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chief
Guest
Will be a very hard match for the reds in front of a Wellington crowd. Fingers crossed that Weeks, Humphries and Davies are set to play, because their presence has certainly been missed.
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TOCC
Guest
Weeks has been ruled out, still waiting on the rest
spectator
Bob Davidson (42)
Watched the highlights reel of the Hurricanes win on the weekend. Nonu looks in imposing form. Cruden is a talent but his inexperience may have to be targetted by the Reds as a possible point of vulnerability.
Might come down to who the Reds have available to play. The second row issue might kill us in the lineouts.
Might come down to who the Reds have available to play. The second row issue might kill us in the lineouts.
C
chief
Guest
Jets said:
I think Ewen would have to start him there. None of the forwards but Braid impressed me on the weekend, and I think he is ruled out injured. Shit. I don't think Ezra Taylor did enough to suggest a starting spot should go to him. Then again he was playing out of position. One would wonder if they have been tempted by the option of bringing Quirk or Gill across the ditch.
disco
Chilla Wilson (44)
Not yet do or die for the Reds but lose & their fate is in the hands of others.
Weeks is out.
Van Humphries will be good to go.
Braid & Davies are 50/50 & Adam Byrnes is all but ruled out.
My team if Braid & Davies are out.
15.Hynes 14. Morahan 13. Chambers 12. A Fainga'a 11. Ioane 10. Cooper 9. Genia 8.Houston 7. Schatz 6.Higginbotham 5. Van Humphries 4. Samo 3. Holmes 2. S.Fainga'a 1.Daley
Reserves:16. Hardman 17. Kennedy 18.Ezra Taylor 19. Shaw 20. Lucas 21. Va'alu 22. Morgan Turinui
Gotta start with Samo & Holmes for the set piece, don't rate Taylor at the lineout he doesn't seem tall enough & Holmes proved last week that he is a better scrummager than Kennedy.
Went Morahan over Va'alu don't really know why but I think we need speed this week & Morahan is a very good defender so my advice would be "watch replays of Bryan Habana 2009" chase everything in the air, pressure the kicker & scramble/ cover defence is going to be very important.
Would be great to have Davies & Braid on board but I still think that 15 can win if they get it right up front.
Weeks is out.
Van Humphries will be good to go.
Braid & Davies are 50/50 & Adam Byrnes is all but ruled out.
My team if Braid & Davies are out.
15.Hynes 14. Morahan 13. Chambers 12. A Fainga'a 11. Ioane 10. Cooper 9. Genia 8.Houston 7. Schatz 6.Higginbotham 5. Van Humphries 4. Samo 3. Holmes 2. S.Fainga'a 1.Daley
Reserves:16. Hardman 17. Kennedy 18.Ezra Taylor 19. Shaw 20. Lucas 21. Va'alu 22. Morgan Turinui
Gotta start with Samo & Holmes for the set piece, don't rate Taylor at the lineout he doesn't seem tall enough & Holmes proved last week that he is a better scrummager than Kennedy.
Went Morahan over Va'alu don't really know why but I think we need speed this week & Morahan is a very good defender so my advice would be "watch replays of Bryan Habana 2009" chase everything in the air, pressure the kicker & scramble/ cover defence is going to be very important.
Would be great to have Davies & Braid on board but I still think that 15 can win if they get it right up front.
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TOCC
Guest
i dont think the Reds have much choice in terms of who they swap in..
Humprhies and Samo if fit, with Shatz on the side..
Bring Davies back in if he is fit, if not i would probably keep Vaalu there
Humprhies and Samo if fit, with Shatz on the side..
Bring Davies back in if he is fit, if not i would probably keep Vaalu there
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tranquility
Guest
I think it is time to inject Mr. Quirk into the fray. . .
C
chief
Guest
I think I have to agree tranquility, although he isn't a jumper. They need a jumper, Ewen seems satisfied with the job. I would however say Quirk's workrate in the backrow could be exaclty what is needed because I certainly do fear what Houston may conjure up for us this week.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
topo said:
There is showing faith and then there is rushing players. Yes, Kennedy has been a squad member for a very long time but he hasn't amassed many minutes at all.
Throwing him out into a derby game when compared to a former wallaby was a dil move.
Proves good coaches make dud calls. We'd be singing his praises yet again if it came off though.
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tranquility
Guest
It made me realise how much of a greenhorn Higginbum is when Leroy was forced into the tight 5 when the natural move would have been for the big fella to step up. He obviously doesn't have the know how required through not playing alot of footy as a junior.
Give Leroy the assurance that he only has to play for 55mins so he goes flat strap, then move Higgin to 8 and Quirk to 6. Would love to see Tapuai get more of a run as well, very creative player.
Give Leroy the assurance that he only has to play for 55mins so he goes flat strap, then move Higgin to 8 and Quirk to 6. Would love to see Tapuai get more of a run as well, very creative player.
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scrubber
Guest
Agree Kennedy was dished - embarrassingly so - Agree Holmes should start - former Aussie player with the experienced needed- Link's only major selection mistake this year I reckon (putting Kennedy on) . Team essentially lost because our scrum was going backwards all the time - Daley got flogged as well probably because the tighty couldn't hold up his end. Kennedy was just not up to this level - Slipper who was the under 20 Australian player of the year deserves his shot on the bench - he is supposed to be 112-113 kg, mobile, tough etc etc and absolutely belting the opposite Premier props. Daley is about 108, Holmes 106 and Weekes about 118 -topo said:
Not sure what is the optimun weiight for front row but depends on mobility and being able to be efficent in the set piece. Would have thought that 110-115 for a good loosie and 112-120 for a tightie but still with the mobility required. Any opinions on size ?
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scrubber
Guest
The scary thing is the Canes front row - huge and All Black - will be hard to see Reds getting on top of them with our light weights
topo
Cyril Towers (30)
Scrubber:
Size is a "how long is a piece of string type question". Probably about 110 is a minimum, but an extra 10 kgs of lard doesn't help anyone. Good THPs are usually squatter with fat arses but not always. Carl Hayman did alright and he was 193cm. When Trevor Woodman was coaching at Uni a couple of years ago a similar conversation was occurring. Woodman's opinion was that the only thing that mattered was that to be a good prop you had to be a bigger c*** than the bloke you were packing down against. I took that to mean that attitude was probably more important than size.
Slipper is a good prospect but mainly plays LHP. Holmes is also a LHP and I suspect that is why Link played Kennedy. Link understands that the 2 are not necessarily interchangeable, in fact he has often had both Kennedy and Holmes on the bench this year so that both sides were covered. Kennedy wasn't up to it and Holmes was a bit older and a bit smarter and was able to stabilize things.
I think the Reds will struggle until Weeks returns. It just adds further weight to the theory that the first man is your THP and the 2nd man picked is your reserve THP.
Size is a "how long is a piece of string type question". Probably about 110 is a minimum, but an extra 10 kgs of lard doesn't help anyone. Good THPs are usually squatter with fat arses but not always. Carl Hayman did alright and he was 193cm. When Trevor Woodman was coaching at Uni a couple of years ago a similar conversation was occurring. Woodman's opinion was that the only thing that mattered was that to be a good prop you had to be a bigger c*** than the bloke you were packing down against. I took that to mean that attitude was probably more important than size.
Slipper is a good prospect but mainly plays LHP. Holmes is also a LHP and I suspect that is why Link played Kennedy. Link understands that the 2 are not necessarily interchangeable, in fact he has often had both Kennedy and Holmes on the bench this year so that both sides were covered. Kennedy wasn't up to it and Holmes was a bit older and a bit smarter and was able to stabilize things.
I think the Reds will struggle until Weeks returns. It just adds further weight to the theory that the first man is your THP and the 2nd man picked is your reserve THP.
Ruggo
Mark Ella (57)
Canes leak alot of points. If we get Van back the lineout will go okay. His second row partner will have to be more of a grinding player than a flamboyant player. The Canes will counter ruck all day. Not exposing Quade to Nonu is a concern for me. Fainga'a will be fine. Chambers v Conrad Smith shapes as an interesting battle and a good measure to see if he is up to international standard. I think he will do fine. The Reds can win this no doubt.
Reddy!
Bob Davidson (42)
It's amazing how each week is a season defining game, and this week is no different. The Reds are going to be coming into this game in a similar manner the Brumbies did to their game on the weekend. They just have to turn up and muscle up and hopefully the rest takes care of itself.
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