Super Rugby Rnd 3: Jaguares v Reds - Buenos Aires Sunday Feb 16 10:00am AEDT

[Cancelled Account]

That's an early Friday night game. Time to get out of the office on a Friday.

 

[Bobby Sands]

On now?

It was Paul Williams.

 

[Cancelled Account]

The starting selection has baffled me. The only logical explanation is that we are bringing on impact players after the first 30 minutes of wearing the Jags down in the forwards. Jags will come out strong and be fast on the ball to start, with their weakness leading into half time. Risky game plan but could pay off.

 

[Ulrich]

This could be a watershed moment for the Reds. For the record I backed he Jaguares on Superbru, but I will be very happy if the Reds win, simply because the Jaguares are in the SA conference.

 

[Adam84]

Reds have faded in the 2H of each game they’ve played this season, maybe the plan is to use ASY (Angus Scott-Young) to help bring the game home in the 2nd half. Uru is promising, but he isn’t at the standard yet

Hegarty been dropped to the bench I’m not surprised at, given he is there for his experience and composure, i don’t think he has been delivering on that. Reds kicking game between fly-half and fullback is seriously struggling.

 

[Bobby Sands]

This could be a watershed moment for the Reds. For the record I backed he Jaguares on Superbru, but I will be very happy if the Reds win, simply because the Jaguares are in the SA conference.

What were you thoughts on the Lions game?

That should have been the watershed game.

 

[Ulrich]

What were you thoughts on the Lions game?

That should have been the watershed game.

To be honest I did not watch that game, I hardly ever watch Jag v SA sides because the kick-off is near midnight.

What I can tell you is that no one in SA has high hopes for the Lions. They have lost everything they have built over the last few seasons and I fear they will regress to where they were pre-Ackerman.

 

[Scrubber2050]

the

Our front row probably the best in Australia. Our second row is probably still the best in Australia (although I do prefer LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)), I think LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) has been brought in to give them a bit more ball running, and ASY (Angus Scott-Young) has been a little average the last few games (but not bad). I think Uru has been hard done by to be left out, hasn't done much wrong but hasn't really proven himself yet either.

 On the other hand, I think Paisami coming in was inevitable Petaia needs to find a way to inject himself into the game more. I love the inclusion of CFS he gives us that big ball carrier as a bailout option when we just need some go forward. I think Stewart in the centers is deserved.


I'm not sure about having both Lucas and Hegarty on the bench, they can both play very similar positions. I'd have gone with Lucas at 10, and O'Connor on the bench. O'Connor and Hegarty can cover the centres, flyhalf as well as the wings and fullback between them.

All well and good Zero but at the end of the day the Reds are Zero from 2 (but BPs), soon to be Zero from 3.. Not good !

 

[Bobby Sands]

Hold the line.. why is everyone so keen on the sky is falling narrative? Shows a lack of mental fortitude in my opinion.

 

[RedsHappy]

Hold the line.. why is everyone so keen on the sky is falling narrative? Shows a lack of mental fortitude in my opinion.

What I think is that a loss vs Jags - hopefully not - will start to show is if these 2020 Reds lose their 3 opening games in a row, the notion that some hold that sadly Thorn - and his 'cultural revolution' and endless 'young, development team' mantra - is a myth will start to prove out. Maybe not conclusively, but in his Year 3 as HC of a major rugby province and with a very free hand over player selections, recruitment, AC choices, better than this would be fairly expected.

A win in Argentina and hope can flourish again that 8+ wins this season just might be on. Might.

 

[dru]

What I think is that a loss vs Jags - hopefully not - will start to show is if these 2020 Reds lose their 3 opening games in a row, the notion that some hold that sadly Thorn - and his 'cultural revolution' and endless 'young, development team' mantra - is a myth will start to prove out. Maybe not conclusively, but in his Year 3 as HC of a major rugby province and with a very free hand over player selections, recruitment, AC choices, better than this would be fairly expected.

A win in Argentina and hope can flourish again that 8+ wins this season just might be on. Might.

The 3 year HC thing with Thorn is overplayed imo. It seems to me to be clear that he was installed prematurely and that is not a Thorn matter. Accountability should lie with the blokes who made the call. The last two years have been something of an apprenticeship and I am happy to park them (though will NEVER forgive some of those early decissions).

Thorn does have the advantage of his influence over the last two years but really should be judged on this three - 2020 to 2022. Clearly we need some Ws. I'm not perturbed by what will likely be 3 losses on tour but it does need the home wins badly.

Patience all.

Edit: While I recognise likelihood, I'm not putting a win in Argintina as beyond the Reds either. Looking forward to the game.

 

[RedsHappy]

The 3 year HC thing with Thorn is overplayed imo. It seems to me to be clear that he was installed prematurely and that is not a Thorn matter. Accountability should lie with the blokes who made the call. The last two years have been something of an apprenticeship and I am happy to park them (though will NEVER forgive some of those early decissions).

Thorn does have the advantage of his influence over the last two years but really should be judged on this three - 2020 to 2022. Clearly we need some Ws. I'm not perturbed by what will likely be 3 losses on tour but it does need the home wins badly.

Patience all.

Edit: While I recognise likelihood, I'm not putting a win in Argintina as beyond the Reds either. Looking forward to the game.

Dru, not an unreasonable pair of points. But could not the same be said of Richard Graham's 2015 year, his 3rd? Remember how that went and then...........the years that followed.

Moreover, the poor long-suffering Reds' fans may not quite see the subtlety of all this premature HC appointing and 'let's give Brad plenty of time'.

How many RU's can afford year after year of mediocrity and disappointment of outcomes on the grounds of 'our HC is learning on the job and you must patiently pay $40 a ticket to watch the laboratory R&D experiment unfold'.

 

[dru]

Dru, not an unreasonable pair of points. But could not the same be said of Richard Graham's 2015 year, his 3rd? Remember how that went and then.....the years that followed.

Moreover, the poor long-suffering Reds' fans may not quite see the subtlety of all this premature HC appointing and 'let's give Brad plenty of time'.

How many RU's can afford year after year of mediocrity and disappointment of outcomes on the grounds of 'our HC is learning on the job and you must patiently pay $40 a ticket to watch the laboratory R&D experiment unfold'.

Fair. Look the difference is subjective, but Graham achieved nil in my eyes. The Reds under Thorn have a tough core and look like a no nonsense rugby team. I never saw any great positives in Graham though it took a while for diehards to get on board.

While I think this "culture" thing under Thorn is overblown it is not a fantasy either. I see Thorn starting to gain Finals and looking the part - thence building into a long term role. OR Another coming in and doing something with the basics Thorn built.

Both scenarios are good if my assessment is close to the mark.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Just support the team, we are three rounds in.

Nothing is changing, so hold your chagrin for a few months.

Things can change quickly.

 

[Penguin]

Just support the team, we are three rounds in.

Nothing is changing, so hold your chagrin for a few months.

Things can change quickly.

Some punters only seem to come out of the woodwork when things are going badly & love to wax lyrical on what they see is wrong. Nary a positive to be said. Ever.

Reality is, the Reds got a bum deal in the first three weeks of the draw & have still come away with points on the log. I also don't hear anything coming out of the Reds about rebuilding or about youth. That's all outside noise.

I'm still feeling very positive with the management & roster. Come on boys, give this near test quality side a shake up in their own back yard!

 

[Brumby Runner]

The Reds' draw has been a handicap, but all is not lost. In 2018, the Brumbies had three away games (Sunwolves, Reds, Rebels) to start the season and iirc won in Japan as expected but lost the other two. They spent part of the season behind the other three Aussie teams on the ladder and were regularly written off. In the end they missed a finals spot by one win. The Reds are equally capable of putting in a satisfactory season despite the hardships of the first three rounds.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Refereeing in Super Rugby is not a joke, it is corrupt. Ben O'Keefe is penalising the Sharks off the field.

Why is it so hard to have neutral refs? Farcical.

 

[Zero_Cool]

Refereeing in Super Rugby is not a joke, it is corrupt. Ben O'Keefe is penalising the Sharks off the field.

Why is it so hard to have neutral refs? Farcical.

Oh, it's beyond a joke, particularly the South African Refs, the Kiwi's are more incompetent than malicious, but the Saffers are awful and obviously biased. At minimum the man in the middle ought to be neutral when it's between two different nations, a local derby I don't mind where they are form.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Oh, it's beyond a joke, particularly the South African Refs, the Kiwi's are more incompetent than malicious, but the Saffers are awful and obviously biased. At minimum the man in the middle ought to be neutral when it's between two different nations, a local derby I don't mind where they are form.

Ben O’Keefe was a bad as any Saffa.

 

[Bobby Sands]

To be honest I did not watch that game, I hardly ever watch Jag v SA sides because the kick-off is near midnight.

What I can tell you is that no one in SA has high hopes for the Lions. They have lost everything they have built over the last few seasons and I fear they will regress to where they were pre-Ackerman.

Well this turned out to be not true, Lions just had the Stormers done.

Elton played the most incredible game you’ve ever seen.

I had the largest punt of my life on the Stormers - head spinning, felt sick - Stormers go the full field to win after the siren.

Totally ridiculous - I’m going to bed.

Go Reds.