Force v Blues

KiwiMurph

A change in the 23: Kneepkens replaces Mark Telea on the Blues bench.

TheMojoman

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/300574849/blues-hail-akira-ioane-as-gamechanger-ahead-of-super-rugby-pacific-season-debut

Conventional rugby wisdom has that after such a long period out of the game, you bring a player back via the bench. Ease him back into the fray with 20-odd minutes off the pine.

Not Ioane though. MacDonald says what he’s seen on the training field instils confidence his ball-playing loosie is ready to give him an hour from the opening hooter before he “falls off a cliff”. 

...

“We held him back deliberately,” said the coach. “We could have pushed him out last week, but wanted to give him extra time, get a few more miles in the legs and confidence levels up. At some point he will get tired and he’s going to feel it, but we just felt this week he looks ready to go.”

Awesome. My expectations are high!

Dice

Pretty much 3 opensides in the 23. I would've chucked Plumtree on the bench. Still a very good team though.

Daffy Jaffy

Don't be surprised if this force team take longer to break down than people are expecting. They have a hard working, nuggety pack with 4 internationals in the tight five. Even when out classed, and giving up early leads, they tend to hang close to teams and still be in games into the last quarter. Also NZ teams rarely play well in those midnight kick off games in Perth when your body clock is telling you that you should be asleep. Hopefully being in Oz for the extra week will help with that adjustment. I think the experience and class of Christie and Barrett will be the difference in the end.
Edit: Then again, I heard Richard Kahui on the radio saying that they only trained once this week due to players isolating. It will be interesting to see how their energy levels are after the Covid enforced week off. The 6-2 bench should help.

Duluth

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force v Blues:

Don't be surprised if this force team take longer to break down than people are expecting. They have a hard working, nuggety pack with 4 internationals in the tight five. Even when out classed, and giving up early leads, they tend to hang close to teams and still be in games into the last quarter.

Just look at last year. The Blues smashed them in the first half then let the foot off the gas. The Force won the second half 21-3

Dice

This week's throwback try.

One from our very first game against the Force.

https://streamable.com/xt1iqz

KiwiMurph

They really are commited to kicking this game off as late as possible eh?

Stargazer

@KiwiMurph I've already decided to watch it tomorrow morning. It's been a long day. I hate these late k/o times.

Tim

@Stargazer Really struggling not to go to bed. Have not missed Perth games ...

KiwiMurph

@Stargazer said in Force v Blues:

@KiwiMurph I've already decided to watch it tomorrow morning. It's been a long day. I hate these late k/o times.

I don't blame you.

Something tells me this is gonna be a scrappy affair

KiwiMurph

Now the players have to warm.up for 5 minutes

Kirwan

@Tim said in Force v Blues:

@Stargazer Really struggling not to go to bed. Have not missed Perth games ...

Im too old to stay up like this.

KiwiMurph

That's a really soft penalty by RTS.

Tim

Good hit from a blues player before that penalty.

KiwiMurph

Get onside ffs

Duluth

@Tim said in Force v Blues:

Good hit from a blues player before that penalty.

Think it was Eklund

Kirwan

Bit early for a card

KiwiMurph

@Kirwan said in Force v Blues:

Bit early for a card

Only have themselves to blame. Idiots.

African Monkey

@Kirwan Deserved, we've been pathetic with it so far.

Anonymous

Is the audio way out of sync for anyone else? Like when the ref was talking.

The Silver Fern

Force v Blues