The Silver Fern

Here is a no punches held look at the game, one which will certainly bring nods of agreement from the likes of @Stargazer

https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/129505310/rugbys-return-to-pukekura-park-a-damp-squib

The bloke disguised as a referee has taken the whistle-friendly nature of his previous guise as a netball official into the rugby arena and the sport is far worse off because of it.

It was no coincidence that the biggest cheers of the afternoon were reserved for the big budget half-time show when injured Taranaki players hoofed the ball high into the grey sky as young boys tried to catch it.

It surely had more to do with the fact they did not have to see or hear Jono Bredin blowing into his whistle for a graceful 12 minutes than anything else.

@tim said in Taranaki v Southland (Championship SF):

@stargazer I think Sione Tuipulotu will cover lock. They only have 4 specialist locks in their squad.

One of whom (Poloniati) does not even start for the 'Poo.

@duluth I watched the game with one eye, while doing something else. He had a good game; influential in the pack.

Southland had a great game and was much better than the final score suggest. Injury worry for Charles Alaimalo, who's season may be over if his shoulder (?) injury is as bad as it looked.

@canes4life said in Taranaki v Manawatū:

Awesome to see the Naki and Manawatu combining for a haka in honour of Sean.

Nehe leading the Tika Tonu got me a little emotional.

Pretty good game to watch. Naki are a very well drilled side. Always seem to have runners set and support players in motion.

@bovidae agreed on those things. Naholo missed tackle badly for Waaka try. Thought game was won then for Waikato but some bad decisions by F Smith and the loss of Roe's cool tactical head cost them. Mcwhannell was great but whole tight five were very effective.

@frank said in Otago v Taranaki:

How did future All Black Josh Lord go?

I don't think Lord was used as a lineout target at all in the 1st half as Hoeata and Sowakula were the main options. It was only once Hoeata went off injured that Taranaki changed their lineout calls.

One of the intriguing things about this season is highlighted by Daryl Gibson's own words:

"He's really lifted training, obviously having the All Black captain in our team is a real lift for our players. Certainly to see him train at the intensity he trains at for our younger players and even our senior pros, to know that's the level you've got to be at if you want to be at the very best." (Source: Rugby: All Blacks skipper Sam Cane charts return to rugby after long layoff )

While you'd expect the All Blacks captain to lift standards at training, the couple of pre-lockdown training sessions I stumbled across looked relatively chilled. To be fair, not every session can be run at 100%, but so far it's not looking good on the park against better prepared teams.

The coaching team can genuinely point to injuries. I suppose it's hard to know how much preparation comes into some injuries, or not.

@canes4life Yep, and despite Riccitelli leaving.

@taniwharugby said in Northland v Taranaki:

@j77 the gutting thing for me is that over the past 5 or 10+ years, we have shown glimpses of what we are capable of, yet we simply dont kick on.

It is like our Coaches/Board are happy with mediocrity, although, most of the time, we are under that.

We have so many talented kids coming out of our region, but with our poor coaching and lack of success of getting only the very best into super teams, why would a young kid with a big future come back here?

ALready heard of a Northland kid out of St Kents who has been picked up by one of the crusaders vaccums, then you look over the Auckland side and see there are 3 or 4 from up here, even the b side there are more again...guys we could desperately use.

Sure we get some of Aucklands overflow too, but often they are surplus for a reason.

If my kid was looking at signing with an NPC team, I'd be steering him toward another province...I'd hate that!

THis new HP Centre will be great, but if we cant match it with on field performance, it will be pointless.

While it was great to make the final last year, for me, it was the worst thing that could happen, it papered over the huge cracks in our coaching team, and squad selection.

I think a few players may have rested on thier laurels form last year, but equally, the coaches need to take the heat for not looking at the squad and seeing the gaps.

The only real ones they plugged were Reihana and Hallam-Eames, and he was only a last minute one, so probably more luck than good planning.

As I said to @Steven-Harris he needs to get on the NRU books as a scout in the Auckland and NH comps, he watches a ton more rugby than most, is passionate about his Union, and like me, I bet he'd do it for free too!

When you look at our squad, they have the core of a very good side, one that could be knocking at the top 4 side in the Premiership with Olsen, Goodhue, Caird, Robinson, Nock, Gregory, Tua (if he werent made of glass) and then build around them, add the likes of Hyland, Hallam-Eames, Macilai, Wright, Rush, Pryor and there is no reason why we should not be finals contendors in the Championship, pushing for promotion, but it is the average players they put elsewhere and lack of preparation, coaching, and we have 2 50 pointers over us and 2 red cards in 2 weeks...

All of this.

How that try could have been disallowed ?

@Nepia said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:

@Winger said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:

@KiwiMurph said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:

Fakatava better be on the AB radar next year.

Shame he can't move to the Canes for 12 months. He would very likely start week after week

Almost like the Canes should have locked him up on Billy Proctor style contract ....

Maybe the HB players are more open to offers from other team. I would be if I lived in HB (and was good enough for a super rugby contract). As opposed to Wellington

..and Counties fans will be a bit happier now

Taranaki starting to take control

@ACT-Crusader Taranaki lacked a bit of leadership at the end. Not sure why they tapped it when Counties still had a man in the bin.

That was a good second half by both sides. Two evenly matched teams.

Unlucky finish at the end for the Naki because they had created the space.

That halfback for the Mooloo has a pretty sweet pass on him.

@Bovidae said in Southland v Taranaki:

So a good game to ignore then.

It was tough viewing. Not a great deal of highlights. Southland started well I thought and were up and in defensively. But the attack from both sides is pretty mediocre.

A bit of cross promotion - free tickets for NZ Warriors members for this game.

@J77 said in Northland v Taranaki:

@Gunner it’s the same play list from over 10 years ago I think!!

My son pointed that out, I said you have to pay to play songs, so maybe they're cheaper or they've already paid for those ones, keep using them

@Chris said in Taranaki v Otago (RS):

@ACT-Crusader said in Taranaki v Otago (RS):

What a game by Otago! Their motley crew of forwards were excellent. Who’s that nuggety barrel playing number 8?

Josh Ioane seems to have a calming influence in the way they attack as well.

Dylan Nel a South African born player he played in Canterbury for a few years made the Canterbury B side was around the A squad but couldn’t get game time moved to Otago last season

Thanks Chris. I can’t say I remember him. He played with a bit of fire in the belly.