Chiefs v Highlanders

[Kiwiwomble]

@nepia I think even his biggest fans like me acknowledge he hasn’t shown anywhere near the same form in the black jersey and was put in stark contrast to akira when he came on

[Winger]

@higgins said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@winger said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@gt12 said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

I like it how the ‘safe’ 10 goes off after contributing strongly to us losing us the game, so now we’ll have to chase it.

Gatland is just not good enough at this level

We have to endure JGB so come on have some sympathy for them. We know how Nepia and the Chiefs supporters must be feeling!

I do. I was hoping he went OK. He will never do anything brilliant but he has to do the basics well (as JGB mostly does). He failed even with this. His stupid 14 point kick was idiotic

Give me JGB any day over Gatland. But TBH I would give him another go next week. And if he fails again the Chiefs need to look at how they are recruiting players. and make the necessary changes. And urgently

[Stag]

@gt12 Cane was rubbish for the Chiefs all last year and has started the same way again

[Kiwiwomble]

@stag didn’t he get SRA 2020 player of the year or something?

[Nepia]

@kiwiwomble said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@stag didn’t he get SRA 2020 player of the year or something?

Nah, NZ Rugby Player of the Year.

I tend to just laugh when people put down Cane these days. It's a bit comical.

[Kiwiwomble]

@nepia he was pretty hot of the ABs which would explain it

I didn’t rate what I saw In SRA last year

[Stargazer]

IMO Cane is a great player, but it seems he isn't as good as he was a few years ago. I wonder whether that has anything to do with that serious neck injury he's had?

[Frank]

@old-samurai-jack said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

Ha! Loved that! Frizell was huge! He is just getting better every season.

So long as it is SR level.
Akira has far more physicality than him at international level.
Far more.

[Bovidae]

Well that sucked!

I haven't read the match comments but the 2nd half was very disappointing, particularly as most of the missed tackles leading to Highlanders' tries were by current ABs.

[Toddy]

@stargazer said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

IMO Cane is a great player, but it seems he isn't as good as he was a few years ago. I wonder whether that has anything to do with that serious neck injury he's had?

Cane had his best year in black ever last year and was rightfully voted NZ's best player. I think any comparisons to previous years in Black need to be put in perspective that back then he was also playing alongside what may have been one of the All Black's strongest packs ever.

I'm still not sure he's captain material. Some captains are just losers and for whatever reason can't inspire those around them. Cane may be one of these.

[Yeetyaah]

Chiefs just keeping their powder dry

[Bones]

@crucial said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@bones said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

I don't understand how him being tackled is mitigation for that. What...so it would have been better if he hit him in the head?

Simply because his arm only went up when he was tackled around the ankles and falling forward toward an on coming player. It was instinct to protect his head. These rules are all about player safety but a player isnt allowed to protect themselves from potential injury. Ioane ran into his arm not the arm running into Ioane.

[Old Samurai Jack]

@nepia He did OK in the ABs. The distractors see what they want to see regardless of what happens on the field. The problem seems to be consistency, drifting in and out of games with quiet patches (Kaino was the same when he started).

[Crucial]

@bones droll but is there some other reason that you raise an arm in front of your face while falling?

[Old Samurai Jack]

@frank Frizzel did OK but yeah, in contrast, Akira looked like he was made for test rugby. His impact was pretty impressive.

[Bones]

@crucial said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@bones droll but is there some other reason that you raise an arm in front of your face while falling?

The straaaawwwwssss.

Maybe the same reason you do it when not falling eh.

[Kiwiwomble]

@old-samurai-jack said in Chiefs v Highlanders:

@frank Frizzel did OK but yeah, in contrast, Akira looked like he was made for test rugby. His impact was pretty impressive.

He just needs to repeat it for a few games in a row, frizell debut for the abs was good from memory

[OleOleOle]

@winger Gatland was horiffic, 2 kicks that led directly to tries to the Highlanders and a dropped ball in the 22 that lead to another try.

Hopefully Trask is fit again soon or they need to move McKenzie to the 10 jersey.

[ARHS]

@oleoleole His lack of effort to tackle or even check the catcher in leadup to the long range try was very disappointing also. I think there was a collective lack of defensive urgency when the Chiefs got ahead, and it cost them horribly. Also disappointing to see two of the most effective Chiefs forwards on offence and defence subbed early. They never regained that impact with the subs on.

[Kiwiwomble]

@oleoleole come on, that pass from dmac has horrific, but it’s all on gatland for dropping it?