The Silver Fern

@nzzp all the same to us uneducated

@Victor-Meldrew said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

@Dan54

I just hate dickheaded-ness in Rugby no matter where it comes from. Which was why the RWC QF was so bloody satisfying - Sexton's tears being the sweetest icing on the cake

I did too up to a point, and realised that dickheadedness comes in may forms, and I wasn't above letting a halfback etc know what I thought of him if I had managed to get him (even if a bit late etc). I know we all kind of have our rules etc, but watching Coles goad Codie Taylor into getting YCed was something I enjoyed.
I also had a former French rugby player billeted with us a few years back in Aus. part of management of a club side we looked after. This man proudly told me that he had marked Colin Meads in a couple of tests, and after a few drinks we had laughed at rugby stories etc of what happened in tests etc that he had played in against not just Abs, but others too. Take y word for it, mouthing off etc would be least dicie thing that was happening.
Same as sledging in cricket, height of dickheadedness or just getting in heads?

@Billy-Webb said in Springboks v Argentina Twickenham:

By all means, continue that conversation in SPORTS TALK, but let's focus on relevant game commentary / thoughts / analysis in this thread please.

Fair enuff.

I'll put a couple of thoughts in the Springbok thread.

Our forwards were awesome this year - scrum time, lineout when Moulds was throwing, winning the contact. Ran out of gas ⛽️ in the last game with injuries etc. I loved what Heenan did for the team. Accurate, a leader, a real professional - we only have a few guys fit that fit that category - Moulds, Cory Evans leads the backs….but signs this year that players are learning to stay in games.

@Steven-Harris , Yeah, its part of Reon Grahams job description to do all of that work around development and working with other rep coaches. Some provincial coaches spend the first part of the year at Super rugby level or the new ones aren't even appointed at that time. As a recent Premier club coach, he would be fully aware of the talent in the province.

Is that the Fern record for a thread necro?

@Dan54 said in QF: Hawkes Bay v Taranaki:

@KiwiMurph said in QF: Hawkes Bay v Taranaki:

@Dan54 said in QF: Hawkes Bay v Taranaki:

No argument , I wasn't accusing anyone here of that, merely stating that anyone who was blaming him had holes in head. You feeling a little precious or victimized this morning mate? 😁

Feeling fine. I was just particularly interested in your take given that you have been leading the Jacomb bandwagon for some time.

Still will be on Jacomb bandwagon, I been watching this game long enough to not write off a player when he didn't have a good game. I haven't yet seen a player be on top of game all the time, and I only on his bandwagon as I think he probably the most balanced of the uncapped 10s we got.
I genuinely think young Simpson from Auckland another I like the look of.

I dont think anyone is writing him off.

Though I think the desperation for some fresh blood at 10 in NZ has seen his stock rise above what he's actually produced.

Simpson at least has a huge boot which is rarity - hopefully he can get some better coaching than the Auckland 2025 environment - either at Auckland or elsewhere - so that he can start developing.

@Kiwiwomble said in QF: Otago v Waikato:

@brodean probably fair, but that tells me we just need to be better with players IN the system rather than leaving them to "develop" for years, i think take players on hot form and expose them to the next level...rather than play it too safe and then wonder why they didn;t kick on

Agree completely.

But you have to wonder what the point of having 4 players deep is if youre not going to pick the player of those 4 who is in form now?

@Canes4life said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

There’s definitely a world where I can see Fehi in the ABs. He’s been on fire all season for BOP.

He was strong for Hurricanes too (as well as AB 7s). Should be on the radar.

Clean sweep for the Aces.

Phoenix lucky to be there in the first place. The Aces v Fever the pick of the series.

Femke Bol is switching from the 400 hurdles to the 800.

I like it, cool for an athlete to accomplish their goals in one discipline and then switch to another...it would be cool if more athletes did this imo.

Oh that Peter Russell.

ZB The coach who reignited Hawke’s Bay rugby - Peter Russell, RIP The coach who reignited Hawke’s Bay rugby - Peter Russell, RIP

Rugby coach Peter Russell, most credited with reviving Magpies’ fortunes with an historic first NPC top division semi-final in his first season at the helm

@DurryMexted I've responded to you in the 2026 thread. Let's kill this thread team and discuss anything for next year here - https://forum.silverfern.rugby/topic/7391/hurricanes-2026/163

editor  /  Oct 9 Steelers out to make good on 1982 hoodoo - Counties Sports Hub Steelers out to make good on 1982 hoodoo - Counties Sports Hub

The Counties Manukau Steelers face top ranked Canterbury in the quarter-finals of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC on Sunday and will look to right a wrong from nearly half a century ago. In a year when Counties Manukau celebrates its 70th anniversary, the wounds of a now infamous Ranfurly Shield defeat...

Yep, a big one to work through. Got our Cricket Club one sorted over winter.

@mariner4life Stinks of us wiping the floor with Ireland and then serving up a honker at Murrayfield.

Oct 8  /  New Zealand Tom Phillips' parents apologise for 'trouble' caused to community Tom Phillips' parents apologise for 'trouble' caused to community

In a letter to the editor, Neville and Julia Phillips said they were sorry for the loss of privacy and inconvenience their son caused to locals.

alt text

"We in no way supported him or agreed with any of his actions in the past 4 years. We are truly sorry for all that you had to endure."

Not AB's, but back in the day this was very much a part of the game in SA.

557735080_1654911785529502_4413189783591561465_n.jpg

@pakman said in The importance of the little men?:

@Smuts said in The importance of the little men?:

Hang on a second - Reinach was the disaster artist who failed to manage the back end of the Ellis Park test. He also had over 30 minutes at Eden Park to rescue a game that only needed the boks to scratch up 11 points.

Williams was far from perfect in both those games but given the armchair ride they got behind the bok pack neither of them can really say they delivered.

Sub either of them for White, Roigard or, the inexplicably unselected tourist, Faf, and the Boks win those games easily.

I think Reinach suits the current Boks game of heavy set piece focus, keeping ball close for a few phases and then launching shortish half field bombs, and ONLY THEN playing attacking rugby. Williams much more suited to having to chase the game.

Ellis Park ended wrong way, but I suspect Rassie has refined his tactics since the .

To be honest, Ellis Park match was lost due to.Boks being careless.with the ball and Wallabies punishing those turnovers and the crap cover defence. Libbok was main culprit, plus the lineout was dysfunctional, Marx and Bongi both poor throwing in. Match was over before Reinach got off the bench.

Your point stands, Reinach was a point of difference for the Boks in the back end of the championship (same as Roigard was for abs) and I think it's because he brought a combative, no nonsense mentality to the game and he is just a generally tidy and accurate player. He doesn't overcomplicate things, just hard nosed rugby and good option taking. Some of the younger Boks are more spectacular but they are also erratic and error prone.