Crusaders v Blues
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@SammyC - Excellent post.
On Whetu Douglas - I wasn't sure of how good he would be. Started season slowly, but has become an increasingly important lynchpin to the pack. Looks to be a useful and effective option at 8.
On Big Red - I also like watching him play, you know exactly what you're going to get from him. He's young and urgent and raw and above all else HUNGRY.
On Akira - Man I would love to see him totally dominate, but he just dips in and out of games too often for my liking.
On Nonu - Hate to say it, but his time in Black has come and gone I fear. He'.s been invaluable for the Blues this season, with his experence and leadership, but perhaps just too much of a logjam in his position for a WC berth. -
I think if Nonu was ever a true shot, he needed to be managed better by the Blues, and maybe if SBW wasnt injured, he may well have been, but seems the minutes on the park are taking its toll on him.
Akira is a bit of an enigma, has all the physical attributes to totally dominate, and does from time to time, all too infrequently, but is just missing that desire or want to take himself to the upper level. Think his minutes will also affect his chances of getting in black too.
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@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:
Don't criticise Rieko! Even if it's something that has zilch to do with his rugby talent.
So Akira is having a quiet year after a couple of barnstorming years...andcthis year is world cup? Plays nicely into my RWC secret weapon theory...
this is now serious tinfoil hat territory, and damn it, I'm going there. I wondered last year if they were getting flogged in training on the end of year tour. The Ireland game in particular, the forwards looked lethargic and slow. I'm hoping we are tapering nicely for the business end of the tourney, and may struggle at times as we go through. There needs to be a powder dry meme for this
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@nzzp said in Crusaders v Blues:
@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:
Don't criticise Rieko! Even if it's something that has zilch to do with his rugby talent.
So Akira is having a quiet year after a couple of barnstorming years...andcthis year is world cup? Plays nicely into my RWC secret weapon theory...
this is now serious tinfoil hat territory, and damn it, I'm going there. I wondered last year if they were getting flogged in training on the end of year tour. The Ireland game in particular, the forwards looked lethargic and slow. I'm hoping we are tapering nicely for the business end of the tourney, and may struggle at times as we go through. There needs to be a powder dry meme for this
If that seriously was the case, I would feel so sorry for the Blues to have to "play him" like that.
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Besides the obvious overplaying issue with Akira (which hopefully will ease off now they have started looking at Sotutu), they play him the same way Auckland did in the NPC, stationed outside the centre to use his attacking abilities against the backs.
Problem is the Blues struggle to get the ball wide without dropping it, and Ruru and Pulu aren't fast passers so by the time it gets out there he has three tacklers on him.
Also, he's stopped running from the base of the scrum, which was devastating earlier in the season. That has to be a team pattern thing.
Defensively, he's been huge for us. Easily the best Maul defender, and cleans up so much for the team. If anything, he's getting criticised for doing what people criticised him for NOT doing earlier in previous years.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Crusaders v Blues:
@Kirwan I thought the conditions favoured the Blues and their forward dominant style. When it’s been dry and less slippery, that is when we have excelled with our midfield making metres and our quicks our wide being dominant.
Have to disagree, your forward pack is your strength. Strong set piece, attacking maul experts, and disruptive at the ruck. Perfect pack for wet weather rugby, and a lot experienced kicking options in your backs.
With the handling mistakes we make, across the team, it needed to be dry for us to have any shot.
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Guttered we didn't pick up a bonus point, although I didn't expect one going into the game.
Strange that Aumua came on and went to 12 instead of centre. I don't think I've seen him play there before. Maybe they thought he'd get exposed by the Crusaders if he went to centre.
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@Dice said in Crusaders v Blues:
Guttered we didn't pick up a bonus point, although I didn't expect one going into the game.
Strange that Aumua came on and went to 12 instead of centre. I don't think I've seen him play there before. Maybe they thought he'd get exposed by the Crusaders if he went to centre.
I guess because Nonu needed less minutes, and TJ was defending like a demon. Also he probably would not have got much ball at centre in those conditions and wanted him to bash it up closer in?
Big boy.
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@Kirwan Yeah, I think they wanted to use him as a battering ram in close, which they did.
Definitely a big boy, probably 10-15 kilos too big for a midfielder at this level. He'd be so much better if he shed some weight. He looks like a bigger Laumape for Ta$man, but doesn't have the workrate or defense because he's so big.
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What do the Blues do now at 10, both for the rest of this season and beyond? Plummer has been really, really average. Seems to do two things poorly for every thing he does well. Black simply isn't coming on as he should have. Neither of these jokers are going to reach their potential at the Blues as they are now and have been for many moons. They really either need a generational talent who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed, or to sign BB or Richie, which isn't going to happen.
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@shark said in Crusaders v Blues:
What do the Blues do now at 10, both for the rest of this season and beyond? Plummer has been really, really average. Seems to do two things poorly for every thing he does well. Black simply isn't coming on as he should have. Neither of these jokers are going to reach their potential at the Blues as they are now and have been for many moons. They really either need a generational talent who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed, or to sign BB or Richie, which isn't going to happen.
Sorry, are you just rubbing it in?
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@shark said in Crusaders v Blues:
What do the Blues do now at 10, both for the rest of this season and beyond? Plummer has been really, really average. Seems to do two things poorly for every thing he does well. Black simply isn't coming on as he should have. Neither of these jokers are going to reach their potential at the Blues as they are now and have been for many moons. They really either need a generational talent who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed, or to sign BB or Richie, which isn't going to happen.
What?
Plummer is 20 and a rookie. He's already lead the Blues to an NZ derby win. Something they hadn't done the previous 2 seasons.
Writing him off now is frankly ridiculous. Josh Ioane didn't exactly light it up for the Highlanders in his first action. Let him develop.
The bigger issue to me is 9. Nock seemed to be showing some real promise but got injured. Pulu is probably gone after this year. Ruru is a decent squad option but doesn't feel like a starting quality 9.
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@KiwiMurph This. Writing off a 20 year old in his first season, who is showing improvement, is hilarious. Black may be another story, as he's had more experience at the Hurricanes, but still early for him too.
Lots to like about Plummer, the way he steered Auckland to the win in the final for example.
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@KiwiMurph said in Crusaders v Blues:
@shark said in Crusaders v Blues:
What do the Blues do now at 10, both for the rest of this season and beyond? Plummer has been really, really average. Seems to do two things poorly for every thing he does well. Black simply isn't coming on as he should have. Neither of these jokers are going to reach their potential at the Blues as they are now and have been for many moons. They really either need a generational talent who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed, or to sign BB or Richie, which isn't going to happen.
What?
Plummer is 20 and a rookie. He's already lead the Blues to an NZ derby win. Something they hadn't done the previous 2 seasons.
Writing him off now is frankly ridiculous. Josh Ioane didn't exactly light it up for the Highlanders in his first action. Let him develop.
The bigger issue to me is 9. Nock seemed to be showing some real promise but got injured. Pulu is probably gone after this year. Ruru is a decent squad option but doesn't feel like a starting quality 9.
Plummer is fine.
I don't think he will ever be a frontline All Black (looks to lack a little bit of top end pace to me), but he's way better than Otere Black.
Pretty tough for any 10 to come down here against a fired up Crusaders forward pack and a pumped up crowd and perform on such a cold night. Just ask Beauden Barrett
