Brumbies v Chiefs - R6 2016

[Slim 293]

What was the crowd?

According to the Crimes......... 12,896.

 

[2bluesfan]

I have good news & bad news. The good news is that, yes, you do. The bad news is that YES YOU DO!!! Sorry 'bout that, my inner Hambogan momentarily breached the perimeter... Oh & all four of wifey's Ham-resident girl cousins will be in the stands to jeer your boys/ cheer their boys on (& all four make me & their brother look like half-assed supporters lacking in vocal power & spittle production. Just sayin ).

I'll be there. Need to be able to say I was there when Damian McKenzie score 5 tries against the Blues

 

[Dismal Pillock]

It must be something that the academy's over there do differently than we do ?

highly technical. called "growing up chucking a ball around every lunchtime then after school eh."

 

[Pfitzy]

highly technical. called "growing up chucking a ball around every lunchtime then after school eh."

Combined with "massive pressure from a schools system that isn't more fractured than a pensioner's hip at a dodgy nursing home"

 

[galumay]

How long do u think it will be before Australia's skill set catches up with NZ? With oz changing up the pathways to give make it a cleaner transition from amateur to pro will we see achange in say 10 years ?
It must be something that the academy's over there do differently than we do ?i don't think nz has better players all round at school level . It's what they from school till pro level that separates them from us.

Interesting question, probably the subject for a thread of its own. IMO, and I have lived there and played rugby there, the school level is certainly where it starts and its at a better level, more schools playing rugby, more kids at each school playing, better coaching....

Then between school and the pro level is a much stronger and broader club competition which blitzes anything we have. ITM cup is a different world to NRC.

We also have too many Super franchises IMO, we simply dont have the depth to support 5 teams, should be maybe 3, Qld, NSW & the rest of Oz.

Until you live there its hard to appreciate how ingrained rugby is in the culture, how passionate the public are and how much it shapes the national identity.

We will always struggle with so many codes here, imagine if all those aerial ping pong players were queuing up to play rugby, plus 70% of the diet rugby players?

 

[cyclopath]

highly technical. called "growing up chucking a ball around every lunchtime then after school eh."

We used to do that but it kinda ended up like this.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

I'll be there. Need to be able to say I was there when Damian McKenzie score 5 tries against the Blues

I'd hook you up with the cousins but not sure you'd survive the post-match esp if it's back at their mum's place (it usually is) & her mate Deb turns up (she usually does: lives across the cul-de-sac & has ears like Dumbo, a nose that can detect alcohol at 999m & a boring-as-batshit partner) & it goes til dawn (two days later, on occasion). Fair warning & all that.......... PM me if you're still keen

 

[ACT Crusader]

Tomane has been the Brumbies best back for the past two weeks with about four touches of the ball all up...

The backline needs a good flogging.

Did To'omua go to the blood bin or have multiple concussion tests because I swear the only time he was sighted was at the restarts.....

The Brumbies had a real problem tonight (not the first time this season) in getting To'omua and Kurindrani involved in the attack in any meaningful way.

Some of the defensive alignment seemed way off and the Chiefs made you pay.

 

[cyclopath]

Did To'omua go to the blood bin or have multiple concussion tests because I swear the only time he was sighted was at the restarts...

The Brumbies had a real problem tonight (not the first time this season) in getting To'omua and Kurindrani involved in the attack in any meaningful way.

Some of the defensive alignment seemed way off and the Chiefs made you pay.

For the life of me I can't work out why Larkham cannot get more creativity from Leali'ifano, To'omua, Kuridrani, Tomane et al. They seem so bent on conservatism, it's painful. I really feel they should be testing defences far more. They're all talented players. I find it mystifying.

 

[Slim 293]

I can only recall a couple of backline highlights from the Brumbies, and one of those involved Fardy's dummy and run down the sideline.........

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Interesting question, probably the subject for a thread of its own. IMO, and I have lived there and played rugby there, the school level is certainly where it starts and its at a better level, more schools playing rugby, more kids at each school playing, better coaching..

Then between school and the pro level is a much stronger and broader club competition which blitzes anything we have. ITM cup is a different world to NRC.

We also have too many Super franchises IMO, we simply dont have the depth to support 5 teams, should be maybe 3, Qld, NSW & the rest of Oz.

Until you live there its hard to appreciate how ingrained rugby is in the culture, how passionate the public are and how much it shapes the national identity.

We will always struggle with so many codes here, imagine if all those aerial ping pong players were queuing up to play rugby, plus 70% of the diet rugby players?

I'm kinda hearing you but I think that like most non-kiwis you're overstating the case somewhat, much as an NSW-resident AFL fan or Vic-resident Loig fan might. Yes, rugby dominates the elite NZ sports scene but drill down a level or two & you'll find that "diveball" & touch football, which at least in NZ if not Australia is more Union than League, are at least more popular if not more populated.

Bottom line: we tend to think that what we see is all there is which ain't always the case.

 

[Quick Hands]

Yes, it was more the typical irony, you posted about their scrum issues so of course straight away they win a tight head!! Doh!

Thought the same thing myself.

 

[galumay]

Bottom line: we tend to think that what we see is all there is which ain't always the case.

True, and I guess because I am a rugby person its what i noticed most living in NZ. I probably didnt look too hard for kids playing dive ball & touch!

I would still reiterate that for Aussies that havent spent much time in NZ its hard to appreciate the passion and following that rugby has across the country. Not just at the elite level either, it permeates the culture from schoolboy rugby through club rugby Heartland and ITM Cup to Super Rugby and on to the AB's.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ and that's where you've nailed it in terms of it permeating the culture, locally if not generally. Don't know which part(s) of NZ you've resided in, there being pockets e.g. Huntly, Waitara, Wainuiomata where League is bigger than Union & others e.g. (allegedly) North Shore where diveball rules. But on the whole our game is to NZ what diveball is to the Euros, AFL to the Vics or Loig to the Jimboombian...........

 

[mudskipper]

For all the NZ blood rush gents, I dont think this was a good match to compare Aus v nz rugby... Brumbies just looked busted by their 3 week tour... Chiefs certainly showed theyll the real thing in this year... I liked the young fullback, sharp young talent he played well...

 

[Dismal Pillock]

For the life of me I can't work out why Larkham cannot get more creativity from Leali'ifano, To'omua, Kuridrani, Tomane et al. They seem so bent on conservatism, it's painful. I really feel they should be testing defences far more. They're all talented players. I find it mystifying.

Maybe it's a Brumbies "player power" thing. Larkham doesnt want player power now that he's not a player or on the other hand wants player power but the players are wary of player power because players who used player power become coaches who dont want player power look its late and this post has been poorly thought out so just move on to the next one below, it will be much better

 

[Brumby Runner]

Very disappointed for the Brumbies tonight.

Memo to all teams yet to play the Chiefs : do not kick the ball to them at any time throughout the game. If you do, you might as well just stand back and enjoy the display of speed, skill and precision that the rest of us spectators get to see.

 

[galumay]

...and here in Australia there are almost no 'pockets' where rugby dominates in terms of being the primary winter sport of support, discussion, player numbers...etc. Aerial Ping Pong has a much wider following than just Vic, its pervasive in Tas, SA, WA and the NT, and has a decent following in Qld & NSW. Loig has a very strong presence in NSW & Qld - but is also the second winter sport in NT and probably WA. Dive Ball & touch also have wide support and player bases. I dont know what % of Australian Schools have a decent rugby program but it would be tiny I reckon.

The wonder is that we are a tier 1 international team and to date have somehow managed to run 5 Super Rugby franchises - with a couple of them actually fairly competitive. Yet people continue to express wonderment that we cant get to the level of the ABs or the best of the NZ Super teams consistently.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

For all the NZ blood rush gents, I dont think this was a good match to compare Aus v nz rugby. Brumbies just looked busted by their 3 week tour....

Well, yeah, by comparison Tribe only flew Auckland to J'burg to Port Elzabeth & back then to São Paulo (that's in Brazil btw) to Buenos Aires, back to Auckland then to where we at again? Oh, yah, Canberra I think.......

 

[Marcelo]

What was the crowd?

I'm not sure, about 15k