The Silver Fern

@taniwharugby agree, embarrassing for us. We got opened up on the inside repeatedly. The lineout missed on attack several times. Whether it is the players or coaches that will need to be fixed. And, a lot of one on one tackles missed. But the thing that really annoys me. And it’s happened twice. We get a penalty with time up, just outside the 22, bonus point on offer and we take a quick tap. Kick to the corner, play the % for a bonus point every time. Until we can stop being just plain dumb, we won’t improve.

@foobaNZ said in SF - Wellington vs Shield Snorters:

Flanders very very good.

Looked AB potential. Luckily for him Savea's away so we can all see if he's good enough at 8 to go all the way

Lakai and Kirifi can share the 7 position.

@booboo said in QF - The Bay v Coke Snorting, Historical Artefact Wreckers:

Good crowd. Play more in smaller grounds.

$15 tickets and a teeny-tiny stand at the old domain - don't need many in for it to look packed.

@Chris-B said in Wellington v Hawkes (RS):

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/18ea9d01-4d93-4fcf-aed6-acb231268acc

Great flick.

For some reason (or two ) I distinctly recall Jamie Lee Curtis in this in amongst some outstanding 80s comedy.

I’d have to get Stargazer to confirm but if they’re testing for Heroin and didn’t find any there’s a good chance it could have been PCP or Angel Dust on the Shield.

For shame Bay, FOR SHAME.

The revised supporter tactics devised by @Stockcar86 and myself were never put to the test such was the whirlwind start made by the Magpies which saw us up by about thirty within fifteen or twenty minutes and the game was well and truly over by then. They were well thought out and would have worked a treat but as they say we kept out powder dry for later use. About twenty or thirty 'Poo supporters were made the error of taking up seats nearby but we were very magnanimous about things, even going so far as offering them our congratulations when they got off zero. We generally left them alone to suffer in their teams ineptness with no need for us to inflict further torment onto their team!
The visitors did offer a bit of resistance after the initial onslaught as witnessed by keeping the score to a mere fifty when @Donsteppa so wisely pointed out earlier that a century looked a real possibility. It might well have been but we lost track of the number of tries called back for disputed reasons. All in all it was a game that lacked something, the close exciting finishes we have come to expect at McLean Park this season but considering it was against the 'Poo we can live quite comfortably with that!

I was so angry at the poor refereeing in this match. I suppose Josh Kaifa is invisible and allowed to enter rucks from anywhere. Despite all the hometown calls I was staggered the BOP reserve xv held out with 14 men.

@ARHS said in Northland v Hawkes Bay:

Awesome from Northland 9s and loosies. They were the difference with the HB stars a bit quiet. Thought the ref did well but maybe HB unlucky on some calls.

That's not strictly true, there's only so much McClutchie, Flanders and to a lesser extent Fakatava can do on their own in a diss-functioning team.

But as a team Northland definitely had it over the Magpies.

@Number-10 said in Hawke's Bay v Otago:

Magpies player of the day went to Devan Flanders.

Magpies currently three props down - Farrell (ribs - 3 weeks), Salmon (HIA) and Hintz (HIA).

And Joe 'Apikotoa named in the Tonga RWC squad.

I finally had a chance to watch this game tonight. Disappointing to throw the game away but I was encouraged by the performances of the newbies. Waikato didn't make the most of those lineout drives, and the poor pass/bad bounce was another missed try.

@Stargazer I see he is listed as six foot three and seventeen stone eleven (or 1.90m 113kg in the new money) https://all.rugby/player/patrick-tuifua
Can stretch my memory back and vaguely recall the first round Altherm Tech v Hastings match and Hastings did have a shortish for a lock young guy charging around so that must have been him that day. I see Mr Tuifua also started as a lock in the second round clash but I was too busy looking for some flax bush to hid behind given the real thumping they were handing out to us for over half the game and then mostly looking skyward seeking devine assistance during the second half to notice him too much but he must have gone well given the domination they had, especially in the first half.

I was joking, of course, but I could see him in the WTG.

@dogmeat Not much concrete back than. Both the now gone McKenzie and the fire destroyed Harris Stands were definitely basically wooden structures with brick or possibly concrete bases. At the Western End would have been the Centennial Stand which went up in about 1956 so not sure what was there before that went up (before my time obviously!) The eastern end has always been known as "The Bank" and it's 100% grass.

hawkesbaytui Congratulations to 6 of our Big Barrel Tui players who have been selected for the upcoming New Zealand Rugby U20 Development Camps! ⚫⚪

North Island: 17th-20th November

Kahlia Awa

Leilani Hakiwai

Luatolu Semisi

Phoenix Reid-Stowers

Kaya Whaitiri-Dee

South Island: 24th-27th November

Raedeen Blake

Well done ladies!

The reactions under this post reflect what many have been saying after the SR squads were announced, including here. I still can't believe no NZ franchise offered him a spot.

Hawkes Bay Magpies Hawkes Bay Magpies

What a season for 'The General' in 2023. Bunnings NPC Top Points Scorer 🤫