The Silver Fern

Odd one this. The decision is absolutely correct as far as the head contact protocols go but there is no messaging happening here to dissuade players charging into rucks and prone players with the shoulder. His arm was tucked at the side

@mikethesnow said in Rebels v Brumbies:

Banks was on fire

Got some serious wheels

Looks like he's running from zombies 🙂

He was playing against the Rebels. He's awfully average against competent players - just look at his efforts at fullback last year for the Wallabies.

@antipodean said in Brumbies v Waratahs:

This is a hard watch.

Improved significantly in the second half because the Tahs decided to join in the "rugby" thing.

Their try to Bell was Brumbies-like - march upfield on the back of penalties then phase play to score once you isolate some forwards.

The try to Harris was a cracker. I thought it was very Kiwi-like in that it showed good support lines and some patience, striking from halfway.

Discipline stil needs work.

@taniwharugby said in Brumbies v Drua:

Brumbies 42-3

Brumbies pretty average, Drua mostly rocks, glimpses of diamonds.

Think too many of the Drua playing with a 7s mentality leading to some really poor decisions and errors.

Big issues at 9-10 though, 9 clearance (starter and reserve) was too slow, and the 10 not really controlling things, meaning the backs got alot of poor ball.

Good for my picks, nothing else

@antipodean said in Brumbies v Highlanders:

@stargazer said in Brumbies v Highlanders:

@antipodean 2020 Kirifi was quite a lot better than the 2021 version. The early 2020 version of L Boshier was better

That's the problem.

In 2021 both are a long way off Dalton and Billy.

Given the quality of 6s and 8s around, I'd say that Boshier is miles away, with Paps and Ardie and Cane, plus they like Kirifi (he's playing like shit, but they like him), and that's not even talking about Christie, Harmon, or even the use of Blackadder as a 7.

@stargazer haha that's great.

@pakman said in Chiefs v Brumbies:

Watched first half. Jacobson, DMac and ALB all very good. Chiefs scrum dominant. Ross and, in particular, Mafileo getting plaudits. A word also for Vaa’i at TH — excellent grunt and noticeably weakened when he went off, and Taukei'aho, who seems to have been very effective attacking Alaalatoa.

As against Ponies, who Ben Darwin on podcast said were trying a new TH lock behind Alaalatoa. Hames also noted that chiefs scrum lost extreme potency once Vaa'i departed.

@nevorian Just a natural phenomenon I think. Officials are human and whoever is at the top gets a negative narrative and the officials, as much as they try, have to be influenced by it all. The ABs in Europe during the end of year tours were subject to extra scrutiny especially around foul play where local players could get away with things the ABs couldn't.
The alternative is losing and the scrutiny (and whinging) transfers to the team that is winning.

Reds and Brumbies will be hard to beat esp. at home and judging by the refs' performances so far in both comps, it could really be a factor. Looking forward to the combined competition.

@antipodean so at least he's a good 7s ref then?

@kiwimurph fair enough

@nta fuck that is so dangerous! If someone did that to me we're fighting

Pure filth

@arhs Jordan Smiler is another Waikato player who ended up at the Brumbies. Speight for the backs.

@machpants said in SR Australia Round 4: Brumbies v Reds:

@nevorian said in SR Australia Round 4: Brumbies v Reds:

@machpants said in SR Australia Round 4: Brumbies v Reds:

@nevorian said in SR Australia Round 4: Brumbies v Reds:

@machpants said in SR Australia Round 4: Brumbies v Reds:

@nevorian said in SR Australia Round 4: Brumbies v Reds:

yep some good rugby by both. Looking like it could be an even more improved Wallaby team this year

as long as they don't fill it with under performing players from some other franchise

Would only expect Hooper out of the Tahs and Force combined

Hooper doesn't play for either this season lol

Oops forgot he is in Japan but still available for the Wobblies?

Yeah I think so, like the ABs over there

Think we have enough guys playing their hands up.

I thought the Rebels played close to their maximum capability given the roster they have. The Brumbies were maybe a bit below par but that was mostly because their lineout went to shit when they lost the starting hooker early.

Rebels' Hosea is a very good, athletic lock from our U20s program who looks like he could be the goods 🤔 so it is only a matter of time before he goes to Europe. Let's hope he gets a few Wallabies Tests in before then. Young.

Damon Murphy is such a shit ref. Refused to even look at the last feet at ruck time, ignoring the Brumbies for the first 25 minutes as they repeatedly infringed. Lonergan stole about half a metre for that final kick, and that is also on Murphy being useless, regardless of the result. He also couldn't tell that the Brumbies didn't have a dominant scrum, giving them a penalty for wheeling, and letting the Ponies' 9 delay the feed too often.

I'm not sayign the Brumbies are a bad team and don't deserve to win; their midfield versus the Reds will be worth the price of adminission alone. But fuck they get a legup from the officials, and Caydern Neville is a useless niggly fuckwit.

I turned this off with 20mins to go. Felt like the game had gone for three hours already.