SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) 2023 General Chat

[waiopehu oldboy]

Still, head coach is a strong factor for players and staff when making decisions about their future. Bit rough for players who hoped to be coached by him and he quits before the season

^ yeah he stopped being the coach on being appointed to B&IL & has been Director of Rugby since returning so also looking after women's & age group.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

What are people's thoughts on Leon MacDonald?

For me I feel he's building a strong resume following Tasman into the Blues. I know having BB in the team helps but he's brought the Blues out of a hole. Honestly surprising after my memories of him playing are built off his head knocks.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ at short odds to succeed Fozzie IMO, I think him getting the AB XV job was an indication that maybe Razor isn't flavour of the month at HQ.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

That's a rapid rise but I like it. Would be NZ keeping their game moving while some people in Aus think Jamie Joseph is an answer. Not having a go at Joseph but it's just more of the same for Aus.

 

[zer0]

^ at short odds to succeed Fozzie IMO, I think him getting the AB XV job was an indication that maybe Razor isn't flavour of the month at HQ.

Hadn't he already agreed to coach the Barbarians well before the AB XV coach was announced?

Regardless, as long as Schmidt and Ryan are involved, and it's not Foster again, then I'm really not too fussed on whether it's MacDonald, Robertson, or Cotter (I might even be most partial to Cotter, tbh). Though, if Robertson can get O'Gara to tag along, then I'd probably have him as the favourite (no idea how likely that is though).

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ I'm sure that had NZR really wanted Razor to coach AB XV they'd have just offered Baabaas Rangi as a sub. Things may change with some Board turnover due (new Chair & co-Deputies elected today, some Board seats up for re-election at next AGM) but the current Board doesn't seem that keen on him.

 

[Dan54]

Hadn't he already agreed to coach the Barbarians well before the AB XV coach was announced?

Regardless, as long as Schmidt and Ryan are involved, and it's not Foster again, then I'm really not too fussed on whether it's MacDonald, Robertson, or Cotter (I might even be most partial to Cotter, tbh). Though, if Robertson can get O'Gara to tag along, then I'd probably have him as the favourite (no idea how likely that is though).

Yep he had agreed to coach Baabaas , and was offered to AB XV gig, but stuck with Baabaas. He is actually arready under contract the NZR until 2024, So he could probably get a few extra $s doing baabaas .
I actually keen on Jamie Joseph as Ab's coach.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Solomon Alaimalo is back training with Tribe on a pre-season contract pending the return from leave of their AB & AB XV players. Will surely get called up at some point as injury cover or replacement & hopefully he's got his mental health issues sorted, he's a really talented guy & still young enough to push for higher honors.

 

[Tomthumb]

Still, head coach is a strong factor for players and staff when making decisions about their future. Bit rough for players who hoped to be coached by him and he quits before the season

Gatland was not the coach. He was virtually sacked and given a pointless title and told to stay in his office and let McMillian do his job

 

[rodha]

What are people's thoughts on Leon MacDonald?

For me I feel he's building a strong resume following Tasman into the Blues. I know having BB in the team helps but he's brought the Blues out of a hole. Honestly surprising after my memories of him playing are built off his head knocks.

The last Super Rugby final showed the coaching gulf between Robertson (whose suffocating game-plan annihilated the Blues) and MacDonald and Schmidt, whose Blues team appeared lost as they ran into an outfit that ruthlessly exploited the weaknesses Robertson had astutely identified. The same thing happened when MacDonald's ABs XV, who after being together for 4 weeks, got outplayed by Robertson's Barbarians team - after Robertson had only had them together in camp for two training sessions.

 

[Dan54]

^ at short odds to succeed Fozzie IMO, I think him getting the AB XV job was an indication that maybe Razor isn't flavour of the month at HQ.

Hell WOB, he got AB XV because Razor turned it down, as he already getting good coin doing the Baabaas.

 

[Dan54]

The last Super Rugby final showed the coaching gulf between Robertson (whose suffocating game-plan annihilated the Blues) and MacDonald and Schmidt, whose Blues team appeared lost as they ran into an outfit that ruthlessly exploited the weaknesses Robertson had astutely identified. The same thing happened when MacDonald's ABs XV, who after being together for 4 weeks, got outplayed by Robertson's Barbarians team - after Robertson had only had them together in camp for two training sessions.

Boy why does O'Gara get no credit for Babaas win, most of the Baabaas team were from La Rochelle the team he coaches, he was also co-coach not assistant. I am a bit of a fan of O'Gara as a coach.

 

[zer0]

The last Super Rugby final showed the coaching gulf between Robertson (whose suffocating game-plan annihilated the Blues) and MacDonald and Schmidt, whose Blues team appeared lost as they ran into an outfit that ruthlessly exploited the weaknesses Robertson had astutely identified. The same thing happened when MacDonald's ABs XV, who after being together for 4 weeks, got outplayed by Robertson's Barbarians team - after Robertson had only had them together in camp for two training sessions.

And what of the Blues beating the Crusaders in Christchurch during the regular season?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ 'twas all part of Razor's cunning plan, obviously...

 

[rodha]

And what of the Blues beating the Crusaders in Christchurch during the regular season?

Scotty Robertson's results against Leon MacDonald (2019-2022):

24-22, 19-11, 25-8, 26-15, 43-25, 26-3, 24-27, 21-7, (Barbarians) 35-31.

His solitary defeat highlighted in bold. An anomaly for Razor, it's fair to say.

 

[Marce]

After the disastrous 2022 Super Round in Melbourne in terms of tickets sold and repercussion they pick Melbourne again lol

 

[Adam84]

After the disastrous 2022 Super Round in Melbourne in terms of tickets sold and repercussion they pick Melbourne again lol

wasn’t necessarily disastrous, covid was still impacting travel heavily around the time. And NZ super rugby teams sold it to the highest bidder for a multi-year contract so they were always getting it again anyway

 

[Dan54]

wasn’t necessarily disastrous, covid was still impacting travel heavily around the time. And NZ super rugby teams sold it to the highest bidder for a multi-year contract so they were always getting it again anyway

Well RA sold it too highest bidder, that's who actually sold the Super round, and for all the right reasons, they wanted it before the NRL/AFL started to give game a boost in Aus (still think it good idea). Think you will find they then compensated NZ and Aus teams that lost home game crowds from what I understood not all NZ teams got compensated as they didn't have home games, and think originally they were getting bugger all as the draw was just done for them all to play in Aus.

 

[Tomthumb]

And what of the Blues beating the Crusaders in Christchurch during the regular season?

About as relevant as South Africa losing a pool game at the last world cup

 

[Wallaby Man]

Well Rugby Australia sold it too highest bidder, that's who actually sold the Super round, and for all the right reasons, they wanted it before the NRL/AFL started to give game a boost in Aus (still think it good idea). Think you will find they then compensated NZ and Aus teams that lost home game crowds from what I understood not all NZ teams got compensated as they didn't have home games, and think originally they were getting bugger all as the draw was just done for them all to play in Aus.

This isn’t true. Can’t remember who it was but one of the journalists wrote at the time about the super round.

They said NZRU own the Super Rugby IP because they set up the current competition (it’s a contentious thing at RA hence new independent board coming in). They commisioned TEG who sold it to the Victorian government for a multi-year deal as they were the highest bidder. This is where the Bart Campbell controversy over the year started, as he’s both on the NZRU board and his personal business is affiliated with the company. Silver Lake also has TEG links, personally have no issue with TEG as they are Aus/NZ largest provider for major events.

No Australian team received compensation for the week as they were all on an away week, hence the only teams compensated were NZ teams, I have no idea how much they were compensated and also how it was received from the Aus Super Rugby teams.

The Rebels on the weekend were far from happy with the relationship as they were given many limitations on what they can do, they were even rejected the possibility of playing a ‘b’ team against Moana after their fixture was cancelled due to Covid. They were far from impressed from the surrounding fan experience with almost nothing on offer, I suspect this year will be different as RA slowly coming into the tent. At the time there was sense of easy cash grab with no Aus teams benefitting (who knows if true or not) and the care factor from the decision makers low.

Hopefully the independent commission solves some of these decisions