Hawkes Bay vs Northland (RS)
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@taniwharugby I thought Northland played bloody well, gave the Bay a real physical game and never gave up. I don't know what other people think but Stacey Ili is playing himself in Super Rugby contention.
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@Billsy111 said in Hawkes Bay vs Northland (RS):
@taniwharugby I thought Northland played bloody well, gave the Bay a real physical game and never gave up. I don't know what other people think but Stacey Ili is playing himself in Super Rugby contention.
Ili had a great game in the absence of Jonah Lowe (our best performing back this year by some distance despite what some Canes fans imagine). He wouldn't look out of place another level up.
Fomai also made the most of his opportunities on Lowe's usual wing too.
Visinia kicked a bit too much for a Fijian wing, one was decent but a couple were poor.
@reprobate said in Hawkes Bay vs Northland (RS):
Fakatava is going to be good I reckon. Smith-like - not as good obviously - in his speed to rucks and flat passing, and a bit of vision to chuck the cut-out for the try too. Seen him show a bit of hungus previously, but none of that on display here.
TBH, I think he went too far the other way (still had an awesome match) and didn't snipe a few times when I think he should have.
McClutchie was solid moving the team around the park in the second half.
Sapsford was ok, he's big and direct, but Toala is a class above.
Baker has to go, he's an old body not up to this level anymore. Makene, Toala, and McNicol would all be better bets than Baker.
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Oh for our basic skills to have been up to scratch last night, if so we may have been telling a different story this morning.
Can’t fault the fight in our lads, but when we’re dropping balls, missing touch and throwing laboured passes you’re not going to get the rewards in high pressure matches like that.
Hawke’s Bay looked a bit rattled in that first half, but we missed the opportunity to stick the knife in the throat. Polish that shit up and we beat Otago next week. Got to get back on the horse and aim for a home semi final at the very least. We’re certainly capable...
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@Stargazer said in Hawkes Bay vs Northland (RS):
@J77 If, if, if ... That counts for nothing, because you could say the same thing about Hawke's Bay's first half. If Hawke's Bay had played a better first half, the points differential would have been bigger than it actually was, last night.
It’s an opinion. We both see things from our own teams perspective and comment as such. The game transpired as it was and there’s nothing any of us can do to change it. I’m deliberately using the “if, if, if” routine just because I can..
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@J77 I guess it’s frustrating because when your the master of your own errors , you make life that much easier for the opposing team ..straight drops under no pressure and not finding touch are inexcusable in the modern game .
Problem is we been doing this all season , we got away with it against Southland .
On saying that we have got Temo Mayanavanua for one more game before he joins Fijian team as they head to the Northern Hemisphere.
Only one injury concern which is in and around Blake Hohaia . -
@Billsy111 said in Hawkes Bay vs Northland (RS):
@taniwharugby I thought Northland played bloody well, gave the Bay a real physical game and never gave up. I don't know what other people think but Stacey Ili is playing himself in Super Rugby contention.
Ili has good quick feet and a great offload. Occasionally tries it too much, still needs to work on when to put it away a little bit, but great skills - reminds me of NMS.
Not a big man though, which will work against him at the higher level. -
@taniwharugby Rene was excellent. He plays on the edge so you are going to get risky play, but Northland needed it.
@Billsy111 I thought Northland played well also, just lacked that finishing class.
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@Steven-Harris yea we are creating opportunities but ruining them with silly errors, then letting opposition punish us, whereas we aren't able to take advantage of their errors.
Last night I think we created enough opportunities to be ahead at the break, and probably win too, but ultimately we were not upto it.
Can only imagine how we would look if we still had J-Deb and Goodhue, given our 10/12 axis has struggled all season so far.
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@Nepia said in Hawkes Bay vs Northland (RS):
I'm assuming all the other Magpies posters are at the park, I felt like I was in a Northland love in during this thread.
Don't have an internet connect at the flat so can't comment whilst watching games from there!
