Final: Blues vs Crusaders
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@Chris-B Will Dempter?!!!! I had to tackle that monster a full steam. Ended up on my ass but did not embarrass myself.
LOL. Used to play indoor soccer against the Dempter family. They were a horde.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Duluth said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@mariner4life said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
For these Blues boys it's all new
It's not quite the same but the Blues played a final last year in front of ~32k and the game was relatively tight. There was plenty of pressure in that moment
When was the last time the Crusaders played an away final? 2017 in SA I think?
Blues definitely favourites with these facts.
The home team has won the past 22 play-off games in Super rugby. You have to go back to 2017 to find an away winner.
It's barely worth staying up for!
@Chris-B said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
The home team has won the past 22 play-off games in Super rugby. You have to go back to 2017 to find an away winner.
The Highlanders beating the Hurricanes in 2015 has been the exception for NZ teams in finals in the 2000s.
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@broughie Seemed to be a regular for the South Island and I think played a few AB trials, but never quite cracked the ABs.
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@mariner4life Exactly, he is a Poverty Bay boy 100%!
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Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders. -
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders. -
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.@Bovidae said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.What's their percentage with other refs of the same era? Probably similar!
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@Bovidae said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.What's their percentage with other refs of the same era? Probably similar!
@Machpants Probably. That stat was mentioned so I thought I'd include that info. I am surprised O'Keeffe has never refereed a game between these two teams before.
@Old-Samurai-Jack Yes, same ref.
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@Bovidae This is the guy that gifted the Blues a final last week, isn't it?
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Bovidae This is the guy that gifted the Blues a final last week, isn't it?
No, the one trying to gift the crusaders a home final by letting in truck and trailer trys.
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Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.@Bovidae said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.And those 3 were absolute stitch ups.
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Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.@Bovidae said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.What has that stat got to do with anything, I remember in Aus a rugby pundit giving the percetages of game ABs won with Nigel Owens as ref, and when you looked it was no different to any other ref, just the ABs won a lot, maybe a bit like Crusaders?
Hell the ref won't decide game, the players will as always! -
@Bovidae said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.What has that stat got to do with anything, I remember in Aus a rugby pundit giving the percetages of game ABs won with Nigel Owens as ref, and when you looked it was no different to any other ref, just the ABs won a lot, maybe a bit like Crusaders?
Hell the ref won't decide game, the players will as always!@Dan54 said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Bovidae said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.What has that stat got to do with anything, I remember in Aus a rugby pundit giving the percetages of game ABs won with Nigel Owens as ref, and when you looked it was no different to any other ref, just the ABs won a lot, maybe a bit like Crusaders?
Hell the ref won't decide game, the players will as always!Well haven't you just excluded yourself from post match discussions
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@Dan54 said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Bovidae said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.What has that stat got to do with anything, I remember in Aus a rugby pundit giving the percetages of game ABs won with Nigel Owens as ref, and when you looked it was no different to any other ref, just the ABs won a lot, maybe a bit like Crusaders?
Hell the ref won't decide game, the players will as always!Well haven't you just excluded yourself from post match discussions
@Crucial said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Dan54 said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Bovidae said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Confirmed.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2: Stu Curran
TMO: Shane McDermottThe Crusaders have an 83% winning record when O’Keeffe officiates their games, losing just three of 18.
The 33-year-old has, however, never refereed a match between the Blues and Crusaders.What has that stat got to do with anything, I remember in Aus a rugby pundit giving the percetages of game ABs won with Nigel Owens as ref, and when you looked it was no different to any other ref, just the ABs won a lot, maybe a bit like Crusaders?
Hell the ref won't decide game, the players will as always!Well haven't you just excluded yourself from post match discussions
Mate I always excluded for blaming the ref posts, and bloody happy to be!!:beaming_face_with_smiling_eyes:
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Papalii bracketed on the bench.
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https://www.blues.rugby/blues-rugby-news/grand-final-team-naming
The Blues team to play the Crusaders at Eden Park is (Blues caps in brackets):
- Alex Hodgman (54)
- Kurt Eklund (37)
- Nepo Laulala (25)
- Josh Goodhue (46)
- Tom Robinson (44)
- Akira Ioane (94)
- Adrian Choat (19)
- Hoskins Sotutu (36)
- Finlay Christie (30)
- Beauden Barrett (17)
- AJ Lam (20)
- Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (11)
- Rieko Ioane (85)
- Mark Telea (38)
- Stephen Perofeta (44)
- Soane Vikena (14)
- Karl Tu’inukuafe (42)
- Ofa Tuungafasi (120)
- Luke Romano (14)
- Dalton Papalii (55) or James Tucker (11)
- Sam Nock (50)
- Bryce Heem (19)
- Zarn Sullivan (18)
Players not considered: Harry Plummer, Anton Segner, Jordan Lay, Tanielu Tele’a, Caleb Clarke, Corey Evans.
