NPR

Outstanding goal-line defense by the good guys

It would be so like Canterbury for them to score so soon after being under the pump

Canterbury leading 17-3 at HT. Expect them to rack up a cricket score from here.

There looks to be a decent crowd in but they are very quiet and reserved, much as I remember ChCh crowds were when I was there.

Burke blew a try there before the penalty by not passing to the men outside him

Drummond wastes good possession

Canterbury unusually sloppy at the moment

Great D from Northland to hold out Canterbury.

They have a penalty attempt to close within 4.

20-16 - game on

Northland never got their hands on the ball again. 23-16 final score

Definitely not the way I saw the game playing out but we are in the semis. Bloody gutsy performance by the Taniwha

Kiwias wrote: Sat Oct 08, 2022 5:19 am Definitely not the way I saw the game playing out but we are in the semis. Bloody gutsy performance by the Taniwha

Canterbury made to work a lot harder for that win than I thought they would.

Gumboot wrote: Sat Oct 08, 2022 5:22 am

Kiwias wrote: Sat Oct 08, 2022 5:19 am Definitely not the way I saw the game playing out but we are in the semis. Bloody gutsy performance by the Taniwha

Canterbury made to work a lot harder for that win than I thought they would.

Good high pressure game and the Taniwha got a second wind there for a while that I thought might sink Canterbury.

Annoying that both games so much earlier today. Ironic that I was up late last night (but not late enough) doing online godfather in Auckland!

QF4 between Waikato and Bay of Plenty kicking off shortly in Kirikiriroa.

Have to back the Steamers here (or I'll be lynched and drummed out of the Whakamarama Casual Drinking On Sunny Days Club)...

and having lazily got around to checking the Heartland Championship ladder, I might have to find some South Canterbury colours to roll around in as well.

Holy shit... play to the whistle boys

Waikato leading 14-10 at HT.

Not the greatest spectacle so far. Hope the second half's a big improvement.

Gumboot wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 1:52 am Waikato leading 14-10 at HT.

Not the greatest spectacle so far. Hope the second half's a big improvement.

The only time Damian MacKenzie had possession and didn't cough it up to the opposition, he ran 10m sideways and passed...

hailed as brilliant by Laban.

Guy Smiley wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 2:06 am

Gumboot wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 1:52 am Waikato leading 14-10 at HT.

Not the greatest spectacle so far. Hope the second half's a big improvement.

The only time Damian MacKenzie had possession and didn't cough it up to the opposition, he ran 10m sideways and passed...

hailed as brilliant by Laban.

I mute Laban games.

Waikato are so disjointed in this game.

Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi has been disappointing for me... too much mucking about behind the ruck and scrum.Touted as a future AB, I don't think he's got it in him.

There's been a few players stand out (ALB had some deft touches) but I'm starting to think it's the overall mediocrity of this game that makes a decent player stand out.

Guy Smiley wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 2:35 am Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi has been disappointing for me... too much mucking about behind the ruck and scrum.Touted as a future AB, I don't think he's got it in him.

TTT got a couple of test caps in 2018, but hasn't figured since.

Waikato have been their own worst enemies. Some of the passing... dear oh dear.

Well done, Steamers.

Gumboot wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 2:43 am

Waikato have been their own worst enemies. Some of the passing... dear oh dear.

A game marred by a lack of composure from both sides really, with BoP managing to get it and keep it together after half time.

Steamers were much better than last week but Waikato played very poorly I hope that DMac does not come back to the ABs.

Because the NPC is our national thing and thread, maybe you guys will enjoy this

Kiwias wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 2:59 am Steamers were much better than last week but Waikato played very poorly I hope that DMac does not come back to the ABs.

Steamers should have won last week too. Only person to pick them this week in the FR was me.......... but would rather the results were reversed because they and Harbour have cost me successive GSs.

Good to see in a comp that QFs were were won by 7 points or less, no blow outs, but who saw Northland get so close to Canterbury?

Dan54 wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 7:32 pm Good to see in a comp that QFs were were won by 7 points or less, no blow outs, but who saw Northland get so close to Canterbury?

Should have gone for the try instead of taking the 3 points near the end...

Guy Smiley wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 4:04 am Because the NPC is our national thing and thread, maybe you guys will enjoy this

I did! Thanks.

Enjoyed that to Guy Smiley.

SF1 kicking off in the capital in about half an hour.

Wellington: Ruben Love, Julian Savea, Billy Proctor, Riley Higgins, Pepesana Patafilo, Jackson Garden-Bachop, TJ Perenara, Peter Lakai, Du'Plessis Kirifi (captain), Caleb Delany, Dom Bird, James Blackwell, Pekahou Cowan, Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia.
Reserves: Josh Southall, PJ Sheck, Tietie Tuimauga, Taine Plumtree, Keelan Whitman, Richard Judd, Aidan Morgan, Connor Garden-Bachop.

Auckland: Jordan Trainor, AJ Lam, Bryce Heem, Harry Plummer (captain), Tomas Aoake, Simon Hickey, Taufa Funaki, Jackson Pugh, Niko Jones, Blake Gibson, Patrick Tuipulotu, Hamish Dalzell, Marcel Renata, Soane Vikena, Alex Hodgman.
Reserves: Leni Apisai, Jordan Lay, Sione Ahio, Josh Beehre, Terrell Peita, Manu Paea, Corey Evans, Joel Cobb.

Dan54 wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 7:29 pm Enjoyed that to Guy Smiley.

Me too, Guy. Thanks

Had Welly to win this one comfortably (Aucks with too many key players back to ABs) but this is becoming a rout.

An that must be game over before 1/2 time.

Orcs’ back line defense was an utter shambles for that last try.

TJ blatantly taken out in the lead-up to Auckland's try.

Guy Smiley wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 4:04 am Because the NPC is our national thing and thread, maybe you guys will enjoy this

Was that Kronfeld in the 1st one?

And I learned the proper pronunciation of pakeha.

Oooh. Maybe game on?

Am I the only one to think that P Tuipulotu was hardly involved in the first half?