Blues Vs Reds Super Rugby Round 10, 2012

[tranquility]

It has been mooted by Clarkey that Digby will return @ 13 this week.

 

[tigerland12]

Courier Mail said that Tapuai (obviously), Toua, A.Fainga'a (two more weeks) and Van Humphries (serious injury) are all out.

 

[redstragic]

We're going to have our full team back in August at this rate!! Diggers at 13 would be awesome. Liked him there a couple of years ago. Hopefully he is angry enough to run through concrete walls now.

 

[Brumbieman]

We're going to have our full team back in August at this rate!! Diggers at 13 would be awesome. Liked him there a couple of years ago. Hopefully he is angry enough to run through concrete walls now.

More likely to injure himself in the first 15mins trying to do too much....

 

[RedsHappy]

Taps 3 months out, collarbone requires surgery.

 

[Grandmaster Flash]

God damnit! (said in my best Walter Sobchak voice).

Thought Ant would be ready by now? How long is Saia out for?

 

[RedsHappy]

Piece re Harris commenting on his past re Blues etc + speculation that Ant might be bench material this Friday.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-23/harris-on-edge-for-eden-park-return/3967362?section=sport

 

[tranquility]

Ant would be the best Christmas present a man can hope for in April.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Ant would be the best Christmas present a man can hope for in April.

Each to his own, tranquil. I personally have no idea how amenable Ant would be to such an arrangement.
.

 

[tranquility]

Ha ha

Each to his own, tranquil. I personally have no idea how amenable Ant would be to such an arrangement.
.

Ha ha, perhaps I did let my Reds aspirations get ahead of me, but regardless of his feelings on the matter god it will be good to see him rolled out there again. I will be watching your TomCarter comments with a microscope looking for a slip-up in the coming weeks.

 

[emuarse]

So with the backs where all our injuries are occurring, its difficult to home in on a selection.
My crystal ball says:

9 Ginea
10 Lucas
11 Davies
12 Harris
13 Ioane
14 Shipperley
15 Morahan

Reserves

21 Frisby
22 ?????*

* Who isn't injured? A. Fainga'a, if he is nearly OK, can't be on the bench for the simple reason that even the bench backs are getting near full games such is the plight of our injury toll.
I can see a 5/2 forwards/backs ratio again this week for the simple reason we don't have any spare backs.
Morahan played terribly last week. Was it himself who tried the kick from inside his 22 metre line just before full time?

 

[redstragic]

Each to his own, tranquil. I personally have no idea how amenable Ant would be to such an arrangement.
.

Are you picturing yourself unwrapping him from brightly covered paper then getting the guilts because part of you sees the possible moral dilemma that Ant being given to you as a present could be construed as you getting slave?

I'm not, no no, really I'm not.

Have to agree though, we have really missed both of them this year. Beau has missed them most of all I reckon.

 

[RedsHappy]

Just talking Morahan...like a number of our players in 2012, he's been consistently mediocre to poor almost every game. Nothing improves. We see the same (serious) deficiencies every week. I just wonder how the coaches are assisting these obvious under performers, whether the issue is confidence, or whether they have had a career peak in the past that may now never return?

With a young champion squad in 2011, we'd rightly expect a bevy of improving players in 2012, especially those that didn't have a heavy Wallaby season. But that hasn't happened to the extent reasonably expected. And numerous players have gone backwards, or at best stayed still. One of the major reasons the team is underperforming.

Who are our 2012 notable improvers, not just little moments, but consistently this season. I'd say: Shipperley, Higgers definitely. Chibba maybe. Is that it, out of 30 odd?

 

[redstragic]

Slipper and Daley have improved their scrummaging. I can,t remember getting a real lesson that department?? I did not watch the SA games though.

 

[Bullrush]

I didn't get to see the whole Blues/Higlanders game but the scrum has been maybe the one thing that has gone well for the Blues this year. The return of Woodcock was massive for them here.

Not sure if Wulf is back for this game but he's been playing well as has Ranger since his return. I like the two of them on the wings - just so sad that Toeava isn't there as well.

Given the form of these two teams, it's a bloody hard one to pick but I think the Blues will finally get up. They have to. Please God.

 

[Scoey]

Would Diggers be better started at his favoured position of 11? Joel Rapana played really well at 13 a few weeks back (vs Bulls? or Force? maybe). Is he injured or just not as good as I remember?

Digby 11, Rapana 13 for Taps, Lucas to 10 for Lane and Davies to the bench?

 

[Troy]

Accoring to the injury list - Ant and AWH are due back this round. If they did come back they'd start from the bench, but it would be damn good to have them back!

 

[Scotty]

Just talking Morahan...like a number of our players in 2012, he's been consistently mediocre to poor almost every game. Nothing improves. We see the same (serious) deficiencies every week. I just wonder how the coaches are assisting these obvious under performers, whether the issue is confidence, or whether they have had a career peak in the past that may now never return?

With a young champion squad in 2011, we'd rightly expect a bevy of improving players in 2012, especially those that didn't have a heavy Wallaby season. But that hasn't happened to the extent reasonably expected. And numerous players have gone backwards, or at best stayed still. One of the major reasons the team is underperforming.

Who are our 2012 notable improvers, not just little moments, but consistently this season. I'd say: Shipperley, Higgers definitely. Chibba maybe. Is that it, out of 30 odd?

Morahan is 21, I hope he hasn't had a career peak just yet!

I would postulate that it is difficult for younger players to keep consistency of performance when the decision makers around them are constantly changing. Not to mention their positions are often changing as well.

Agree with our notable improvers on your list, and would add Gill and Holmes. Others have gone down, others have stayed the same. A lot haven't had the chance because of injuries. I expect we would be adding Lucas to the list if he hadn't been injured, and possibly even Harris.

 

[Paddysboy]

I just hope Harris is ready for Ma'a; that Digby plays 13 to keep Rene under control; and that Davies realises it's ok to at least try and catch a pass even if it isn't delivered perfectly into his bread basket.........

 

[RedsHappy]

Morahan is 21, I hope he hasn't had a career peak just yet!

I would postulate that it is difficult for younger players to keep consistency of performance when the decision makers around them are constantly changing. Not to mention their positions are often changing as well.

Agree with our notable improvers on your list, and would add Gill and Holmes. Others have gone down, others have stayed the same. A lot haven't had the chance because of injuries. I expect we would be adding Lucas to the list if he hadn't been injured, and possibly even Harris.

Scotty. Re L Gill: you may be right, but we was pretty damn good late in 2011's season. Remember v Chiefs away, in the wet. He's been as good this year, agree, better?, not sure. As you mention, hard to say re Lucas, we was for me merely OK vs the Stormers, but give him the doubt benefit as we was off for so long before. Harris: even allowing for his injury period, I don't think he's exceeded his 2011 performances and he's started to do silly, agitated things like kick early in the game as we near the oppo's line but do it poorly so a charge down results and possession and attacking position is risked at a crucial moment , he's not looked 'an improver' for mine. Even his place kicking seems to have fallen off a bit in his more recent games.