Waratahs vs Crusaders 2014 Super Rugby Grand Final

[Scoey]

Well that's good. So when we beat them it won't be because we had home advantage.

No, but they will have some other excuse lined up. Just like in 2011.

 

[Braveheart81]

I love how the NZ media and Todd Blackadder are talking about the Tahs moving the final to ANZ.

Yes... they made a decision to move the 2014 final to Homebush in 2010.

 

[flat_eric]

Ticket sales sitting at close to 50'000, hopefully it smashes the 60'000 mark at least

That's pretty piss weak. Is there much of a marketing drive behind this game? It should be all over city. This game should boast as much demand among the Sydney public as any Bledisloe game, considering home finals only come around once a decade or so.

 

[MarkJ]

No one has mentioned the shit Allianz surface which curtailed the Tahs running game last week too and would've played right into the Crusaders hands. There's an NRL game on the Friday before at ANZ but the surface there is much better.

Right, so it was the grass' fault rather than the opposition?

 

[wamberal]

I love how the NZ media and Todd Blackadder are talking about the Tahs moving the final to ANZ.

Yes... they made a decision to move the 2014 final to Homebush in 2010.

Playing at home is a huge advantage, that's why the Keewees are trying to talk it down a bit.


The Tahs should get Cathy Freeman to present the jerseys before the match. Olympian heights need to be climbed, after all.

 

[KOB1987]

That's pretty piss weak. Is there much of a marketing drive behind this game? It should be all over city. This game should boast as much demand among the Sydney public as any Bledisloe game, considering home finals only come around once a decade or so.

I think there will be a bit of a spike in sales leading into the game as people start to work out what they want to do for the weekend..its great value for a dad to take his 2 or 3 kids out..

And as much as the decision to have the game at ANZ makes sense, if it were a ground designed for a rectangular field and it was a bit easier to get to and from ticket sales would be higher.

People are probably opting to watch it at home or at the pub when they log on to buy tickets and the only place left to sit with a mate or 2 is in the nose bleed section or behind the sticks.

So if you could pick up Suncorp and drop it anywhere between Randwick and Balmain, and even better have it during the day, it would be sure to be sold out!

 

[Tex]

I usually support anyone who's playing a NSW team, but this time around I'm solidly in the sky blue corner.

Really hope you blokes can take this one home.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Crusaders:

1. Wyatt Crockett
2. Corey Flynn
3. Owen Franks
4. Dominic Bird
5. Sam Whitelock
6. Richie McCaw
7. Matt Todd
8. Kieran Read
9. Andy Ellis
10. Colin Slade
11. Nemani Nadolo
12. Dan Carter
13. Ryan Crotty
14. Kieron Fonotia
15. Israel Dagg

16. Ben Funnell
17. Joe Moody
18. Nepo Laulala
19. Jimmy Tupou
20. Jordan Taufua
21. Willi Heinz
22. Tom Taylor
23. Johnny McNicholl

 

[Braveheart81]

Here's an interesting statistic.

After Michael Hooper, Nick Phipps is the Waratahs second most prolific tackler this season.

 

[KOB1987]

no surprises in the CRU..

 

[Pfitzy]

That's pretty piss weak. Is there much of a marketing drive behind this game? It should be all over city. This game should boast as much demand among the Sydney public as any Bledisloe game, considering home finals only come around once a decade or so.

Yes believe we've discussed this elsewhere.

Though I will add one point: NSW rugby fans don't seem to have the "us versus the world" mentality that the other provinces have. I think this is a big factor in a lower crowd number.

 

[KOB1987]

SuperBru fantasy team!

PR. Franks CRU
HK. Flynn CRU
PR. Crockett CRU
LK. Potgeiter WAR
LK. S Whitelock CRU
LF. Todd CRU
LF. Hooper WAR
LF. Read CRU
HB. Phipps WAR
FH. Foley WAR - K
BK. Slade CRU
CT. Beale WAR
CT. Nadolo CRU
BK. Ashley-Cooper WAR
BK. Folau WAR - C

 

[wamberal]

People are probably opting to watch it at home.

AFAIK a majority of the population does not have Foxtel.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Have you watched the precise play of the Crusader backline this year? If the Waratahs backline played like that at training you'd hear Cheika's abuse out at Penrith! I assume the precision referred to is the ability to achieve precise play at speed. On any measure the Tahs have shown that in spades this year.

If you take Nadolo out of their backline the Crusaders have looked totally pedestrian. Nadolo is just imitating Lomu. Remember what happened to Lomu in the WC final in 95? He got gang tackled and rendered harmless. Same will happen to Nadolo. Take him out and the Crusaders are totally lacking in penetration. Their back play can be best summarised by the sentence "Slade, Carter and Dagg kick well."

In the forwards you would say that their set piece is very good. If that's enough to claim a win, good luck to them. But everywhere else I reckon the Waratah forwards at least break even. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Crusaders handle the physicality and pace of TPN, Kepu, Douglas, Jackpot, Hooper and Palu. I don't think they've played against that level of physicality yet this year; welcome to ANZ guys, it ain't gonna be no picnic!

The Crusaders are better at the scrum, lineout, field and goal kicking. Will that be enough to win? I don't think so.

Last week's game was extremely physical - from both sides, it's just that the Sharks had very little idea what to do in attack.

I think you're overlooking how the Crusader attack aligns itself, and the fact that the Crusaders just happen to have the best running number 8 in world rugby right now and a number 7 in Todd that is one of the best support runners (much like Hooper). These two guys are critical in what we do in attack. Yes Nadolo is important because he can break down those one on one opportunities if they present themselves, but its the 7 and 8 (with the quick ball) that are the keys to what we do in attack.

Very few teams have stopped us this year when both of these guys have been playing.

 

[KOB1987]

AFAIK a majority of the population does not have Foxtel.

you conveniently left out 'or at the pub'..

 

[ShtinaTina]

Hit 50k +

 

[ACT Crusader]

Was it the 09 final that has the highest ever? I'm sure the Chiefs felt like there were 150,000 Bulls fans there that day....

 

[Pfitzy]

Was it the 09 final that has the highest ever? I'm sure the Chiefs felt like there were 150,000 Bulls fans there that day..

Tickets sold 55,000. Headcount was 85,000 - inbreeding is weird like that

 

[Set piece magic]

Yep 55,000 at 09 final. Tahs have got their grand final revenue now IMO and should ticket drop to fill it up from here. 65k would have a big game atmosphere and they really need 60

 

[BPC]

Last week's game was extremely physical - from both sides, it's just that the Sharks had very little idea what to do in attack.

I think you're overlooking how the Crusader attack aligns itself, and the fact that the Crusaders just happen to have the best running number 8 in world rugby right now and a number 7 in Todd that is one of the best support runners (much like Hooper). These two guys are critical in what we do in attack. Yes Nadolo is important because he can break down those one on one opportunities if they present themselves, but its the 7 and 8 (with the quick ball) that are the keys to what we do in attack.

Very few teams have stopped us this year when both of these guys have been playing.

Also, the Crusaders were spreading the ball wide to little effect early in the season but have tightened their attack up substantially over the last few weeks.

Read worries me more than McCaw and Todd combined.