2015 Super XV Final Hurricanes v Highlanders

[ACR]

Highlanders as always ran their guts out. Must be one of (if not the) fittest sides in the comp. Run metres with the ball (both sides) was double last weeks game (v Waratahs).

Crucial moments were the awarding of the Dixon try (no try to me), Savea dropping the ball 2 metres out, Savea try saving tackle 5 minutes to go. Banks slotting droppie.

Banks was terrific when he came on. Manu, legend, did a McCaw and played with one body part (eye instead of foot). The Smith show on song as usual. Dixon man of match. Bloody shame that Kaino and Messam are also good players. He would walk into most international sides atm.

Barrett needs to work on goal kicking..

 

[Dan54]

Well a bloody great game, and as a Canes man, I disappointed in one way, but bloody pleased in another, once again we see a bloody good team can succeed which is one of the beauties of the game!! How much do those Clan player give for the team?? Feel a bit for Smith, Nonu and co, but that's sport, not always fairy tale finishers. Think I'll wake up in the morning feeling I have seen a great game played in a great sport!!

Congrats to the Clan!

 

[Bairdy]

 

[teach]

FUCK YEAHHHH!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[Pfitzy]

FUCK YEAHHHH!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yeah that's how I felt last year. Enjoy the fuck out of it!

 

[CatchnPass]

Stunned. I thought after Canes performance v Brums that they were unbeatable, but A.Smith and the Dunedin boys were clinical. Nullified the Canes attacking weapons and countered with almost unbelievable speed and execution. If Retallick was best in World last year, A.Smith must have taken the mantle.

As a Wobs supporter, a bit of work to do to breach the gap in terms of intensity and precision at both breakdown and amongst the product brigade. But then, I've had the same view every 4 years since 1987.

 

[Moono75]

Well done Highlanders they have played some great rugby this year and showed up for the final. Canes just got bogged down in the hype. They looked like a 16 year old getting their first root. All over before the pants came down.

 

[Pfitzy]

Stunned. I thought after Canes performance v Brums that they were unbeatable,

What I saw of it, I thought they looked rusty as fuck from the week off, against a team who were not over their jet lag.

But I still thought they had enough to win. Losing one of the Savea's didn't help.

 

[Dave Beat]

Jamie Joseph had a monumental impact on that tittle.

 

[Quick Hands]

That final proves again that there's no need to change the laws to make rugby more interesting - you just need coaches/clubs/countries trying to play the game with positive intent.

 

[Moono75]

That final proves again that there's no need to change the laws to make rugby more interesting - you just need coaches/clubs/countries trying to play the game with positive intent.

Still a lot errors though....intent may have been there but in a lot of cases they pushed passes and turned balls over. It was a final and it showed. Teams tightened up big time.

 

[Teh Other Dave]

Still a lot errors though..intent may have been there but in a lot of cases they pushed passes and turned balls over. It was a final and it showed. Teams tightened up big time.

Most errors are already covered in the laws.

 

[light]

Thought the loss of A Savea was huge, they were totally outplayed up front.

Sopoaga would be on the plane to the RWC if I was a NZ selector, he's mercurial in a weird way and his boot has been superb all season. Barrett looks crocked.

 

[Slim 293]

And the Highlanders don't possess a single test player in their forward pack...........

 

[Marcelo]

Jamie Joseph had a monumental impact on that tittle.

Yeaaaahhh, I remember when he was the worst Super Rugby coach:

2011: 8th
2012: 9th
2013: 14th
2014: 6th

But now he is the rugby guru!

 

[terry j]

absolutely fantastic game of rugby to watch. I was praying for extra time, just so I could see more of it.

the kiwi teams this year have been hands down absolute entertainers. As much as it sticks in your throat to say it, imagine the drudge we would have seen if two aussie teams had played the final (which was on the cards-sort of-until very recently)

I hope the game in full appears on youtube somewhere. Not only can I savour it again, it will be a handy reference for when some moron claims union is a boring game.

"watch this you stupid mutherfucker and eat your words''

 

[Dan54]

I think we not only saw how well Joseph has welded this team as a unit, but I suspect after this season the stocks of one Tony Brown will have truly risen, I think he would take a lot of the credit with how Sopoaga and the Clan backline have operated. I agree about Sopoaga must be looking fairly close to a WC spot, although the team won't be picked on a couple of games he does look a good player this year (and the ability to hit the odd droppie could be handy). Gotta say I real impressed with how well Fekitoa went last night, he starting to play like a player with an old head on his shoulders!
Anyway here we are the morning after, and I still not TOO upset at the Canes losing, definitely didn't think they bombed it, just outplayed by a team that had the hunger a bit more! And I know I want to see more of those types of games.

 

[Dan54]

I would also add I though Naholo looked every inch an international player last night.

 

[SammyP]

Yeaaaahhh, I remember when he was the worst Super Rugby coach:

2011: 8th
2012: 9th
2013: 14th
2014: 6th

But now he is the rugby guru!

So there's still hope for Dick Graham then

 

[SammyP]

All I can say is Holy Shit, what a match. Its been a while since I've watched a Super Rugby final that exciting, the tempo of the game was just incredible.

Amazing to think that a number of the players there are not 1st in line for the AB's. Sopoaga, Dixon, Fekitoa, Milner-Skudder etc. All incredible players who (as far as I know) haven't been playing top level for more than a couple of years but would pretty much walk into any international team, except the All Blacks, where there is another great player ahead of them. The depth of talent they have over there is frightening.

Also was really impressed with how calm and confident Marty Banks was when he came on. He knew when not to go for the goal, backing himself and making good runs, then when the drop goal was on he nailed it.