NPR

Bugger. Another missed kicks - we are leaving far too many points on the park

This bloody ref has determined who is going to win and it ain't us

Gumboot wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 4:08 am http://streambee.to/c/rugby-union/super ... -chiefs/2/

Cheers

This one is going to be close.

Chiefs need a big scrum

Would gave that to BB

No, we need a lineout

Gatland missing two crucial penalties down the stretch

Vok.

No crowds?

Highlanders really bottling their opportunities

Let's hope it's a game of two halfs.

Ymx wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 6:43 am Highlanders really bottling their opportunities

Flaky Canes to wreck my FR GS

That should not be a scrum pen. Canes in reverse but scrum was still intact.

Landers with dropsies

Fakatava was well off his best today

Ardie a one man team. Ref totally inconsistent with advantages.

Get out of jail there for Canes. Don't like this new law.

UJ ends it.

Phew

Well, looking at it from a neutral perspective, Williams definitely had a homer, which could have affected the result. But more seriously, one would have to say the Highlanders don't look well-coached or selected: the game plan seemed to be make-it-up-as-we-go-along and there was an almost total inability to capitalise on opportunities. Nor can it be said they lacked the cattle in this game — with all the injuries, the Canes fielded Savea together with a team of rookies combined with journeymen.

Selby-Rickett though. Looks and plays like a young Retallick. He has to start.

So Canes got a bit of Covid in team, so probably means that Booth, Aumua etc out for next week too!

Canes winning makes my weekend that much better


Thank God for this forum. PR has turned to dogsballs.

You would never tire of punching Nick White.

WaraTards is kak as usual.

Ref fall for the diving.

Biffer wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 9:37 am You would never tire of punching Nick White.

V. true. But the gobby little prick had a very good game.

The catch from the Valetini pass and immediate offload to Ikitau was excellent.

Biffer wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 9:37 am You would never tire of punching Nick White.

I'll take that. GS

Not_Couch wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 8:27 am Canes winning makes my weekend that much better


Thank God for this forum. PR has turned to dogsballs.

I wondering with Canes seemingly getting a run of covid in team, will the poor buggers in MP get to miss another game next week?

Where is covid in the Canes camp being reported (I can only see details of it in the women’s team)?

Kiwias wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 7:23 amFakatava was well off his best today

Yep, he had a strangely poor 40 minutes.

Perofeta was excellent at fullback for the Blues. Tuivasa-Shek has a shoulder injury that could keep him out for a while.

Thomas Umaga-Jensen had a great game. Tony Brown reckons he could be an All Black, and on that performance I can see why.

Mate of mine recorded the Blues Chiefs game and we watched that instead of the Canes Clan clash. He's a Chiefs fan and I felt that this would be the key game of the round to watch with a lot of interesting sub plots regarding players.

Ultimately I think we were both a bit disappointed that the game didn't really rise to any great heights but there was no shortage of player observations to be made.

One I was keen on seeing pre game was Vaa'i playing at 6. AC floated the idea on PR last year and it struck me as not entirely stupid so having him named there piqued my interest. I think we still lack depth in the back row and need to develop depth at 6 so that players more suited to 7 and 8 can be left to play there. In the end I didn't notice Vaa'i until he was subbed. Thumbs up there, then. FFS.

RTS was pretty impressive busting the line early. Like... really impressive. He's very strong and also has power, I see those as slightly different factors. He gets his strength to work for him and looks to be the sort who can continue driving with players hanging off him, that's power. Ardie has that quality, for instance. It's early days of course but for RTS to offer a serious alternative at 12 then we need to see him show his ability to distribute with hand and boot AND defend well in addition to being a line breaker. His opposite, Quinn Tupaea had a mixed day at the office with a couple of errors but he still seriously impresses me and looks to have matured as a player in just 12 months at this level. I remember watching a Chiefs game last year where ALB almost seemed to be playing as a mentor to QT but he looks assured and strong with a good defensive side to his game.

Perofeta had his usual thoroughly impressive game. What can I say... I really like him as a player. I rate him.

Nanai Seturo is a magician. What a joy to watch.

Caleb Clarke was hard to miss. You get that when the camera picks a player out a lot. Still not really impressing me as being better than any of the other wingers in NZ, especially the one playing in the 13 jersey for the Blues.

I don't know about the scrums. Like, I just don't know what to take out of that game. A couple of massive efforts from both packs at times went unrewarded with the ref ordering a reset when it looked to me that the battle had been won and conceded. I'm guessing NZR haven't adopted the 'brake foot' ruling from WR? I haven't been able to pick it up in any game I've watched so far. Pita Gus Sowakula is going to end up a legend if he keeps playing the way he does. Sam Cane looked taller then ever with ball in hand and created havoc over the thing.

Brad Webber's tries will gloss over what I thought was a bit of an ordinary performance otherwise. He makes some scintillating breaks every game and usually manages to isolate himself doing so. He did that again so I guess he plays to his strengths, at least.

Josh Ioane was terrible. Where's Caleb Trask?

As for Harry Plummer... ummm, look, he's not a 1st 5's arsehole. He goes ok at 12.

Finally... I admit first up, I am not a fan of Beauden Barrett. Not in the sense that I don't rate him as a player, I do think he's a pretty decent and very damaging player. I just don't think he's a superstar 1st 5 and that sets me contrary to most of the NZ rugby dribbling public. To see him make a standard clearing kick from his own line and manage about 35-40m is one thing... to then hear TJ gush shamelessly about the brilliance of the kick irks me more than fresh Golden Labrador hair on my freshly vacuumed car seats but he's the best dog in the world and I won't hear... oh, BB. Yeah, well fuck the gushing. It's my cross to bear and bear it I willingly for your sins.

BB nearly cost the Blues at the end with a pretty dumb play. With two minutes left and leading by two what do you do when you are under penalty advantage? You hold the ball and work through a few phases before being awarded a penalty with time nearly up. Not Barrett, he chucked in an awful chip immediately taking no time from the game which arguably led to Gatland having a chance to win it for the Chiefs at the death. TJ said he’d never seen Barrett move so slow as he walked up to kick for touch but was silent on his decision making in making the chip. Poor game management I thought.

Yup.

He's a dud.

Fakatava is overrated.

Yeah I said it!

Not_Couch wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 1:10 am Fakatava is overrated.

Yeah I said it!

Time for Bryn Hall .

To be fair to Fakatava, let’s see him after a few more games back.

Not_Couch wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 1:10 am Fakatava is overrated.

Yeah I said it!

Jb1981 wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 1:20 am

Not_Couch wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 1:10 am Fakatava is overrated.

Yeah I said it!

Time for Bryn Hall .

To be fair to Fakatava, let’s see him after a few more games back.

I like Bryn Hall and I want him to do well.

He won't, though.

Tehuriorangi is my pet development player now. I want to see how he goes under Razor's coaching.