Qualifying Final: 2.Crusaders v 5.Reds 6/06

[Tomthumb]

I dunno man, if fans from other teams want to whinge that their coach didn’t be the Wallabies gig, or which team got the best Rebels players, could he done elsewhere. I didn’t think any of the Super Rugby coaches were best candidate but still wouldn’t mind talking about the match.

agree on commentators though, they got players wrong half a dozen times.

I didn’t mention coaches from any other team, let’s talk about the match

Absolute dross. No gameplan, not a single thing done uniquely to try and breakdown the Crusaders defence. Just spinning the ball around aimlessly like they always do. Got pelted in the set piece and we’re weak on the tackle

blaming the ref in a 20 point loss just doesn’t work

 

[Sword of Justice]

Not sure if this should go here or in the Wallabies threads but we need to talk about McDermott. I don’t think he’s shown anything that would suggest to Schmidt that he should start and I would argue he’s regressed.

Cannot recall one kick working to our advantage and he is just addicted to picking the ball up and then looking around for options. That would be less of a sin if he was running on to rucks at pace but he’s not nearly as glued to his forwards as he should be. We seem to slow down and get less creative the closer we get to the try line. Lazy detractors said his pass was poor but it’s actually the discipline around the pass.

I have been a massive supporter of his for years and wanted him to start in gold because he was getting us on the front foot at least as well as the more classical nines. His detractors weren’t seeing the forest for the trees but he seems to have regressed now to the point I agree with them. when he’s being marked so closely, with miles in his legs his value drops to Wallabies.

 

[Tomthumb]

Commentators do it every week, unfortunately commentators from each country know their own players best. Just a fact of life I guess, When Aus ones got my Canes players mixed up, and then I just shrugged and thought how hard it is if you can't see numbers etc, and sometimes the buggers look similar.

They get paid to know who the players are. They have big numbers on their backs to make it easy also

 

[Wilson]

How about that try assist from Harry Wilson to McReight. Absolutely mint!

Unfortunately I have a brain injury that prevents me from acknowledging the other 79 minutes of this game, please respect my healing journey by only talking about the aforementioned try.

 

[Adam84]

Not sure if this should go here or in the Wallabies threads but we need to talk about McDermott. I don’t think he’s shown anything that would suggest to Schmidt that he should start and I would argue he’s regressed.

Cannot recall one kick working to our advantage and he is just addicted to picking the ball up and then looking around for options. That would be less of a sin if he was running on to rucks at pace but he’s not nearly as glued to his forwards as he should be. We seem to slow down and get less creative the closer we get to the try line. Lazy detractors said his pass was poor but it’s actually the discipline around the pass.

I have been a massive supporter of his for years and wanted him to start in gold because he was getting us on the front foot at least as well as the more classical nines. His detractors weren’t seeing the forest for the trees but he seems to have regressed now to the point I agree with them. when he’s being marked so closely, with miles in his legs his value drops to Wallabies.

I said it earlier, he looked lethargic and wanted him subbed at 50mins

 

[Adam84]

How about that try assist from Harry Wilson to McReight. Absolutely mint!

Unfortunately I have a brain injury that prevents me from acknowledging the other 79 minutes of this game, please respect my healing journey by only talking about the aforementioned try.

That was unique

 

[TSR]

Hmmm - I don’t agree McDermott’s regressed. At all really.

Tonight wasn’t great for him but he’s been very good this year IMO. And a lot of his box kicking has been good and we’ve got pay from it. I feel he’s a bit damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t in that regard.

My big concern is his passing. It is still an issue and there have been half a dozen times it has put us under pressure. And tonight I think for all the talk about line speed one of the noticeable things for me was he was passing too slow to the pods and it was given the defence the jump.

I think he’s heads and shoulders been the best Aussie half in Super rugby but his passing is an issue and I do think he’s going to remain a bench test player unless he sorts it.

 

[Tomikin]

I know it sounds weak, but I always watch aftermatch interviews and really enjoy listening to how coaches speak (and players) you hear sometimes cliches etc , but sometimes you really can't help but be impressed

I watch them too, dont really think its weak.. If you're a rugby fan you do that. Watching a replay of Les now.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

And for 2 years straight I’ve been told how much better Les Kiss is, only for him to fail at the exact same point Thorn did two years in a row. Pretty concerning from a Wallabies perspective, Kiss’ Reds seem to fall apart so easily in big games

He was best available for the job simple as that.

This season is business as usual if you look at his career. Always good, never great.

He gets a lot of good bloke points.

 

[Aussie D]

Just watching the game now (know the result as I saw the writing on the wall after 15 minutes and checked to confirm my suspicions) and have two queries.
1. Why do Australian players play dumb rugby so often? For example Flook with the early break throwing the long slow pass wide rather than the short inside ball or a kick ahead? Later the play had obviously broken down for the Reds 40m out from the Crusaders line and rather than putting a grubber into the corner they kept shovelling the ball until they dropped it.
2. What is up with our breakdown work? Crusaders were shifting us off the ball when we had a 3-1 advantage. Poor technique or poor S&C? Don't think you can pin that on Williams

 

[TSR]

I didn’t mention coaches from any other team, let’s talk about the match

Absolute dross. No gameplan, not a single thing done uniquely to try and breakdown the Crusaders defence. Just spinning the ball around aimlessly like they always do. Got pelted in the set piece and we’re weak on the tackle

blaming the ref in a 20 point loss just doesn’t work

Look - regardless of what’s right and what’s wrong is this really the kind of poster you want to be.

Oh look… your team lost…. I’m here to be an arse about it.

There are plenty of legitimate issues for examination but the point that Adam is trying to make to you is that there isn’t really a need to jump straight onto a blog afterwards and rub peoples faces in it.

Hold until tomorrow, post it in a different thread and then fill your boots.

 

[TSR]

2. What is up with our breakdown work? Crusaders were shifting us off the ball when we had a 3-1 advantage. Poor technique or poor S&C? Don't think you can pin that on Williams

It’s a good question - especially give that early in the year it was a relatively strong point for the Reds.

I actually thought our fitness looked okay this year. But I still think we are getting a bit over powered and I think we need to be far more ruthless at the breakdown.

 

[Mark Panga]

Replay on that scrum penalty shows a clear Fletcher Newall pancaking but nope. Not seen by our ovine loving neighbours

Time and time again - also check out the scrum at 4 mins 45 secs. Crus LHP goes down yet reds get penalised. Didn’t matter what the Reds did to adjust - it was just the Refs narrative. Then Crus LHP hinging. Ignored. Then Crus THP pushing arm down. Ignored. Complete joke of reffing effort.

 

[Mark Panga]

Why keep picking Nonggor when he's not the best THP?

You need to learn a bit about scrums - and then have a good look at the scrums to ascertain what actually happened. The ref let blatant penalty behaviour by both the Crus LHP and THP go. Others above have spelled it out.

 

[TSR]

Problem was though that (IMO) the first two were right. Then once the Crusaders had those in the bag they were always more likely to get the 50/50s.

I like Nonggorr- but he needs to be more consistent in his scrum work.

 

[Aussie D]

It’s a good question - especially give that early in the year it was a relatively strong point for the Reds.

I actually thought our fitness looked okay this year. But I still think we are getting a bit over powered and I think we need to be far more ruthless at the breakdown.

Early in the year when the Reds were playing other Australian teams? Seemed to struggle at the breakdown against all the Kiwi teams.

S&C should also incorporate strength. Would be interesting to see how our strength component differs from other clubs around the world. It is not a new phenomenon, remember years ago Richard Brown playing 8 for Australia and being man handled by the All Blacks winger (think it was Corey Jane) in a game and asking myself WTF? .

 

[Dismal Pillock]

".....Crusaders DNA....."

 

[TSR]

It’s an interesting point generally.

I’ve never really understood though comments about players getting man handled by wingers and halfbacks.

These guys are pro athletes who spend enormous amounts of time in the gym. If they get there technique right driving a bigger guy back is not overly hard (ask anyone tackled by Gillmeister or Hetherington). Also - some wingers are immense humans and almost all of them extremely powerful.

But i don’t disagree with your central point and I certainly think Aussie packs/teams are continuing to be over powered by the Kiwis.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Look - regardless of what’s right and what’s wrong is this really the kind of poster you want to be.

Oh look… your team lost…. I’m here to be an arse about it.

There are plenty of legitimate issues for examination but the point that Adam is trying to make to you is that there isn’t really a need to jump straight onto a blog afterwards and rub peoples faces in it.

Hold until tomorrow, post it in a different thread and then fill your boots.

Like everyone in a Tahs match thread.

Having no back up play maker was a real kick in the guts for this game. 12/0 at HT still had the Reds well and truly alive but it was always going to be a miracle to pull it off once Lynagh wasn’t coming back.

Was glad to see the late points. They didn’t deserve to be blotted.

Home side in Super Rugby is such a huge advantage.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Anyone have the abacus out on how many times Horan said “Marshy”