Chiefs v Rebels Rd 9 2014

[kabbear]

I would like to see Burgess start and Stirzy off the bench

 

[Hawko]

I thought Pulu got the start last week to give TKB a rest (Chiefs are very into resting players and squad rotation). But TKB is off the bench for the second week in a row so clearly the Chiefs dropped TKB behind Pulu. Now Pulu's OK but on his form this year TKB was looking very good. Not sure I read it the same way the Chiefs coaches are, but then I'm only a keyboard expert.

I think this is a banana skin game for the Chiefs. If they don't front up and if they let the Rebels get on a roll, then it will get pretty ugly for them. They've got a few very hard games in front of them.

 

[qwerty51]

The Rebels pack is as good as the Chiefs one for this game. Macintosh, Thompson, Tameifuna and Fitzgerald have been very poor the last 3 games.

 

[Forcefield]

I reckon they will get rattled by the Chiefs. I'd love it if they did get a win though- teams always play really well the week after they get rattled and we face them next.

 

[qwerty51]

I find it really hard to fathom why Messam is on the bench. Firstly Kane Thomson was pretty awful against the Bulls and he was yanked after 50 minutes, now Cruden is gone who has played nearly every minute since his debut in 2012. Where's the leadership for a side that hasn't won in 3 games and has had periods in all 3 where they looked disinterested? Retallick is only 22 and doesn't look like a talker. Get them Rebels.

 

[swingpass]

here's hoping the better rebels turn up. like many Rebs games this could be close or even an upset win to the visitors, its not beyond them BUT the Rebs have traditionally had great problems containing NZ sides which play a wider more unstructured game, eg Chiefs, Hurricanes and some earlier versions of the Clan. last week there were gigantic spaces out wide and the Chiefs will exploit them better than the Highlanders did.

as usual i am hopeful but not expectant

 

[Lee Grant]

I think this is a banana skin game for the Chiefs. If they don't front up and if they let the Rebels get on a roll, then it will get pretty ugly for them. They've got a few very hard games in front of them.

Yeah, it certainly is because they haven't been looking like two-time champions and were patchy from one half to the other in the RSA games and couldn't get a try in Perth.

They should have done better than getting 7 points against the level of the three opponents they played on tour. It doesn't boggle the imagination to suppose that they were lucky to get 4 of the 6 points they earned in South Africa.

And, don't forget that this year the number of wins a team gets in the competition is the first tie-breaker when a team ends up level with other teams on the ladder after the pool games are over.

This and other matters are mentioned in my preview blog of the game here:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/preview-chiefs-v-rebels/
.

 

[Scythe]

Email just went out:




It's a relief Hegarty pulled up OK. Bit surprised Kingtston keeps getting benched too.

I have a feeling there is more to this story ...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ballboy]

in contrast to kabbear above i reckon Burgess off the bench from stirzy works well , he came on the other day and made a big impact where i do not see that when he starts . Huge Pyle IMO is the improving player in the pack , i am Jones biggest fan but Pyle is starting to put it in , great if they hit form together ,,

 

[Bairdy]

I find it really hard to fathom why Messam is on the bench. Firstly Kane Thomson was pretty awful against the Bulls and he was yanked after 50 minutes, now Cruden is gone who has played nearly every minute since his debut in 2012. Where's the leadership for a side that hasn't won in 3 games and has had periods in all 3 where they looked disinterested? Retallick is only 22 and doesn't look like a talker. Get them Rebels.

Because of this post, I put $15 on the Rebels ha. Hard not to when the odds are $5.6 for them to win.

 

[Highlander35]

Chiefs Players taking out defenders around the ruck.

Don't get me wrong, they're deservedly on top, they've been real good. But that annoys me because it seems deliberate.

 

[qwerty51]

Referee has literally blown the pea out of the whistle. That'll do me.

 

[teach]

Rebels will need to start firing soon or this could be a slaughter.

 

[Highlander35]

Look good with ball in hand, but everything else is more than a little farked.

 

[boyo]

Referee has literally blown the pea out of the whistle. That'll do me.

A ref' should always have a spare whistle during a match.

 

[oztimmay]

So this is what a scrum looks like when the have 60+ kg on you. Shit it's mean. The chiefs have us at the breakdown. We seem to get some good counters going. Poor ruck discipline has cost us 12 points easily.

 

[Highlander35]

SHOTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[oztimmay]

What a shota. What a set up by engo

 

[Highlander35]

Well done by Hegarty there. Thought that spelled death.

 

[Highlander35]

FFS Higgers. 4/7 of our penalties. Plus a card.