Super Rugby 2020

Yeah_Right · 21-06-2020 2:33pm

There is an over reliance on Aaron Smith at the Highlanders. The rest of the team seem solid but unremarkable. There doesn't appear to be creativity, strike players or power runners. I admit that I don't know a lot of their backline so some may turn out to be very good but from what I've seen theres none that look to be pushing for higher honours. You need Frizzel to return to his wrecking ball best. When is NMS expected back?

The Blues seem to be the only side with a consistent lineout but I expect the Crusaders will improve in that area. Just too many quality players in the pack. Though it looks like Scott Barrett is out for the season. Their young blindside, Grace, looks very good.

The Crusaders are one of those sides that absorb pressure and look that amazing but they grab their opportunities and keep the scoreboard ticking over. It was something I've noticed the Blues doing this season as well. Must be Leon Macdonald's influence.

Yeah_Right · 24-06-2020 10:29am

The old journeyman Alex Ainley has been called up to the Crusaders squad to cover Scot Barrett. He turns 39 next month. I'm sure you remember him Syd. He was the 33 year old rookie in the Highlanders championship season. That man gives hope to all of us who are too old and over the hill.

sydthebeat · 24-06-2020 10:53am

Legend!!

It would be crazy if the crusaders win this year that he'd have two championship medals, with two different teams, after only getting a SR contract at 33!

100 mitre 10 caps isn't too be sniffed at either!

Yeah_Right · 24-06-2020 11:37am

Apparently he has retired from NPC rugby every season since the end of 2016. He gets asked to come and help out at pre-season or in training because some young guy has hurt himself and ends up playing the rest of the season. He moved from Nelson to Tauranga with work a couple of years ago and got dragged into the BOP team. He is moving back to Nelson and the Crusaders call him up.

I half expect to see him starting in the final for the Crusaders.

sydthebeat · 25-06-2020 10:14am

Incredibly green back three named for the Highlanders versus the blues.
Incredibly fast, but incredibly inexperienced.

Good to see nareki back from injury.

Yeah_Right · 25-06-2020 4:20pm

Blues name an unchanged line up for this match except for English Joe coming on to the bench in place of Matt Duffie. Still no room for DC.

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 8:04am

Mon the landers!!

Good luck YR.

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 8:33am

Ah Gregory....

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 8:52am

That was an enjoyable half of rugby, even if we are 12 points down.

At least its not a penalty fest, and good handling in the wet has ensured scrums have been rare enough

27-06-2020 9:09am

Far too easy, that's just poor defence.

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 9:14am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Far too easy, that's just poor defence.

Shows the value of keeping the ball alive in contact....

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 9:15am

Fcuk yeah!!

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 9:17am

Fcuk no

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 9:19am

Fcuk yeah!!! This time

Whitters22 · 27-06-2020 9:26am

sydthebeat wrote: »

Ah Gregory....

And repeat

BonnieSituation · 27-06-2020 9:42am

Sake

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 9:48am

That's a ridiculous scrum pen from Williams

BonnieSituation · 27-06-2020 9:50am

Double sake.

Mostly now cos my stream is breaking up and way behind.

Scrum hadn't even happened on my end.

---

Edit: Triple sake. Scrum just happened.

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 9:50am

Great game.

It was there to be won

clsmooth · 27-06-2020 9:52am

Relief for the Blues. Umaga will have words after they turned down the 3 with less than 10 to go.

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 9:53am

clsmooth wrote: »

Relief for the Blues. Umaga will have words after they turned down the 3 with less than 10 to go.

Highlanders did the same, hunt didn't fancy it. I reckon gatland would have.

BonnieSituation · 27-06-2020 10:19am

sydthebeat wrote: »

Great game.

It was there to be won

Absolutely. Enough chances at the end.

sydthebeat · 27-06-2020 10:32am

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Absolutely. Enough chances at the end.

I've been quietly impressed with the Highlanders over the last couple of games.

Theres a strength and deliberateness up front that's providing a great platform, and is our most threatening attacking area.

Our back three are very inexperienced, and poor Scott Gregory had a day to forget (and nareki also blocked down could have caused another try only we had knock on advantage). I wouldn't mind see gatland start the next couple of games to get some continuity going, or at least until NMS gets back fit and firing and we can assess where he's at.

Highly impressed with mikele tui today... I think he was the stand out back row across the six players, with papeli shining as well. Akira was anonymous. Sotutu was very good but less influential in broken play than tui.

BonnieSituation · 27-06-2020 10:41am

I think you can only be impressed when they were being written off as fodder before a ball was kicked. Made me root for them anyway. Skin is now firmly in the game for me.

Yeah_Right · 27-06-2020 1:02pm

Good match and a good win for the Blues. Had to really grind it out after going to sleep for the first 20 or so of the second half. I was getting flashbacks to the Blues of old thinking "here we go again". But they stuck at it and got the win. Your boys were better than I expected Syd.

hahashake · 27-06-2020 1:37pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

I've been quietly impressed with the Highlanders over the last couple of games.

Theres a strength and deliberateness up front that's providing a great platform, and is our most threatening attacking area.

Our back three are very inexperienced, and poor Scott Gregory had a day to forget (and nareki also blocked down could have caused another try only we had knock on advantage). I wouldn't mind see gatland start the next couple of games to get some continuity going, or at least until NMS gets back fit and firing and we can assess where he's at.

Highly impressed with mikele tui today... I think he was the stand out back row across the six players, with papeli shining as well. Akira was anonymous. Sotutu was very good but less influential in broken play than tui.

Sotutu has some lovely touches though, the pinpoint kick from the back of a scrum, try assist cut-out pass and chargedown leading to another try. Marino looks great too, very destructive. Expect to see both players wearing black.

Yeah_Right · 27-06-2020 1:42pm

Apparently Sotutu is eligible for England through his mum. Hope he chooses NZ but if not, I wouldn't begrudge him playing for Fiji.

hahashake · 27-06-2020 1:46pm

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Apparently Sotutu is eligible for England through his mum. Hope he chooses NZ but if not, I wouldn't begrudge him playing for Fiji.

Good thing he isn't being blocked in his position or he could be another Brad Shields!

lawrencesummers · 28-06-2020 6:48am

A little off topic... yet super rugby related but I’ve developed serious reservations about Gatland being The next lions coach.
It’s a double standard to me that the coach can be foreign based from their ‘home union’ but a player can’t, and that’s before you realize that he won’t be attending games to the level that other coaches could.

KevinK · 28-06-2020 7:57am

lawrencesummers wrote: »

A little off topic... yet super rugby related but I’ve developed serious reservations about Gatland being The next lions coach.
It’s a double standard to me that the coach can be foreign based from their ‘home union’ but a player can’t, and that’s before you realize that he won’t be attending games to the level that other coaches could.

He’s taking a year off from the Chiefs though isn’t he? I think that combined with his recent extensive experience in the Northern Hemipshere means it’s probably fine..

hahashake · 28-06-2020 1:41pm

Judging by his last 3 games, he's already got one eye on the Lions...

lawrencesummers · 28-06-2020 2:22pm

KevinK wrote: »

He’s taking a year off from the Chiefs though isn’t he? I think that combined with his recent extensive experience in the Northern Hemipshere means it’s probably fine..

I don’t think any player would be allowed to do it.
It’s a double standard.

sydthebeat · 28-06-2020 2:49pm

lawrencesummers wrote: »

I don’t think any player would be allowed to do it.
It’s a double standard.

He's not a player, and it's obviously something he contracted for and chiefs were happy to agree to.

I think your getting upset about nothing

lawrencesummers · 29-06-2020 1:13am

sydthebeat wrote: »

He's not a player, and it's obviously something he contracted for and chiefs were happy to agree to.

I think your getting upset about nothing

Upset?
Your grasp of emotions need education.

sydthebeat · 29-06-2020 10:32am

lawrencesummers wrote: »

..... but I’ve developed serious reservations about Gatland .......

ok, lets change "upset" to having "serious reservations"......

so ill try again

I think your getting upset having serious reservations about nothing

lawrencesummers · 29-06-2020 12:10pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

ok, lets change "upset" to having "serious reservations"......

so ill try again

I think your getting upset having serious reservations about nothing

I think it’s a contradiction that a coach is allowed be foreign for the season but a player isn’t.

I also think it’s not good preparation for a coach to be unable to attend the vast majority of games that his potential players will be playing in. That’s terrible preparation.

sydthebeat · 29-06-2020 2:17pm

lawrencesummers wrote: »

I think it’s a contradiction that a coach is allowed be foreign for the season but a player isn’t.

I also think it’s not good preparation for a coach to be unable to attend the vast majority of games that his potential players will be playing in. That’s terrible preparation.

He's taking 12 months out of his chiefs contract to focus on the lions.

I'm not sure why you think he would be unavailable to attend games, he's actually available to attend all games. That would have him available to watch, in person, more games than any other contracted coach in the world.

He'll be finished with the chiefs at the end of July.(edit : 9th August actually) .... And be available for "lions watching" before any northern hemisphere games recommence.

As a coach he couldn't actually be in a better position to make assessments and preparations

As to his "foreign" status, I'm not sure that has anything at all to do with his ability to do the job.

Zzippy · 29-06-2020 2:21pm

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Upset?
Your grasp of emotions need education.

Tone it down please. Don't tell people they need to be educated. As ever, this site welcomes civil debate, please bear that in mind.

hahashake · 29-06-2020 3:03pm

If there was a candidate based in the UK or Ireland with a similar resume to Gatland then they should have got the job - but there isn't by any stretch.

Speaking of coaches, is Schmidt expected to coach again? I had assumed he might have an eye on the Blues job but they are no longer looking like a rabble so McDonald will be kept on. Perhaps a Prem or Top14 club? Not the best market globally regardless of location.

Digifriendly · 03-07-2020 4:02am

Super Rugby in Australia begins this weekend. Western Force after 3 years in the 'Super Rugby wilderness' are back competing with the other 4 Australian teams. Will be interesting to see how they go.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-01/super-rugby-rule-changes-to-shape-games-future-bring-back-crowds/12404934

sydthebeat · 03-07-2020 7:11pm

Highlanders to ruin crusaders route to the comp... You heard it here first!

swiwi_ · 03-07-2020 7:53pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

Highlanders to ruin crusaders route to the comp... You heard it here first!

In other news our thoughts and prays with syd as he spends his first night in a mental asylum.

sydthebeat · 03-07-2020 8:23pm

swiwi_ wrote: »

In other news our thoughts and prays with syd as he spends his first night in a mental asylum.

Whoop whoop!!!

Gonna give your boys a paddlin swiwi!

sydthebeat · 04-07-2020 8:55am

Great first half, the quality of rugby is excellent.

Highlanders 17-14 crusaders.

I feel we're going to miss josh Dixon badly for the rest of the season

sydthebeat · 04-07-2020 9:52am

Ran out of legs...

Well done swiwis boys

Yeah_Right · 04-07-2020 12:44pm

That was a very good game of footie. The Crusaders are just relentless. The dont give the opposition a chance and they wear them down.

Thought Cody Taylor was very impressive. Goodhue gets better and better every time I see him. Jordan is going to be an AB soon and Moauga was fantastic. For the Highlanders I thought Smith was his usual top quality and Frizzel is back to the form that got him in the ABs. Nice cameo from Whetton as well.

It will take some performance from any team to beat the Crusaders this year.

Digifriendly · 04-07-2020 2:05pm

No comments on Australian Super matches? Is interest minimal on this forum?

connemara man · 04-07-2020 4:20pm

Digifriendly wrote: »

No comments on Australian Super matches? Is interest minimal on this forum?

Brumbies were the much better team this morning but switched off big time in the 2nd half. A lot of handling errors, silly penalties, and looked a lot rustier than when the NZ teams started back.

Didn't watch yesterday's but I heard it was error and penalty ridden.

Also the commentary team were dreadful!! Made an average game seem poor to worse

sydthebeat · 04-07-2020 4:31pm

Digifriendly wrote: »

No comments on Australian Super matches? Is interest minimal on this forum?

Have them on record, the 10am KO times are not really suiting live watching

stephen_n · 04-07-2020 10:34pm

It kind of amazed me how the Highlander’s managed to stay in the game. Without a scrum or a lineout, fairplay to them. Great game but the Crusaders are just phenomenal.

Super Rugby 2020

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