Final: Blues vs Crusaders
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May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
You cannot fault his endeavour. He is very active around the field and at set piece. His size and athleticism is a real asset at lineout time. But accuracy is still an issue in my view.
His game funnily enough reminds me a bit of Razors. I know Razor had his detractors but for the Saders he was very good.
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May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Ardie & Sotutu > Grace
Error free? Grace missed four tackles tonight, the most misses of any Crusader or Blues player. He’s a good player and plenty of very good players just miss the AB cut
I would like to see him move back to 6 post Matera. It’s the position he first made the ABs and it’s the position he has the best chance of making it back in
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@Duluth Nah, Grace has been very good at the business end of SR. The type of player at this stage of development would awesome coming on late in a tense test match. But at the moment, agree about Savea and Sotutu being ahead.
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Duluth Nah, Grace has been very good at the business end of SR. The type of player at this stage of development would awesome coming on late in a tense test match. But at the moment, agree about Savea and Sotutu being ahead.
So what are you disagreeing about?
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
Ardie is not your classic number 8. Rather have a guy that’s big in the collision zone for first 60, and then have his acceleration in the last 20. Or he goes back to being a 7.
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@Mattasaurus said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@WillieTheWaiter said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Duluth of course he’s going to make metres when he’s standing on the fucking wing!!
Did anything come from those metres? Nope.
Did you get smashed off the park in the collisions and breakdowns? Yep
Would having your biggest loose forward at the breakdown help?I would also add, how many of the tackles were dominate?
It's the same shit we saw from frizzel... Just goes missing when the going gets tough.
what we need is a hard hitting scary mofo in the 6 that can turn the tide in a game like tonight ...Last one to come close was Squire imo
I can’t recall Jerry or Kaino spending half the game on the wing. Other thing about Akira is that for a big Hua his post contact metres are non existent
@WillieTheWaiter said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Mattasaurus said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@WillieTheWaiter said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Duluth of course he’s going to make metres when he’s standing on the fucking wing!!
Did anything come from those metres? Nope.
Did you get smashed off the park in the collisions and breakdowns? Yep
Would having your biggest loose forward at the breakdown help?I would also add, how many of the tackles were dominate?
It's the same shit we saw from frizzel... Just goes missing when the going gets tough.
what we need is a hard hitting scary mofo in the 6 that can turn the tide in a game like tonight ...Last one to come close was Squire imo
I can’t recall Jerry or Kaino spending half the game on the wing. Other thing about Akira is that for a big Hua his post contact metres are non existent
He actually slows down and jinks a little prior to contact.
Not direct enough at all. -
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average. -
Well done Crusaders, too good.
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@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.@Chris Bower put in a big shift tonight. Had a touch of peak Ben Franks about him. Running hard and getting in past the first tackler, hit the tackle hard and really drove over the ruck. Was great to see.
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@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.Robinson had a strong shift as a 6 playing lock. Blues scrum was good with Hodgeman.
Not sure who was calling for Eklund to be an AB but he shouldn’t be grouped with the other two.
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@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.Robinson had a strong shift as a 6 playing lock. Blues scrum was good with Hodgeman.
Not sure who was calling for Eklund to be an AB but he shouldn’t be grouped with the other two.
@kev said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.Robinson had a strong shift as a 6 playing lock. Blues scrum was good with Hodgeman.
Not sure who was calling for Eklund to be an AB but he shouldn’t be grouped with the other two.
There was some chat about Eklund being Selected in the ABs,Maybe the Selectors should have waited to after the final as it’s closest to a test match you will get pre test season.
See who reacts well or folds under pressure. -
@kev said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.Robinson had a strong shift as a 6 playing lock. Blues scrum was good with Hodgeman.
Not sure who was calling for Eklund to be an AB but he shouldn’t be grouped with the other two.
There was some chat about Eklund being Selected in the ABs,Maybe the Selectors should have waited to after the final as it’s closest to a test match you will get pre test season.
See who reacts well or folds under pressure.@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
There was some chat about Eklund being Selected in the ABs,Maybe the Selectors should have waited to after the final as it’s closest to a test match you will get pre test season.
See who reacts well or folds under pressure.It was Canterbury legend and front row expert Richard Loe who wants Eklund in the team. Said he was the form hooker for the last two years and needs to be in the ABs.
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@mikey07 said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
As a Canes fan just want to say a big thank you for choking harder then us in 2015!
They were playing the reigning champs, not the reigning chumps...
@Bones said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@mikey07 said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
As a Canes fan just want to say a big thank you for choking harder then us in 2015!
They were playing the reigning champs, not the reigning chumps...
So your saying the 2015 Highlanders team were chumps?
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Hopefully all the crap floating around about Barrett just walking into the number 10 jersey for the first test against Ireland has been flushed down the dunny
@Stag said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
Hopefully all the crap floating around about Barrett just walking into the number 10 jersey for the first test against Ireland has been flushed down the dunny
Problem is both Mounga and Barrett are flash players, with no disrespect. Give them a platform and they will tear you apart. Beaudy tears the hardest but kicks shit, Mounga kicks better but is a liability on defence. We don't have a ten in the ABs (NZ?) that can tactically take control in the traditional way, with their kicking and intelligence like DC used to. Or most NH tens are focused on. They can pile on the points when we're dominant up front, and often pull some blinders out of nowhere even when pressured. But can mounga or Beaudy take control when on the back foot? Nope.
Most teams need to win upfront, with our tens ABs are much more susceptable to shitting the bed if the forward don't provide the ball needed. I'd still take Beaudy over mounga, cos he has a higher ceiling, but the ABs need a 10 (or a nine) that can act as a tactical general, rather than flash awesome individual> this is especially relelvant with our tight forwards being handed their arses every time we play a big NH team. But we don;t have the forwards and we don't have the tens. And playing off nine is verbotten since Lions 1, so no idea what fozzies genius plan is to get around this -
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
But the blues had 3 AB props.and 3 players in Eklund,Hodgeman and Robinson a lot of people were saying should have been in the ABs,
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it, Bower and Jager as average.@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it
He was completely anonymous against the Chiefs to be fair. Non existent. Error-free though at least.
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Duluth Nah, Grace has been very good at the business end of SR. The type of player at this stage of development would awesome coming on late in a tense test match. But at the moment, agree about Savea and Sotutu being ahead.
So what are you disagreeing about?
@Duluth Your tackle stat to confirm your opinion.
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@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
There was some chat about Eklund being Selected in the ABs,Maybe the Selectors should have waited to after the final as it’s closest to a test match you will get pre test season.
See who reacts well or folds under pressure.It was Canterbury legend and front row expert Richard Loe who wants Eklund in the team. Said he was the form hooker for the last two years and needs to be in the ABs.
@Toddy said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
There was some chat about Eklund being Selected in the ABs,Maybe the Selectors should have waited to after the final as it’s closest to a test match you will get pre test season.
See who reacts well or folds under pressure.It was Canterbury legend and front row expert Richard Loe who wants Eklund in the team. Said he was the form hooker for the last two years and needs to be in the ABs.
Richard was pissed again then.
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@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it
He was completely anonymous against the Chiefs to be fair. Non existent. Error-free though at least.
@Frye said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Chris said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@TheMojoman said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Final: Blues vs Crusaders:
May I use this opportunity to say Grace needs to be in the ABs squad. Error free, one of the defensive titans, links well, and as Sam Whitelock said, he is the lineout master/leader. Sotutu and him need to be battling it out for the ABs No.8 position for the future.
Grace was v.good tonight but what’s always in the back of my mind is he’s playing behind a Crusaders tight-five so he should stand out. Harder for someone like Ardie or Mikaele-Tu’u
After the chief’s SF a lot of people were writing off Whitelock as past it
He was completely anonymous against the Chiefs to be fair. Non existent. Error-free though at least.
He certainly was anonymous against the Chiefs as he didn’t play that game.
Showed a bit tonight though
