Super Rugby final Crusaders @ Blues

[waiopehu oldboy]

Brumbies would of made a better effort of that GF.

In those weather conditions v CruSadists they may well have. On a dry track v Loss Bleus maybe not so much. It being wet did CruSadists a huge favour as it basically neutered Loss Bleus' boom shacka lacka game.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Sam Whitelock won at least 3 turnovers in this game. Old Man Sam showing a thing or 2 tonight, but the international arena will be another step up.

I backed both Tamati Williams and Fletcher Newell to be in the ABs. A few shared they are barely into year 1, and they don't even start for the Saders.
But look at what they did to Karl and Ofa tonight. Completely creamed them. Karl and Ofa are arguably favourites to start against Ireland. Ireland has some really ridiculous props. Furlong and Porter and gang are extremely powerful and committed and skillful - and if you just look at the trajectory, the 2 young props are who we need.

On one of those turnovers, they showed a slomo replay. Whitelock's first movement was hands on the ground over the tackled player. He then partially stood up and had a second go at the ball after the ruck had formed. Looked like two penalties against him to me.

 

[Willin1]

I wonder if the AB team composition would have changed if foster had left naming the till after the final.
I thought the scoreline flattered the blues with many of their ABs anonymous.
Expect the calls for Robertson to coach ABs will only get louder, and if the Irish win the series next month, more baying for Foster’s blood.

 

[wamberal]

I wonder if the AB team composition would have changed if foster had left naming the till after the final.
I thought the scoreline flattered the blues with many of their ABs anonymous.
Expect the calls for Robertson to coach ABs will only get louder, and if the Irish win the series next month, more baying for Foster’s blood.

The Oirish won't though.

 

[fatprop]

saders are just so effective and efficient

 

[zer0]

Got rekt. RIP.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

I wonder if the AB team composition would have changed if foster had left naming the till after the final.

DON'T WORRY, ONCE FOZZIE GETS THE LAZY, DISINTERESTED, UNDER-PERFORMING PASSENGERS LIKE OFA, NEPO AND KARL T INTO A PROPER HIGH PERFORMANCE ATMOSPHERE WITH TOP QUALITY ASSISTANTS LIKE MOAAR AND MCLEOD HE WIL SURELY GET THE BEST OUT OF THEM.

 

[Willin1]

DON'T WORRY, ONCE FOZZIE GETS THE LAZY, DISINTERESTED, UNDER-PERFORMING PASSENGERS LIKE OFA, NEPO AND KARL T INTO A PROPER HIGH PERFORMANCE ATMOSPHERE WITH TOP QUALITY ASSISTANTS LIKE MOAAR AND MCLEOD HE WIL SURELY GET THE BEST OUT OF THEM.

and Karl T, after getting owned in final, is fucking off at the end of the year but still gets selected?
I can’t help thinking about how the ABs would look now if the NZRFU had had the foresight to select Robertson and McDonald over foster and plum tree.

 

[KiwiM]

Congrats waiopehu oldboy and other Crusaders fans.

Crusaders far too good.

Blues tight 5 got absolutely crunched and that was the game.

Blues defence did well to semi-keep them in the game for a long time.

For a number 8 behind a pack getting smoked Sotutu was terrific - he is really developing into some player. 2 more weeks and Papalii should be really rocking, hopefully Caleb too. I thought Perofeta was impressive at 15 - he had a far better game than Beaudy. Rieko's hamstring is clearly not 100% but fair enough coming back early to try and win the title

For Crusaders i'm sure it's all been said - Whitelock amazing - Richie M, Havili and Goodhue were all class - the question is whether they can transition that form to black - I hope so. As well as the impressive Bower young Newell and T Williams look like good prospects.

 

[Dan54]

I wonder if the AB team composition would have changed if foster had left naming the till after the final.
I thought the scoreline flattered the blues with many of their ABs anonymous.
Expect the calls for Robertson to coach ABs will only get louder, and if the Irish win the series next month, more baying for Foster’s blood.

If they knew that it was going to ne a Blues/Crusaders final maybe, but still doubt it. But imagine if 2 NZ teams were not in final (as what almost happened0 and team naming was left until after? And would Wallaby selectors get crap for doing axcaly same? You know name team 2 weeks before opening test? Don't think it would of made any difference to squad at most it will make difference to first test 23.

 

[Jeffrey]

Why did Foster pick Karl T?
I disagree with him of course but the reason is obvious.

The other looseheads are a debuting Ross and a still fairly new Bower (who has limited experience outside Australia). Neither sounds convincing against the Irish. So what does Foster do? He picks an experienced fella that he thinks is a pot plant. Nvm if he isn't that good around the field (and Karl really isn't good around the field), he's a pot plant and he won't be shoved backwards.
The alternative, in Foster's mind, is someone like De Groot - also very new - if he gets overwhelmed by the Irish, and Bower also gets destroyed, the scrum disintegrates. Foster is wrong because this is merely perception. Karl T hasn't shown much scrummaging prowess this year, which he also why he doesn't start at the Blues. There is no way De Groot is not fitter than him.

So in a way, this shows our lack of really top-notch prop stocks with international experience at loosehead outside Joe Moody. The English/French be much more confident blooding a new bloke because you are essentially scrummaging other monsters week in and week out in a region that really loves their scrummaging. In contrast, if you are kiwi, your competition is Eloff and Paddy Ryan and some other wanker. These guys are not international standard, so even if you dominate them, so what? We really do need to start playing Saffas again. Our decline has also coincided with excessive playing against just the Aussies.

 

[Dan54]

Why did Foster pick Karl T?
I disagree with him of course but the reason is obvious.

I think picking Karl T makes a bit of sense, better to let a couple of LHs play for the MABs against Irish and see hoe they go instead of holding tackle bags?? Just how I thought maybe they would go anyway.
Also wonder if the selections had been left to this week , who think Akira would of been ABs ahead of Cullen Grace, who absolutely ruled the attacking lineouts in game? While like it or not Akira was mostly invisible for much of game, which may of been in game plan for him to station himself wide, and he simple got no ball?

 

[rugbyrules]

great game to watch - Crusaders such an amazing team to just keep repeating excellence year after year

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Pre-match flag fail:

'You had one job': The pre-match blunder that flagged trouble for Blues in final

The Blues woes against the Crusaders started early on Saturday.

www.nzherald.co.nz

TLDR: five people on the field with flags meant to spell out "BLUES" got the order wrong & spelt "BEULS" instead ("BLEUS" would've been perfect).

 

[Jeffrey]

I think picking Karl T makes a bit of sense, better to let a couple of LHs play for the MABs against Irish and see hoe they go instead of holding tackle bags?? Just how I thought maybe they would go anyway.
Also wonder if the selections had been left to this week , who think Akira would of been ABs ahead of Cullen Grace, who absolutely ruled the attacking lineouts in game? While like it or not Akira was mostly invisible for much of game, which may of been in game plan for him to station himself wide, and he simple got no ball?

Yes I do think Akira's patterns need to be adjusted. Obviously, he's a great runner and on the tramlines he actually does pretty good. But the plan has to be flexible. This seems to be for both the ABs and the Blues, for some reason he's parked out wide way too much. Ditto also for the hooker. Most teams seem to have a 1 3 3 1 pod formation, but it has to change with the game.

On Cullen Grace - here's the challenge. First I don't think he really "ruled" the attacking lineouts. He is an excellent lineout exponent, no doubt about that. But the Crusaders clearly figured out the Blues lineout - even for the ones they didn't disrupt, they had a good idea where it was going. Further, this was true for both Eklund and Vikena. In another game, in an international game, this is not usually replicable. What is however necessary is an 8 that can manage the back of the scrum (minimally you can't get creamed by a really small scrum half like Finlay) and be able to advance the ball from deep. Hoskins has always been good off the back of the scrum - he just has good lateral speed. For a long time he was poor in kick returns and into heavy traffic. But credit to him - hoskins has improved year on year.

 

[Dan54]

Yep Jeffery and worried me a bit that Akira didn't seem to work out moving in before halftime, was it perhaps easier out wide?
And to be honest with the Blues scrum going to pack, I really felt a lot of it came from losing confidence with lineouts going to pack, and Eklund just seemed to go right of his game, not sure the rest including locks didn't join him. I think at times we forget how good Whitelock and Barrett are as scrumming locks, and how important that is!

 

[KiwiM]

Also wonder if the selections had been left to this week , who think Akira would of been ABs ahead of Cullen Grace, who absolutely ruled the attacking lineouts in game? While like it or not Akira was mostly invisible for much of game, which may of been in game plan for him to station himself wide, and he simple got no ball?

I don't think Akira, who now almost exclusively plays at 6, would have been dropped for Grace, who this season almost entirely played at 8. Grace was probably in a battle with Sowakula or Sotutu.

 

[Dan54]

I don't think Akira, who now almost exclusively plays at 6, would have been dropped for Grace, who this season almost entirely played at 8. Grace was probably in a battle with Sowakula or Sotutu.

Yep, could be right, I think Sowakula may get looked at as a 6 (where he plays a bit for Naki and Chiefs), but as you say Grace probably an 8. Not suggesting he will take Akira's spot, but think they will think that where he fits in ABs with team selected.
I would add after seeing a couple of highlights last night I see Grace was giving Tom Robinson a bath in lineouts and winning defensive ball too.

 

[Dan54]

Been having a rewatch of game, and I wonder if Akira could struggle to get start in first test. I was intrigued on almost first lineout Blues lost, Grace won it off a throw to Akira who actually almost turned his back on ball as it was coming in from Eklund, throw looked not bad, but Akira wasn't near taking it as he had turned away. Was real strange.

 

[A mutterer]

Pre-match flag fail:

'You had one job': The pre-match blunder that flagged trouble for Blues in final

The Blues woes against the Crusaders started early on Saturday.

www.nzherald.co.nz

TLDR: five people on the field with flags meant to spell out "BLUES" got the order wrong & spelt "BEULS" instead ("BLEUS" would've been perfect).

Did they 'accidentally' spell out LUBES to let everyone know in the crowd what was to come?