Force v Blues - 2011R04

[AngrySeahorse]

Wtf!?

 

[louie]

how was that not a yellow card for the blues halfback in the first half?

Force are becoming a joy to watch. such passion.

Aafi and Fairbanks are killing it.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Who did the steal from the force to get the ball back? That was good work whoever did it. Shit! Just saw JOC (James O'Connor) do a nice swan dive into the ground.

 

[louie]

force robbed at the end. could have gone either way.

Force really deserved that

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Very lucky Blues, very unlucky force. Feel for the force and their fans - they deserved that win.

PS. Can someone tell me what the penalty was for?

 

[Spewn]

Sealing off my arse.

 

[louie]

players going of the their feet to protect ball. Sealing it or killing the ruck. Was the right call.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Poor Nathan Sharpe. I can feel the pain in that post game interview. I'll have to see that penalty later when they replay the game. Top game though.

 

[louie]

The turning point was at the 70th min when the force made the decision to go for the pen goal from 50 odd out. they should have taken the line out and camped in the blues.

 

[barbarian]

I don't know. It certainly wasn't as obvious a penalty as the one for the Wallabies at Loftus. Probably a penalty, but he was letting them go all night. A fucking huge call though. Not Kaplan huge, but huge nonetheless.

Fuck the Force played well though. JOC (James O'Connor), Cowan, Brown, Hodgson, Smith, Sharpe, Wykes, McCalman all huge. Reamed the Blues in the forwards, it was the backs that kept the Blues in it.

 

[cyclopath]

players going of the their feet to protect ball. Sealing it or killing the ruck. Was the right call.

They did do it, so fair call, and he pinged the Blues for similar just before. This is an area of very inconsistent officiating within games, rather than from ref to ref, but should be more closely watched, I think.

 

[topo]

I don't know. It certainly wasn't as obvious a penalty as the one for the Wallabies at Loftus. Probably a penalty, but he was letting them go all night. A fucking huge call though. Not Kaplan huge, but huge nonetheless.

Fuck the Force played well though. JOC (James O'Connor), Cowan, Brown, Hodgson, Smith, Sharpe, Wykes, McCalman all huge. Reamed the Blues in the forwards, it was the backs that kept the Blues in it.

I don't know about "reamed the Blues in the forwards". I think the Blues aggressive counter rucking kept them in the game and the Blues dropped ball kept the Force in the game. Good to watch, though, and there was certainly no gentleman's agreement at the breakdown.

 

[Spewn]

players going of the their feet to protect ball. Sealing it or killing the ruck. Was the right call.

Sure. But it's not meant to happen like that. I cannot recall a single instance when the ABs have been penalized for sealing off when they have tried to close down a match 4-5 minutes out like that. Australian sides don't seem to do it well.

 

[louie]

I don't know. It certainly wasn't as obvious a penalty as the one for the Wallabies at Loftus. Probably a penalty, but he was letting them go all night. A fucking huge call though. Not Kaplan huge, but huge nonetheless.

Fuck the Force played well though. JOC (James O'Connor), Cowan, Brown, Hodgson, Smith, Sharpe, Wykes, McCalman all huge. Reamed the Blues in the forwards, it was the backs that kept the Blues in it.

huge call but correct technically.

I'd had Mafi and Fairbanks to that list. Also hats of to Richard Graham Building a team on solid defense and hardwork. This team could really be strong come end of the year.

 

[louie]

Sure. But it's not meant to happen like that. I cannot recall a single instance when the ABs have been penalized for sealing off when they have tried to close down a match 4-5 minutes out like that. Australian sides don't seem to do it well.

NZ sides tend to do it in contact. So they can argue "I just feel over. It's a contact sport" etc. There wasn't really any blues contesting and the forces players went straight down. You need to stay on your feet or be seen to attempt to.

 

[Spewn]

Yes. So passive when Oz teams try to do it. I'd prefer they play as they had before. It's as if they ate scared of winning.

 

[Shiggins]

Well was at the game. Don't know what the card was for. Seamed too deserve the 4 points.


Go the force!!!!

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Proud of the way the boys fronted up tonight. I thought the Blues would be far too strong and at times they looked like they were going to break the game wide open. But credit to the Force just bashed them in defence and in the forwards and maintained good line speed. We even managed to break their line a few times. With a bit more composure we could have won that game.

 

[Bullrush]

Sure. But it's not meant to happen like that. I cannot recall a single instance when the ABs have been penalized for sealing off when they have tried to close down a match 4-5 minutes out like that. Australian sides don't seem to do it well.

Ummmm......remember that 'historic' win at altitude last year for the Wallabies??

I know it's not the ABs but pretty bloody close.......

 

[Reddy!]

I think the Force are in a great position for the future. There is a lot of upside to being a Force fan.

Whoever coaches the Force can pretty much build a team around O'Connor and Pocock for the next 10 years.