Just watched the highlights and it was an utter assault on the eyes.

[morepork]

We could have a whip round and sort you out a colour TV Mikey.

I have no defense for the flat caps.

[cashead]

How about a team of the tournament for the NZ comp (I know there are two games to go this weekend but I'm bored). I'll start:

1. Dunno to be honest (Armstrong maybe but can't say I've really noticed)
2. Codie Taylor (I think he is sometimes overlooked because of Dane Coles but really is one of the best in the world)
3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi
4. Pari Pari Parkinson
5. Patrick Tuipolotu
6. Shannon Frizell
7. Not sure actually - Christie? Boschier? Feels like a few have been impressive in particular games but no one dominated all tournament
8. Sitotu probably but has missed a few games
9. A Smith (one of the players of the tournament)
10. R Muonga (same)
11. Caleb Clarke (or maybe Sevu Reece)
12. Laumape (mainly for his performance v the Blues)
13. R Ioane (though Umaga-Jensen has impressed me to)
14. Will Jordan (better at fullback but Barrett has been too good to leave out)
15. J Barrett (he's done everything and also cut down on the mistakes)

Team feels light on Crusaders but it is hard to know with some of their individuals as the machine is just so good. Great to watch.

1. Joe Moody (Crusaders)
- Honourable mentions: Alex Hodgman, Aidan Ross, Karl Tuinukuafe
Moody a cornerstone of a dominant Crusaders scrum, high workrate with ball in hand, and consistency in defence. Hodgman was also consistent across the board in every appearance, and held his own in the setpiece. BIG KARL always made a positive contribution when he came off the bench, and delivered big time on his return to the starting XV. Ross was also a big performer for the Chiefs, and his season was cruelly cut short but was another consistent performer in a struggling franchise.

2. Codie Taylor (Crusaders)
- Honourable mentions: Kurt Eklund, Dane Coles, Liam Coltman, Ash Dixon
Taylor was the front-runner in this department, with a series of strong displays - consistently high tackle count, reliable lineouts, strong scrummaging, and reliable ball carrying. Eklund ticked all the boxes when he took over for an injured James Parsons, and was excellent in the rucks, as was Coltman. Dixon was a high value veteran, doing all the donkeywork week in and week out. Coles was another that stood out, but I'd say Taylor edges it.

3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Blues)
- Honourable mention: Michael Ala'alatoa, Tyrel Lomax
This was a big tournament for Tu'ungafasi, who matured into being a monstrous scrummager. Ala'alatoa and Lomax, like Tu'ungafasi were reliable in the scrums, and all three were also high workrate players, being consistent ball carriers and reliable tacklers.


4. Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues)
5. James Blackwell (Hurricanes)
- Honourable mentions: Pari Pari Parkinson, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Josh Dixon, Jack Whetton, Luke Romano, Sam Whitelock, Naitoa Ah Kuoi
- This was a fairly well-contested position. Tuipulotu and Blackwell were consistent, reliable and contributed to a high lineout success rate for their franchises. Tuipulotu gets picked as the bruising ball-carrier hardcase lock, while Blackwell was a constant menace against any attacking lineouts for teams playing the Hurricanes. Parkinson misses out due to some poor discipline, while Selby-Rickit always made a positive contribution off the bench. Dixon was the form lock until his injury, and Whetton absolutely stepped up when called on by the Highlanders. Whitelock was another consistent performer, but took a couple of weeks to get going, and Romano, like Selby-Rickit, was always reliable off the bench for a positive contribution. Ah Kuoi also gets a nod for his strong performances for the Chiefs, where he was reliable in the set-piece. Plus he looked like a low-budget version of a member of the cyberised Lin Kuei clan from Mortal Kombat, so yeah, he had that going for him.


6. Lachlan Boshier (Chiefs)
- Honourable mentions: Sione Havili, Shannon Frizell
Boshier was the pick of the 6s, and was a star performer for an otherwise depressing Chiefs campaign. He consistently delivered key turnovers for the Chiefs, and always provided forward momentum for them on attack. Havili stepped up big time as the bruising 6 that the Crusaders needed, while Frizell was a big defensive presence for the Highlanders.


7. Dillon Hunt (Highlanders)
- Honourable mentions: Dalton Papali'i, Sam Cane
Hunt gets the nod here as the form 7 in the competition, and one of the top turnover winners (he may have topped that count). He's probably doomed to be the new Matt Todd, but he proved himself indispensable for the Highlanders. Papali'i was also a key cog for the Blues, able to adjust his play between openside and blindside. He delivered a level of power that other 7s struggle to. Cane may be a controversial case here, but the criticisms levelled at him have been vastly overstated - statistically, his work rate was consistently incredibly high in his appearances, and his performance against the Crusaders in round 8 on defence was probably the single best individual defensive performance by an openside in the competition.

8. Merino Mikaele Tu'u (Highlanders)
- Honourable mentions: Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane, Whetukamokamo Douglas, Ardie Savea
A lot of the other 8s missed a few weeks here and there, while Mikaele Tu'u was consistency personified. He was consistency personified, and often kept the Highlanders in games that they should not have been competitive in, delivering that extra metre of ground or connecting that final pass to create a few more yards for the team. Savea also gets the nod because of the dummy pass that should not ever work, but inexplicably does.

9. Aaron Smith (Highlanders)
- Honourable mentions: TJ Perenara, Finlay Christie
Not sure I'll need to explain this one. My god, Nugget was good.

10. Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders)
- Honourable mentions: Otere Black, Jackson Garden-Bachop, Beauden Barrett
Mo'unga was simply head and shoulders above everyone else. Consistently great decision-making, well-timed runs and kicks, and reliable defence. The boy could simply do it all, and the scary thing is, he probably hasn't hit his ceiling yet. Black benefited from an extended run at 10, and his vision and kicking from hand were an indispensable part of the Blues' arsenal. Jackson Garden-Bachop was the surprise package for the Hurricanes, who delivered consistency at 10 for a team that just lost one of their biggest assets. He was a smart distributor, and could always be relied on to make selfless decisions, putting the big attacking threats in his backline where they needed to be. Barrett also had a bit of a run at 10, and basically, Beauden gonna Beauden.

12. TJ Faiane (Blues)
- Honourable mentions: Jack Goodhue, Ngani Laumape
Faiane may be an odd and controversial choice, but he's here because he was the one that proved himself indispensable to the team. He's the guy who will be hanging around in support, who makes that extra tackle, who moves around the backline, and the guy who organised the Blues attack and defence. He elevated the backline around him, providing much needed leadership to the young players around him, and it's no coincidence that the Blues steadied the ship when he was brought back to the starting line-up after some mid-season wobbles.

13. Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs)
- Honourable mentions: Rieko Ioane, Brayden Ennor, Peter Umaga-Jensen
ALB was another class act in a team that found results going against them. Despite this, he was often one of the reasons why the team was still in the contest later in the game, always pulling his weight in defence, and delivering forward momentum when the Chiefs were on attack. Ioane had a great first season permanently at centre for the Blues, and showed that his long-term future is probably in the 13 jersey. Ennor and Umaga-Jensen also had their moments at 13 for their respective franchises, especially the latter, who emerged as a surprise package for the Hurricanes.

11. George Bridge (Crusaders)
14. Caleb Clarke (Blues)
15. Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)
- Honourable mentions: Mark Telea, Jacobus van Wyk, Michael Collins, Will Jordan
Three fairly contrasting players. Bridge was always Mr Consistent, always popping up where he was needed, was always reliable under the high ball, and was defensively solid. He may not be a flashy player, but he can do everything a winger needs to do, and rates as solid across the board. Clarke was initially occasionally shaky on defence, but got more and more involved in the game as the season went on, until he ended up as one of the Blues' key strike weapons out wide. Barrett was, at times, unplayable for the opposition, ironing out a lot of kinks in his game. He may not have been posting big running numbers, but he didn't need to - he could run when needed, and has a howitzer of a boot, providing good field position for the Hurricanes.
Telea started with a hiss and a roar, but seemed to lose steam as the season went on, van Wyk was always solid and a reliable presence for the Canes, Collins had a solid season at the Highlanders, filling in where he was needed, and Jordan was a constant menace on attack, although there are still some minor issues with his defence (which were brutally exposed against the Hurricanes).


So that's
1. Joe Moody (Crusaders)
2. Codie Taylor (Crusaders)
3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Blues)
4. Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues)
5. James Blackwell (Hurricanes)
6. Lachlan Boshier (Chiefs)
7. Dillon Hunt (Highlanders)
8. Merino Mikaele Tu'u (Highlanders)
9. Aaron Smith (Highlanders)
10. Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders)
11. George Bridge (Crusaders)
12. TJ Faiane (Blues)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs)
14. Caleb Clarke (Blues)
15. Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes)

Crusaders - 4
Blues - 4
Highlanders - 3
Hurricanes - 2
Chiefs - 2