QF1 2012 - Reds vs Sharks

[Forcefield]

Is he eligible for Ireland on the basis that he looks like a Leprechaun?

 

[TOCC]

What was Link thinking?? Genia to 10 after you tried that in the same fucking game earlier in the season and it failed miserably? Why did you start Saia Fainga'a who is just terrible, a really dumb rugby player - he should've been hooked much earlier.

QWERTY i think your criticism of some players is a little over the top

 

[sportsfanatic]

Great win by the Sharks today!

Saders to good for the Bulls in Christchurch - don't think any side would have beaten them today!

Next week:

Stormers vs Sharks in Cape Town
Chiefs vs Saders in Hamilton

At least we guaranteed 1 South African team and 1 New Zealand team in the final!

Go Sharks!!

 

[qwerty51]

QWERTY i think your criticism of some players is a little over the top

But but Saia Fainga'a.

 

[Athilnaur]

No doubt Sharks were the better team, Reds played a shocker first 30 and Sharks grew and grew.

Kaplan was awful (again) and I wonder how the game would have gone under Joubers, it might have been poor form but Genia had a point, it could have been a different game. But it wasn't Joubers and that is rugby.

Sharks played a great game, and have been looking dangerous for weeks, Stormers are in for a ride.

 

[kiwi_rugby_fan]

Well done on selectively quoting me. Maybe you could have read the other posts where I congratulated the Sharks and said they were the better team.

A word of warning: if you are just here to troll, you will not be here long, especially with that user name. You might want to contribute a little more next time.

Sorry dude, didn't mean to single you out, after reading all the dribble before your post I thought it time to respond. You just got lucky I guess...lol

It was a good game despite the ref who missed much for both sides. My comment on Simons is based on watching him during games and being annoyed at his creating gaps for attack from the wrong side of the ruck. Is about time he got carded!!!!!!!

 

[Slim 293]

Maybe whoever wrote the post-match article on the front page should've waited for the emotions to settle down?

Pretty disappointing stuff.......

 

[Penguin]

I generally think Genia is overrated because he has way too many average games for his world class calibre, but he's on fire again tonight.

I generally think that Kiwi trolls are overrated because they can never give credit when it's due with way too many average comments on forums worldwide, especially if it's to an Australian. And they are all out in force tonight.

 

[MrTimms]

Maybe whoever wrote the post-match article on the front page should've waited for the emotions to settle down?

Pretty disappointing stuff...

Maybe, but the point of the Instant Review is it is supposed to be when it is happening. The cold light of day stuff comes in the later analysis.

I have replied on the front page to give some perspective, but will quote it here.

Well, Having had some time to think this one over and re-read I have a couple of things to add.
Posts like the above are written literally “As it happens”. When I am writing about a try or a referee decision it is written when that try or decision is happening. It’s taking into account the crowd reaction, what I am hearing over the refs mic, what I am seeing live, there is no after thought. Quite often the mood of what is being said changes as the flow of the game goes on. Sadly, that sometimes means I am being a bit like a Marto or a Kearns and let some personal feelings into it, sorry, I am human and experiencing it just like everyone else.
On this post:
1. The Sharks were awesome. They were up for it and physically and mentally were never going to let this one go. I didn’t give them nearly enough credit above.
2. Listening to the Refs mic, it was blatantly obvious that Kaplan was not having a great game. the language and manner were completely different depending which teams players he was talking too. He also gave more than one final warning to the Sharks for infringements at the ruck. Yet they continued to infringe without sanction ruck after ruck. Do I think he altered the result? No. The Reds were not as up for this game as the Sharks. The Sharks were better and more physically dominant, which makes their decision to constantly infringe, and the lack of sanction for it, all the more baffling. It just could have been better.
Hope that helps and I understand the criticism. I am not a ref basher by nature, but this performance really got to me. I am probably more disappointed in SANZAR that their appointments let it happen. Given there were only two games this weekend, surely they could have been smarter with their appointments.

 

[Dan54]

Was at game and felt the Reds seemed to be playing like they had only to turn up to win, there certainly appeared no desperation to get to breakdowns. I suspect it may of shown the true relative strengths of both teams, with perhaps the Reds looking better than they were by beating a very poor Tahs team last week.

 

[tragic]

God this pc well done boys don't criticise the ref or someone will call you as a bad sport bullshit irks me.
Yes the sharks deservedly won and were the better team on the night.
Doesn't mean kaplan shouldn't be called for another atrocious performance. He was dropped from the elite refereeing panel for a reason and his howlers this year have had too much influence on the games he officiates.
His inability to stamp out the deliberate and cynical fouls and poor use of the TMO in last nights game made it a much poorer spectacle and did nothing to increase the appeal of our game to the masses.
Why lamenting this fact has to repeatedly invoke the knee jerk response of "sore losers blah blah blah" is beyond me.

 

[Penguin]

Next week: Stormers v Sharks and Chiefs v Saders.

Go Sharks! Go Chiefs!

 

[Jiggles]

God this pc well done boys don't criticise the ref or someone will call you as a bad sport bullshit irks me.
Yes the sharks deservedly won and were the better team on the night.
Doesn't mean kaplan shouldn't be called for another atrocious performance. He was dropped from the elite refereeing panel for a reason and his howlers this year have had too much influence on the games he officiates.
His inability to stamp out the deliberate and cynical fouls and poor use of the TMO in last nights game made it a much poorer spectacle and did nothing to increase the appeal of our game to the masses.
Why lamenting this fact has to repeatedly invoke the knee jerk response of "sore losers blah blah blah" is beyond me.

I wonder if we can pull a South African and get Kaplan banned from Australia?

 

[vidiot]

The reds will be well aware that they lost because of their own performance and because of the superb work of the Sharks, not because of Kaplan.

They made error after error, especially spilling the ball.

The sharks pack was fantastic, 5-8 were brutal, then you have Bismarck. The reds could maybe have gone with them if they'd stayed composed, which bizarrely is what Cooper can give them. Sometimes!

Instead, they gave possession away constantly and started chasing the game 20 mins in - just crazy. When they settled in the second half they at least started playing at the right end of the field and threatening the Sharks line, but it was pretty much gone by then.

I still can't understand the Genia to flyhalf move, and I think Frisby is actually quite promising at 9. Genia-Harris-Taps is a functional set of inside backs that can play the rugby to build back into the game.

I guess Genia does give you some of the width (passing) to keep playing the same way as they do with Cooper and Lucas, whereas Harris does not.

 

[wamberal]

It looked to me as though the Reds thought that yesterday's game was a formality. They did not show the passion that finals football demands.

As others have said, I too wonder why on earth Genia was switched to 10. I would have moved Harris to 10, Tapuai to 12.


Another disappointment to me was the outside backs, in particular Digby.


They just looked clueless for most of the game. This might bring the Link fan club back to earth a bit.

 

[Merrow]

Watching the Reds last night was somewhat like watching the Brumbies the week before...they didn't turn up to play.

 

[Dan54]

Watching the Reds last night was somewhat like watching the Brumbies the week before.they didn't turn up to play.

Do you think Merrow that it is a coincidence that both teams had beaten the Tahs the week before and perhaps then thought they were better than they were? And also it maybe a little justice, so noone can moan about 6th team having home final any longer!
You do realise that Deans maybe quite happy, he will be able to get all Wallabies rested and together early, so always look to bright side.

 

[What2040]

Firstly congrats to the Sharks - their defence was absolutely awesome and the win deserved.
IMO
1. Kaplan was disgraceful. No yellow when should have been + other bad decisions.
2. Reds fans entitled to boo the Ref when he does a shit job. Just because he is the Ref does not or should not insulate him from the only criticisnm a crowd can give;
3. Wallace Harrison and Slipper were huge and a lot of the others were pretty average on the night;
4. Genia remains a good 9 but absolutely a shit 10;
5. Digby is so predictable;
6 The grunt of Horwill and "x" of Cooper sorely missed;
7. Lucas, to me, is now "officially" injury prone - it just seems like he rarely gets thru a match unscathed.

At the end of the day, the Reds had a successful season by at least making the finals, maintaining great and continuing support from their fans and retaining their squad (except for Higgers) for 2013. It appears that the Reds have created "something" that will keep them in the top half of the competition for several years.

 

[biggsy]

At least genai didn't get a 9month leg injury playing the Reds jinxed number 10

 

[vismyr]

Congrats to the Sharks and the 'Saders -- both teams outmuscled and out hustled their opponents and were both well deserved winners. In the end, both games as spectacles were disappointing because both were won in the first half. Really looking forward to the Chiefs/Crusaders replay on Fri night...the match they played a few weeks ago was of test match calibre and definitely one of the best games played all season. Hope the Sharks can get up over the Stormers!