SupeRugby Final 2011: Queensland Reds V Canterbury Crusaders

[cyclopath]

He has been trolling up a storm and talking crap all season. There is every reason to call him out.

No, there isn't. Enjoy the win, stop trying to start another shit-fight.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

He has been trolling up a storm and talking crap all season. There is every reason to call him out.

And you aren't helping. Pull your head in.

 

[Lindommer]

Not that I want to dwell on Lawrence but could anyone pick what happened in Simmons non-try? Made no sense to me at the time.

Ball went forward from Simmons' hand to a Saders' forearm/elbow/whatever and back into Simmons' grasp. I played it in slo-slo-mo and could detect about a millimetre of forward progress. Very lucky call by Lawrence.

 

[Ruggo]

He has been trolling up a storm and talking crap all season. There is every reason to call him out.

One Reds fan to another, pull your head in. The quoted post is like the pot calling the kettle black. Come on fella and just show some grace in victory.

 

[Groucho]

Ball went forward from Simmons' hand to a Saders' forearm/elbow/whatever and back into Simmons' grasp. I played it in slo-slo-mo and could detect about a millimetre of forward progress. Very lucky call by Lawrence.

Those calls are impossible for refs. What can we do? Gridiron with a stoppage after every scrimmage?

 

[Jnor]

Ball went forward from Simmons' hand to a Saders' forearm/elbow/whatever and back into Simmons' grasp. I played it in slo-slo-mo and could detect about a millimetre of forward progress. Very lucky call by Lawrence.

Thanks Lindo, I'll be watching again with interest in the harsh light of tomorrow morning.

Also agreed with Cyclo on Taps, seemed to handle the occasion very well and I think we'll be seeing more of him and possibly not just in Red in the future, although I have no idea how old he is, I think RD is more likely to go the young blood over the other contenders (like TC) once again.

 

[Elfster]

The most worrying thing about tonight's game was that I actually enjoyed Mary Poppins. Definitely not due to the rug rat behind me who was far more vocal and active than most of the cast in the second half. Crying, screaming and kicking the back of my chair. If it wasn't for her inbred thuggish looking father I would have given Mary P some catching practise by drop kicking the runt onto the stage.

 

[Riptide]

The other thing I really enjoyed about this game was beating a Carter and McCaw team. I really enjoy it when they lose and I think it is integral for the Wallabies that Carter and McCaw get use to losing and that we get use to beating them. I'm not being ungracious, it just adds to the juicyness of the win.

Also, the Reds weren't just the better team on the day, they have been the better team for the past 2 seasons and thoroughly deserve their championship.

While the AB coaching staff are a different kettle of fish, this victory is very encouraging. There are not many Reds players (Higgs, Genia, Ioane are the only sure starters for me) who would automatically walk into a combined XV, yet they fully deserved their victory. The victory must be attributed to the team culture that McKenzie has so brilliantly inculcated since his arrival. He knows how to get the very best out of his players. Aus players now move into a Deans environment, and Crusaders move into Henry/Smith/Hansen's world. Think Henry will learn a lot from this.

 

[Sandpit Fan]

He has been trolling up a storm and talking crap all season. There is every reason to call him out.

Mate, here's an idea. Why don't you & Slim go start a thread and have at it, while the rest of us (including Qwerty) enjoy the win.

 

[Gingerbeer]

Anyone put a dollar on the reds?

Yep! Put some dosh on them at the start of the week. Just checked my balance then to discover I had completely forgotten that I put $5 on them at the start of the season - not big bikkies but for $5 it was a nice unexpected bonus. However, the most profitable bonus for me will be winning the little tipping competition that I'm in.

From the view that I had at Suncorp I thought there were some questionable refereeing decisions going both ways but the better team was able to overcome it. Good to hear the rousing reception the Crusaders got at the end of the game. I didn't think the officiating was THAT bad, but nothing justifies booing the match officials - especially when your team won anyway.

 

[GC]

Fark, first rule of the internets - ignore the trolls, whether they be reds fans or reds haters. (I just broke the 1st rule there)

Great night for reds players, fans and I think Oz rugby. Great to see the Reds have joined the Brumbies as winners of the comp.

Can't wait to see key reds players in a team with an awesome front row, the world's best 7 and fullback, game breakers like JOC (James O'Connor) and Mitchell etc. Etc..

Long live the S15 champions. Go the Wallabies!

 

[Scotty]

No, there isn't. Enjoy the win, stop trying to start another shit-fight.

So it is ok for him to troll in every reds thread but not ok to call him out? Please explain why?

 

[Doc]

I dont mean this as any sour grapes at all as the reds deserved their win but would the crusaders have won had they played home games? Possibly. But then again history remembers results only. Well done reds.

No. They still wouldn't have finished first. They only lost one home game. They still lost to the Reds twice this year and lost their only game in SA during the regular season (Cheetahs).

The crusaders would be the only team I would be "ok" with having lost to tonight, esp given what their city has gone through, but it certainly cannot be used in an excuse in anyway.

The Reds beat every team in the top 6 they played, including 2 sides twice, but I think their fate was sealed in beating the Stormers away from home.

Having stuck by the team in many ways through all the bad times (cannot remember last game I missed), tonight was sensational. The crusaders peaked a week early and had more than their fare share of opportunities to win the game. What a match, the top two sides going right down to the wire.

 

[ChargerWA]

I didn't think the officiating was THAT bad, but nothing justifies booing the match officials - especially when your team won anyway.

Only poor note on a wonderful night.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Taking my Saders cap off and putting my Wallaby cap on I'm not getting too excited over any carry on effect this Super Rugby victory of the Reds may give the Wallabies or conversely any negative effect on the All Blacks.

McCaw and Carter teams have experienced loss, thats not new, they lost against the Bulls last year in what was a big game in itself despite not being the big one. The All Blacks team has experienced loss also. You could also argue the other way that there was some 'juicyness' or extra motivation given tonight to those in the Saders who will be playing in the All Blacks and will use that when they face a Wallabies side with a number of Reds players in the team. Although I'm sure thats not their go I'm sure victory is for much higher means than 'get squares' as sweet as get squares can be.

I'm not saying it was an influence on the result tonight (not trying to divert away from the Reds deserved victory) but fatigue from travel MAY, I stress MAY have been one factor/variable on the Saders. Looking at the All Blacks for the TN and RWC you will not get a travel effect on the All Blacks nor will there be a predominately Aussie crowd (at least for the RWC). There are factors in tonights game that wont be present in the international games.

Dont get me wrong, I'm very optimistic for the Wallabies but I've still got NZ as fav's (at the very least with the RWC). I'm keeping my feet firmly on the ground and giving this NZ team plenty of respect.

 

[Scotty]

Watching replay now. Wonder how lawrence could be assigned this job. Already missed one saders knock on and given one penalty to them that should have gone to the reds for off their feet. Think there were a few calls that went the reds way int the 2nd half but in the first he really seemed to help the saders out. A lot.

 

[Toddy]

Awesome win for the reds and they absolutely deserve it after the top season they've had. They were the kind of team that I was sure they'd topple over once final rugby started but they got better and better. I thought it was great how they didn't sit back and wait for Cooper to win it for them. The whole team stood up and put in a top performance.

 

[Doc]

Ball went forward from Simmons' hand to a Saders' forearm/elbow/whatever and back into Simmons' grasp. I played it in slo-slo-mo and could detect about a millimetre of forward progress. Very lucky call by Lawrence.

That's the only part I've replayed since I've been home and felt the call was ok. At the ground though, there was no way anyone could have seen it anyway but a try.

Will reserve full judgement until I watch the replay, but ignoring all the McCaw stuff, lawrence missed countless knock ons. That isn't open to interpretation. The ball is dropped and goes forward. Will see if it looks as bad on video as it did there.

The genuine concern for rugby is that if Lawrence is the best the rest must be awful. And people complain when we keep getting stuck with NH refs in big Test matches.

You simply cannot be a Wallaby fan and not be happy with the result. It is as cliched as anything but it holds true. When QLD is strong, Australia is strong.

 

[chief]

Lawrence wasn't that as bad as a lot of people have been saying. He allowed a free flowing contest at the ruck where it wasn't policed as Joubert would have refereed it. There's no doubt he could have been more strict. But I especially liked how he went for scrums at rucks instead of giving 50/50 penalties, you don't get that from Joubert. I fear had Joubert had that game, it would have been decided on penalties and it's not good for a final to be decided on that (admittedly most are though.)

Lay of Brycie, I'm by far and away no where near his biggest fan, but he was remotely consistent. And what's best is no one in 10 years time will say that Bryce Lawrence impacted the result in a game defining manner. Nobody.

On a side note, Taps and Horwill were fantastic, just bloody fantastic. Carter was bloody good as well.

Great day for Australian Rugby!

 

[Joe Blow]

It was never going to be pretty.
The Reds really knuckled down under immense pressure from a top shelf Crusaders pack and sheer determination got them through.
They didn't turn up thinking it was in the bag and they never let their heads drop.
Congrats to all of them.They deserve it.