Hurricanes V Brumbies Semi-Final, Sat 27th June

[qwerty51]

This will all come down to who kicks better out of Barrett and Lealiifano I reckon. If there's any wind it could be an issue with Lealiifano's curve in his kick.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

According to PlanetRugby the 'canes have scored more last-quarter tries than anyone else in the comp, kinda reinforcing my gut feeling that the Brums will need to be well on top after the first 40 or they'll get run down in the second..................... 'canes by 7-12.

 

[mudskipper]

Frankly I hope tge canrs try and get the vall to him all day it will be their undoing... Wingers dont win matches just finish.... Barrett isnt 100% and the brumbies loosies know it...

 

[KOB1987]

Frankly I hope tge canrs try and get the vall to him all day it will be their undoing. Wingers dont win matches just finish.. Barrett isnt 100% and the brumbies loosies know it.

OK..which bar you at?

 

[mudskipper]

OK..which bar you at?

The high bar...

 

[Marcelo]

Less than 400 tickets still available according the Westpac Twitter account

I'm pretty confident about this game.

The Canes haven't beaten us for four years, we don't have a hoodoo with them, unlike the Crusaders.

They haven't played finals footy before, and in front of a full house will be under a lot of pressure, and very few squad members with the experience of finals footy to know how to handle that.

We've come back from SA, sure, but we have a MUCH stronger bench than we did in in the final against the Chiefs and having done it once before the players will be a bit more composed this time.

Our set piece is better than the Canes and we have the style of game that will stop them; beat the shit out of their ball runners, dominate the set piece, make a mess of the breakdown and not allow the game to break down into a free for all.

Barret is coming back from injury and has a knee very heavily strapped, NMK battling a hamstring injury. I'll bet Bernie has had various people training all week how to run certain angles that will force each player to use the dodgy leg and see what happens.

Brumbies by 5.

I hope you're right after the game

 

[Groucho]

You can get $4 for the Brumbies now shopping around. Still unders I reckon but there is some confidence in this thread.

There's no way $4 is correct odds. The Hurricanes are rightfully favourites but I'm having some of that.

 

[Benaud]

There's no way $4 is correct odds. The Hurricanes are rightfully favourites but I'm having some of that.

4.60 now. Should get $5 by kick off. Market always comes to its senses eventually. No-one wins away in NZ in finals, much less a team that's just flown to South Africa and back.

 

[mst]

IMHO the breakdown pressure may be the key to this game. With Glen "freeforall" Jackson and his magic random whistle on hand I think both teams will be all over it like snot!

The Scrums will be a messy affair as Jackson apparently still is working from his circa 1985 "spotters armchair guide to scrumminging" as the working manual.

The other key element - the game of nerves.

Will the Ponies keep the defensive wall intact under relentless pressure from the Canes bombing runs, and inbetween Canes raids be brave enough to venture out of their trenches to raid the Canes try-line?

For the Canes its high risk high reward, but that knife edge cuts both ways so how far do you push it? The Canes will have to push it more than they have all season against the best defence in the comp, and the horror of turn overs and pilfers is ready to haunt them if they push it too far.

 

[Benaud]

Brumbies $5 now. Almost double their opening price. Reckon we'll see $6 by kickoff?

Price is getting more realistic but if the plunge continues and we see 7 or 8 bucks, Brumbies might actually be worth a nibble.

A few posters here have given valid reasons why it's not impossible. I struggle to look past NZ home records in finals where they haven't lost a single game this millennium and have never lost to a non-NZ side. This is over 30+ games. Then when you consider the Canes are the best team by miles this year and the Brumbies have just made the return trip from South Africa and lost one of their best players, the ask seems a few bridges too far.

But nerves are funny things and the Canes haven't been here in a while. Who knows? One hour to go...

 

[galumay]

.....

But nerves are funny things and the Canes haven't been here in a while. Who knows? One hour to go.

I agree, its a big ask for the Ponies to get up in this game, history is against them, the travel schedule is against them and the clear number 1 team of the season is against them.

I cant see them being able to put enough points on the scoreboard to overcome the Canes, but stranger things have happened.

I hope its a good game either way, good luck to the Ponies supporters!

 

[ACR]

ermagod!! 15 mins to go. exciting.

 

[Upthenuts]

Go hard Canes boys!

 

[Inside Shoulder]

So we're going to get the worst NZ referee refereeing home town:

1. No release from Nonu;
2. Franks outclassed.

FFS.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Franks 1-0 Sio & draws the penalty, Beaugan doesn't look 100% but should get this........... hits the post & goes dead, Brums 22 restart.

If some've those 'canes passes start going to hand Brums are gonna be in a world of hurt.......

Franks 1-1 Sio, relieving PK goes all of 5m..........

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Now they've got the wrong pass as forward

 

[Riptide]

Tremendous pace and quality in this game. What a start

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Unless the Brums start making their first up tackles Jackson's incompetence won't decide this one.

 

[TahDan]

Brumbies getting drilled in the collisions. Inside is 100% right, if they keep getting bounced off every tackle attempt, they'll lose by at least 30


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Strewthcobber]

Hurricanes threatening to rip this apart at the moment. The half breaks and support play is first class