Rd 9: Auckland Blues v ACT Brumbies, Sat, April 20 2024

[wamberal99]

Mmm. When the rolling maul no longer wins them games, they don't seem to have any other ammunition.

 

[wamberal99]

I'm watching the replay. The first half was a slaughter. Should I continue watching the game?

Fast forward maybe. It's pretty gruesome.

 

[stillmissit]

An absolute shellacking. I was very confident the Blues would win but that easily is just unacceptable. Still, 77% possession to the blues in the first half, was it? and the second looked to be very similar. Difficult to put up a good showing with such little ball, and to make it worse, possession was turned over on first phase so many times through errors or poor kicks.

One lesson that shouldn't need to be emphasised, but take the points when they're on offer, especially early in the game.

A few very poor efforts, notably by Lonergan (worst game ever that I've seen him play), Neville (more dropped ball than held - even in the lineout FFS), and Noah (can kiss his ambitions for Wallaby No 10 goodbye). The rest weren't bad, just the flow of the game went terribly against them.

I think you may be right about Noah, I noticed the same thing in Rennie's time if it got hard he struggled to stand up. He has a lot of skill but you find out the worth of a player when isn't going to plan - particularly a 10.
I thought the same thing about Lonergan which is a pity as his goal kicking would be handy.
Wright and Valetini didn't stand out in a game where they were needed.

On the plus side I thought Cale went OK against a tough backrow and Reimer when he came on.
They need Ikitau back and AAA to stabilise the team in tough matches.

​

 

[Marce]

Fast forward maybe. It's pretty gruesome.

Yeah. I'm watching the Force now and then some Mungoball lol

 

[stillmissit]

Easy to rinse the 9 when his pack is getting absolutely minced in front of him

True but it wasn't the pack who made those stuff ups at the back. Not sure anyone came out of that game with their reputations intact. There is going to be some tough rugby over the next 2 seasons and Schmidt will be concerned about that effort from our best Super Rugby team.

 

[wamberal99]

True but it wasn't the pack who made those stuff ups at the back. Not sure anyone came out of that game with their reputations intact. There is going to be some tough rugby over the next 2 seasons and Schmidt will be concerned about that effort from our best Super Rugby team.

Wright wasn't bad.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Mmm. When the rolling maul no longer wins them games, they don't seem to have any other ammunition.

LOL.

 

[mst]

Brumbies supporters very quiet on here!

Always hard for some when you have a guy who is Club great as a player, but a mediocre coach who has never been successful appointed on reputation over results who is slowly dragging a good team that he inherited down.

Its deja vu with some of it as well with the poor captaincy issue. We went through this when Larkham appointed Sam Carter and many of the players weren't happy. Players that are liked but really should not be captains.

 

[griffins]

I think you may be right about Noah, I noticed the same thing in Rennie's time if it got hard he struggled to stand up. He has a lot of skill but you find out the worth of a player when isn't going to plan - particularly a 10.
I thought the same thing about Lonergan which is a pity as his goal kicking would be handy.
Wright and Valetini didn't stand out in a game where they were needed.

On the plus side I thought Cale went OK against a tough backrow and Reimer when he came on.
They need Ikitau back and AAA to stabilise the team in tough matches.

​

Not sure what more you could ask for out of that from Wright and Valetini. Valetini was the only one making dent in their ball carriers and I've mentioned Wright in a previous comment.

Thought Cale the best of a bunch that included Swain and Pollard who worked their guts out but were fairly ineffective. Some good work wide out from Cale, off one good piece of vision from Swain in the first half in particular, but no match for their big carriers. Agree on Reimer though, he's playing bigger this year.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Not sure what more you could ask for out of that from Wright and Valetini. Valetini was the only one making dent in their ball carriers and I've mentioned Wright in a previous comment.

Thought Cale the best of a bunch that included Swain and Pollard who worked their guts out but were fairly ineffective. Some good work wide out from Cale, off one good piece of vision from Swain in the first half in particular, but no match for their big carriers. Agree on Reimer though, he's playing bigger this year.

Agree with all of that, even on Reimer who I previously thought was a bit iffy in defence, but is playing good rugby this year.

I think there will be a couple of changes for the Canes game. It probably won't happen, but I'd go with Goddard and Meredith to start at 9 and 10. Neville is currently the weakest of our locks, so back to the bench or out. If Allan A is available, I'd start Kautai at THP with Allan on the bench. I'd be tempted to also start Schoupp at LHP and give Slipper a bit of a rest off the bench.

So, something like Schoupp, Pollard, Kautai, Swain, Frost, Valetini, Reimer, Cale, Goddard, Meredith, Toole, Tua, Creighton, Sapsford, Wright, with a bench of McInerney, Slipper, AAA, Hooper, Brown, Thorn, Debreczini, Ikitau (if available - otherwise Lolesio)

Too many changes I can agree, and probably counter productive to replace both Lonergan and Lolesio altogether, but they both need a serious shake up imo.

 

[griffins]

Agree with all of that, even on Reimer who I previously thought was a bit iffy in defence, but is playing good rugby this year.

I think there will be a couple of changes for the Canes game. It probably won't happen, but I'd go with Goddard and Meredith to start at 9 and 10. Neville is currently the weakest of our locks, so back to the bench or out. If Allan A is available, I'd start Kautai at THP with Allan on the bench. I'd be tempted to also start Schoupp at LHP and give Slipper a bit of a rest off the bench.

So, something like Schoupp, Pollard, Kautai, Swain, Frost, Valetini, Reimer, Cale, Goddard, Meredith, Toole, Tua, Creighton, Sapsford, Wright, with a bench of McInerney, Slipper, AAA, Hooper, Brown, Thorn, Debreczini, Ikitau (if available - otherwise Lolesio)

Too many changes I can agree, and probably counter productive to replace both Lonergan and Lolesio altogether, but they both need a serious shake up imo.

I agree Lonergan has been off his game but I'd stick with him as he's clearly the best we have. Goddard looks like a very good club player to me, with slow service and dodgy decision making (gaps that open for him at Shute level are firmly shut at this level). Thorn would be the go if you really wanted to shake it up. Similarly I want to see more of Meredith at 10 but I'm not sure a baptism against the hottest team in the comp (and most physical) is the time for it.

 

[Tomikin]

Mmm. When the rolling maul no longer wins them games, they don't seem to have any other ammunition.

Is that how they ended up 3rd on the ladder? What a shit take.. they have scored a lot of tries, not from mauls..

 

[TSR]

There's not many of us. Bigger surprise to me is the lack of Reds fans coming to rub salt...

Given the complete lack of Reds supporters doing that I assume you were launching a pre-emptive strike???

 

[griffins]

Given the complete lack of Reds supporters doing that I assume you were launching a pre-emptive strike???

As I said I was surprised

 

[Yoda]

Agree with all of that, even on Reimer who I previously thought was a bit iffy in defence, but is playing good rugby this year.

I think there will be a couple of changes for the Canes game. It probably won't happen, but I'd go with Goddard and Meredith to start at 9 and 10. Neville is currently the weakest of our locks, so back to the bench or out. If Allan A is available, I'd start Kautai at THP with Allan on the bench. I'd be tempted to also start Schoupp at LHP and give Slipper a bit of a rest off the bench.

So, something like Schoupp, Pollard, Kautai, Swain, Frost, Valetini, Reimer, Cale, Goddard, Meredith, Toole, Tua, Creighton, Sapsford, Wright, with a bench of McInerney, Slipper, AAA, Hooper, Brown, Thorn, Debreczini, Ikitau (if available - otherwise Lolesio)

Too many changes I can agree, and probably counter productive to replace both Lonergan and Lolesio altogether, but they both need a serious shake up imo.

Haven’t seen much of Meredith but definitely rate Goddard. All the talk of Lonergan as a Wallaby… it’s still White and Tate for me…… J Gordon too has lifted this year…. Only one game I guess against a quality side but the Brumbies aren’t slouches with plenty of Wallabies…. Apart from Lolesio’s goal kicking he is definitely behind C Gordon and Donaldson imho.

 

[wamberal99]

Is that how they ended up 3rd on the ladder? What a shit take.. they have scored a lot of tries, not from mauls..

Come in spinner!!!

 

[KOB1987]

Yeah look I'm always happy to see Brumbies supporters come back to earth but I'm first and foremost a Wallabies supporter. So when they need to brought back to earth I want it to be against an Aussie side. Brumbies are better than that, there were some shit individual performances for sure, but they'll come back with some bite.

 

[Tomikin]

Come in spinner!!!

Ok???

 

[Tomikin]

Yeah look I'm always happy to see Brumbies supporters come back to earth but I'm first and foremost a Wallabies supporter. So when they need to brought back to earth I want it to be against an Aussie side. Brumbies are better than that, there were some shit individual performances for sure, but they'll come back with some bite.

Did anyone actually think we would win in Auckland.. I had hoped but it wasn't like we were crowing or anything.. I did not think it be a total shit show though.

We have a good record against the canes in Canberra, so hopefully we get up... Anzac game and all.

 

[Pfitzy]

Watching this with one eye while browsing my phone.

Lolesio was the worst of them. The dropout just before half-time was, in a word, execrable

The game plan was mystifying. Attacking two out clearly wasn't working, but they kept doing it. Dumb.