RugbyRebels

zer0 wrote:

Puja wrote:Weird to be playing Marchant on the wing and Ioane at 13. Has Leon McDonald been reading Eddie Jones's book?

It's all backwards because Foster and/or Ioane will have a hissy fit otherwise. Personally I'd think either of those alone is reason enough to keep him on the wing.

Worked out ok. Marchant got two tries and Ioane carried for most metres (and embarrassed himself off a kick off)

Blues 8 is good too. Rapid off the base.

cashead wrote:Hoskins Sotutu.

Akira might as well start looking at which Top League club looks good.

Pretty much what I was thinking.

Gatland looks like he is getting the Chufs attack rolling along nicely.

Imagine losing to the Blues.

As a New Zealand franchise.

At home.

The Blues ffs.

Win against a NZ franchise for the Blues, hey I'll take it, but 15 versus 12 and they go for a drop? Bonus point gone begging.

Bulls versus Highlanders, someone needs to fire the person that checks for jersey clashes.

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cashead wrote:Who'd have guessed that if you keep selecting a decent 10 at 10, and put a guy who's not suited to 10 at 15 where he spends most of his time anyway, they actually do much better?

Perofeta is still useless as a fullback though, and it's clear that someone like Matt Duffie is needed in that backline to handle the aerial attack.


Also, David Havili's been sidelined indefinitely for one of the weirder injuries, having gone in for emergency surgery to remove "a foreign object" from his stomach.

I actually thought Perofeta has done okay at full back the last couple of games. Not a standout but decent.

Duffie has been pretty flat on attack for the last few seasons and, more importantly, lacks the play making abilities of a fullback in the dual play-maker system. Perofeta obviously needs to work on his catching, but definitely fits into the dual play-maker system.

As it is, Barrett should be the fullback soon, so it's all somewhat moot.

Gotta make hay while the sun very briefly shines.

You petty little shit.

You love the bantz.

Is Sotutu the blonde bombshell at number 8 for the Blues? I was just coming here to ask if he was on the radar and it seems yes. Is he new?

He’s got a touch of that Vunipola dump-truck style about his carrying when he decides to put his head down. Not knocking him or saying he’s limited, but looks very difficult to stop even from a standing start. Doesn’t seem like NZ generally have too many of those sorts.

That's the one. He was at the Blues last season but never got a run, for whatever reason(s). Instead Akira Ioane, our starting #8, got run into the ground for the second season running. He should definitely be in contention for an All Blacks cap.

Wow.

Not only I didn’t realise his first name is Hoskins (!) but this pass I’d thought was Ioane (and thought that was more passing skill than he actually had) was him too.



A few tidy offloads in that game too. He’s got some decent hands. Not that you guys tend to feel the same need to make a song and dance about a forward being able to pass, as we do up north.

Blues looking very good all round. I'd still move Barrett to ten sooner rather than later though.

Cameo wrote:Blues looking very good all round. I'd still move Barrett to ten sooner rather than later though.

yes, whenever I see Barrett not at 10, I think......why?

Marchant gets a bench spot for his final game. It's funny, I think everyone is impressed and sees his loan as a success but, still, he's not quite cracked the first choice 23.

Cameo wrote:Marchant gets a bench spot for his final game. It's funny, I think everyone is impressed and sees his loan as a success but, still, he's not quite cracked the first choice 23.

There’s reasons other than skill at play though...

Stom wrote:

Cameo wrote:Marchant gets a bench spot for his final game. It's funny, I think everyone is impressed and sees his loan as a success but, still, he's not quite cracked the first choice 23.

There’s reasons other than skill at play though...

What do you mean? Marchant has been good but he's clearly not a better winger than the starters and isn't a better thirteen than Ioane

Another very good game last night. Blues would have kicked themselves if they lost that but Highlanders will be kicking themselves about their decision making. Players taking a drop kick when they have advantage has long frustrated me but it was bizarre here when they didn't then want the three points. By all means go out for the try but do it when you have advantage too.

Cameo wrote:

Stom wrote:

Cameo wrote:Marchant gets a bench spot for his final game. It's funny, I think everyone is impressed and sees his loan as a success but, still, he's not quite cracked the first choice 23.

There’s reasons other than skill at play though...

What do you mean? Marchant has been good but he's clearly not a better winger than the starters and isn't a better thirteen than Ioane

Another very good game last night. Blues would have kicked themselves if they lost that but Highlanders will be kicking themselves about their decision making. Players taking a drop kick when they have advantage has long frustrated me but it was bizarre here when they didn't then want the three points. By all means go out for the try but do it when you have advantage too.

Agreed on him not being a better winger (AFAIK, he hadn't played wing before coming to NZ), but I think there's a reasonable conversation to be had about him being a better 13 than Ioane, which he wasn't realistically able to compete for because Ioane would leave if he wasn't played at centre (and why would they risk that over a loan player).

Puja

Is that based on something? Or just the speculation above that Ioane has likely looked at the shelf-life of previous AB wings and wants to give 13 another go?

I see the Aussies are starting this weekend too. Is this the future of Super Rugby? Regional competition followed by maybe a Heineken Cup type affair? Might aid the expansion as well.

NZ
Home and away league 8 games (Is there a way you could add 1 more team to take it to 10?
Knock outs? 2 games?
Super Rugby Intercontinental - 2 teams from NZ, SA, Aus, Japan, Arg, (remaining) PIs = 12 teams. Byes in 1st round based on seeding (4 year rolling and probably some country multiplier) for 4 teams who get home fixtures QF. Remaining 8 play off to get there, drawn randomly. QF, SF, F. 3 games.

Max games for NZ players = 15. Players could feasibly play every one of those games. The problem is that I don't know if here are enough games to fund the sport. That's only 5 home games for the weaker sides. Up to 10 for the stronger ones. Possibly not enough games for TV

Very good Crusaders Highlanders game with Will Jordan and Aaron Smith both on great form. Crusaders Vs Blues shaping up to be the two deciders.

Hurricanes are reasonably fun but sloppy. Chiefs are just meh.

Jordan caught my eye back in 2017 in the U20 WC, as did Clarke. Both looking very good this year.

As a penthouse resident at the top of the table, I've no real interest in whatever it is that passes for rugby among the misbegotten SRA cellar-dwellers (perhaps Lizard can enlighten us?), but it seems the Chufs really are going all in on this whinging strategy? If Cane keeps this up, then we'll need to hire Richie as an expensive consultant to come in and give him a slap before every match and interview until he remembers not to be a lil bitch.