Auckland vs Otago

[SouthernMann]

Otago seemed to have named a secondish XV with eight changes, basically deciding to throw the game as unwinable even if they put out their best. So it should be an absolute pumping.

[Chris B.]

@southernmann Where's Geoff Toovey?!!!

[Stargazer]

[Tim]

@kiwimurph Ruru can cover 10, but that would leave Plummer covering 15? Or perhaps Rayasi? He has a decent boot.

[KiwiMurph]

Clarke is going to have his defence tested by Nareki - one of the form wingers in the comp.

[KiwiMurph]

Telea clearly not fit if he gets injured that early.

[Dice]

I think Telea missed an overlap there.

Hope he's OK.

[Stargazer]

That weird yellow card again. Deliberately knocking a ball back into touch. Very similar to "that" SBW card. I don't agree with it.

[KiwiMurph]

@stargazer I do. Fuck off Collins.

[Stargazer]

@kiwimurph Would you have agreed with it, if it had happened at the other side of the field?

[Higgins]

Well that's a new rule to me. He certainly did not throw it into touch so how can it possibly be a yellow card?

[Dice]

Rayasi could've scored if he went for the corner, but he tried to go inside.

[Anonymous]

@higgins You cannot deliberately throw, knock or place the ball into touch. If anything he's lucky it wasn't a penalty try.

[KiwiMurph]

@stargazer to be honest a large part of it is my hatred of Collins.

[Higgins]

Anonymous said:

@higgins You cannot deliberately throw, knock or place the ball into touch. If anything he's lucky it wasn't a penalty try.

A matter of opinion then. To me it did not look like a deliberate throw into touch.

[Stargazer]

@anonymous It's a stupid rule. Kicking a ball out deliberately is okay, but not knocking it out with your hand. It went backward too. Ughh.

[Higgins]

The ref did not mention knock on during the delivery of his decision. I thought he simply said something like "deliberately knocking it back" which is not a penalisable offence much less a yellow card one/ You might recall TBW got dealt to for a deliberate knock back in a HB v Otago game in Dunedin a few years back. Might even have been the game we relieved them of the Shield.

[KiwiMurph]

An underrated skill of halfbacks is being able to organise a maul.

[Anonymous]

@higgins It's the knocking it into touch that was the issue.

A player must not:

    b. Intentionally knock, place, push or throw the ball with arm or hand from the playing area. 

[Dice]

Hopefully Whetton is good for next week, but I doubt it. That looks like at least a two week injury.