Reds vs Crusaders – Live Coverage

Welcome to the coverage of Reds v Saders.

I’m going back to the pub, but I’m sure that Noddy and Juan can keep this place ticking in my absense!

Welcome to G&GR’s coverage of the Reds second trial. This one is against the Crusaders at Ballymore. Kick off is about two hours away, some make sure you come back to join in the banter!

rf, full reporting will start in about 40 mins time. Juan will give us crowd numbers then

no Kate. Just live commentary. No one is broadcastingt the match though. We have Juan Cote in the media box giving us the (almost) play by play!

So Weekes wasn’t as injured as thought? Is Jack Kennedy injured JC?

Lightning has hit the scoreboard at Ballymore and it’s had the sword

Meanwhile Pakistan are 3 for 38 chasing 278. Harris doing the damage again with 2 for 6 from 4 overs

Probably more kiwis than Reds supporters

Game starts in about 2 mins

Saders on the field

Reds on now

Here we go

Saders kick off

Reds L/o on their 22

Reds clear downfield but Saders straight back inside Reds 22 with a fine kick from Payne
Reds clear from L/o

From MR timms – Reds warming up

Hynes makes half break from a kick return but drops pill. Saders scrum on Reds 45.
Saders have kicked the ball every time they’ve had it

Good Stuff Juan – how’s seat A1?

Saders penalty for Reds not rolling away. kick for line inside Reds 22

Saders win l/o and bash away on Reds 22

Saders score after about 9 phases in close to T. Waldrom.

First time saders have kept ball in hand and did it pretty easy

Slade misses shot from about 15 mtr to the right of poles

whats the fime frame at the moment JC? How long gone or is that too much to cover?

Saders having all the play. Chip thru to Hynes how flatterns someone from the Saders

Ash Parket listed as blindside flanker.

Reds away. little break from Chambers with first touch and play went wide to Morahan who opened up the Saders and the Reds get penalty in front of sticks 22 out.

Saders bloke still down for the count

bloke down! was that from the Hynes tackle?

Whats conditions like? Heard there was meant to be storms?

about 3000 apparently Hunter

Hynes was running and gave him the don’t argue

Crowd around 4000 now

Lucas converts penalty

Digby shouldn’t you be on the sidelines?

Reds playing some good stuff with A Finger making a bit of a break.

Ahh, I am developing a fondness for Mr Faingaa (A type)

Reds ready to run on from Mr Timms

Hynes opens them up again!!! Devastating break from midfield and then a great ball to Luke M. Daley crashes over from close range

Lucas converts from just to the right of the posts

Wahooooo!

Saders kick away good ball on attack but get penalty for not rolling away. Opt for L/o 15 mtr out

@MrTimms will endeavour to get some on-field action up soon.

Adam Whitelock on for Saders

Saders hammering in close 10 out go wide and Fruean makes a half break but drops the pill. Reds under pressure with scrum under their sticks

how is our Scrum looking?

This one coming up with be the test

Saders fold in on scrum and Reds clear

Ryan Crotty I presume Guest

Did anyone else get 20 texts from the Reds today?

Saders showing decent attack but T Waldrom knocks the ball on

yep Hunter. Twas nice of them. Its how they boost their member numbers “We sent 100,000 texts to our members today”

I seriously got 20 texts. 1 would have been just fine

Chambers looking lost in defence. Not sure about which side of the ruck to defend on from phase play

I got 13 I think

chambers playing outside centre?

They must have sent 100,000 texts to like 7 guys

storms seem to have cleared mudskipper

ground would be slippery, but not waterlogged

Conditions are pretty good. Rain has had no impact really

How’s Lucas looking at 10? I dont like him there..

lots a preseason drop ball by the Saders

Saders drop ball again and Reds capitalise. Get penalty and drive ball down into the Saders 22. with l/o

Chambers needs to get the mungo out of his system if he wants to keep playing at outside. otherwise i think i will stay in that position for 2010

Braid goes through the ruck and throws a poor pass to Morahan can’t control the ball

Lol its not on tv

not on tv. We have correspondents at the game however, so stay put and enjoy the pictures JC et al create with their magical words.

Both l/o’s look pretty solid

Where do you prefer to play Diggers?

Reds get penalty and go for another l/o 15 out

Reds Try!!!

Daley again? What a skipper!

Daleys 2nd? Awesome

Ben Daley gets his second. Taken down from l/o and rolled a maul about 10 mtrs to score 15 to the right of the posts

Lucas converts

are they playing quarters JC?

Being captain seems to agree with Daley

Saders inside 15 mtr

Blow the l/o and the Reds clear thru Lucas on Reds 42

that’s a hard question there eddie.! He aint watching on tv.

Saders blow another line out scrappy play from Reds and the Saders are away

So a recap for those who joined late. Reds leading 17 (Ben Daley 2 tries; Ben Lucas 2 conv, pg) to Crusaders 5 (Tom Waldrom try)

Penalty not rolling away and the Saders go into the Reds half with l/o on Reds 35

Saders go wide with latteral attack and Morahan hammers Poki and the ball comes loose. Reds scrom on their 35

Lucas injured – shoulder I think – maybe head

Lucas back up

30 mins gone

Saders penalty from scrum for Reds not packing square. Saders l/o 5 mtr out

Saders throw to 2 but jumper gets sacked and ball lost forward. That is the third l/o they’ve blown

good defensive work by the Reds? Who’s doing it can you tell?

From Mr Timms

Reds get penalty after a great counter ruk – that’s right, a counter ruck

Reds l/o 15 mtr out from Saders line

Reds turn ball over from maul and the Saders gift it back throwing pass into touch

the tension is KILLING me

Reds scrum dominates Saders pack and push them back but Kingi throws and poor pass to lucas who knocks on

Saders happy to kick ball away. Reds defending well

smear, apparently lost in defence, but made at least one half break

crowd around 4000 apparently

standard for a rial in dim weather. hope the blues game is a full house! that would be epic!

Saders last chance for the half

I wouldn’t be surprised if we win here. Crusaders will play it easy and take it seriously once the season starts.

Saders almost score. but Marks sees a knock on from somewhere

Reds get a scrum penalty. Not sure why but Saders are a bit pissed about it. Once again the saders fail to capitalise

Reds l/o on their 30 mtr

Sounds like the ref was worth every penny

I am sick of these kiwi teams, with their inferior scrums, reverting to illegal tactics to try to stay in the game!

Chambers looks lost

Saders have blown every chance they had inside the Reds 22

Half time

Great stuff Juan. Keep it up.

On the bench Smear Like your rugby Stint.

How are the pies?

Fed 6-2 and 3-2

Reds look OK – about 7/10. They are defending well and making the most of the Saders endless mistakes. Hynes is having a stormer while the Reds backrow of Braid, Higgers and Taylor are dominating.

The Saders are all over the place like a mad womens shit. Losing crucial l/o’s and turning the ball over when close to the Reds line. Content to kick away a fair bit of possesion which, when you consider who bad their handling is, might no be a bad option

Good to hear the backrow is playing well.

Queensland have done well so far but I wouldn’t look into it too much, the Crusaders are without Richie and Daniel.

Chambers got his chance to have a run just before halftime and dropped the pill cold. he is totally unsure of himself in defence from phase play and looks very tentative

Digby, we are without Quade and you, remember.

Will Link drag Chambers????

Not considering the money they are paying him

RF, Morgan T’s on the bench so who knows? But it would seem clear that Will needs game time, and afterall this is a game. And only a trial

2 nd half about to start

Federer won

So another recap for those who joined late. At half time Reds leading 17 (Ben Daley 2 tries; Ben Lucas 2 conv, pg) to Crusaders 5 (Tom Waldrom try)

Changes – Van, Walshie, Davies on

you can take the boy out of mungoball, but you cant take the mungo out of the boy. I think Chambers is struggling to get used to the demands of rugby and will take him a while to get over the one dimensional monotonous style of rugby loig

We will soon see Barge.

Toua on for Hynes

Aiden Toua! Awesome!

Thats what trials are for aren’t they? Give him some runs then get Digby back for Super 14

Toua drops his first ball Sader scrum on Reds 35 mtr line out in front

LOL. Brilliant. They call me Mr Mockers.

Perfect set up to attack for Saders, Centres split

Run at Chambers.

not many other options smear.

I’d be happy with him there.

They do run at chambers but drop the ball before they get to him. Reds attacking inside Saders half but give away penalty

He could be awesome on kick return

I don’t Pieter. What did they do?

Hynes full back this season.

Saders slcie open the Reds in mid field and blow another chance with the line wide open

this is the Saders first trial right?

Did they run at Chambers?

I hear that Smear..I guess he will hear us this season at Lang Park

Edwards and Van off for Byrne and Weeks

Saders attacking but ANOTHER t/o

Give away penalty as well and the Reds have l/o on 40 mtr line

Broken play favouring no one but Red sclean up in mideield

Walshie gives a great seed to Davies who hot foots it downfield and the Sader give away ruck penalty.
Reds l/o 10 out

Come on REDS!!

Reds knock on from l/o

Braid playing well

about 25 to go

My Reds backline would be 15 Hynes 14 Morahan 13 Morgs 12 Faingaa 11 Diggers 10 Cooper 9 Genia

A bit of a bingle from scrum. not much in it and Saders get a penalty for early engagement

S finger on for Hardy how has gone well

Wouldn’t be Byrnes in the bingle would it?

Props – neoither of them really interested

Crowd 5827

Saders l/o on reds 37

decent crowd! 5827

You need to handle pressure at 15 as well… Kick under pressure

not sure if faingaa should get a start

Some good phase play and strng running but agian they blow it. Reds scrum on their 30

Biggsy, we were never going to have a kicking fullback in McLinden remember.

I think you might have to be happy (or not) with the score

Happy!

Pieter you can on a night for a trial match, at Ballymore after a massive storm.

is it still 17-5?

yes diggers.

Saders playing like shit, dropping heaps of pill and really looking out of sorts. It is about 28 deg and 90 % humidity so the conditions do not suit them.

meanwhile…I love Shahid Afrida. First 2 balls with Pakis in trouble? Two x 4s!

Saders get the shove on Reds scrum but get penalised

Reds l/o 40 out

cheating bloody kiwi scrummagers.

Afridfi on 22 from 5 balls!

Reds go wide and stetch the Saders who foul advantage played but comes to nothing.
Lucas goes for poles 28 mtr out

this feed is for rugby not cricket

I can ban you Digby! I have that power!

Walshie kicks penalty

fair enough. No more cricket from me.

Schatz on for Taylor and braid off for Tomiki

Another try or two would be great for the for the loyal crowd who have showed up tonight

Saders looking good finally. They go form their own 22 well inide Reds 22 with great play but once again they blow it at the crucial stage.

7/125

he was replaced by Toua eddie.

What channel are they making these breaks thru?

much time left to play?

Chambers channel I’m presuming

must be about 20 mins (max) to play

Chambers is off for Morgan T

go mr t

JC, do you know if the replacement hooker (#16) has come on yet?

Andrew Shaw had a run yet?

O oh hope its not the second half downfall.. Not being negative but this is the part of reds rugby that needs to change

who let the try in

that’s not being negative Biggsy. That’s being optimistic. That that’s the only part that needs to be changed! ;)

Queenslander

Crocket gets a yellow. Reds scrum under Saders sticks

Yellow for what

Waldrom off for Saders – he has played well

come on queensland get a 3rd try