Blues v Hurricanes

Machpants

They haven't added the extras in, so 41000 capacity ISH, going to sell out by the looks

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/121814873/super-rugby-aotearoa-blues-crowd-to-top-40000-as-auckland-dunedin-near-sellouts

nzzp

@Machpants said in Blues v Hurricanes:

They haven't added the extras in, so 41000 capacity ISH, going to sell out by the looks

That is truly remarkable. I don't think anyone expected a sellout a week ago. Hoped for, maybe, but wow. Going to be awesome

ACT Crusader

@Stargazer said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@Canes4life A 6:2 split on the bench ...

Ardie to 2nd 5

ACT Crusader

@cgrant said in Blues v Hurricanes:

I can't see the Blues lose this one as there are too many "meh" players in this Hurricanes starting XV.
Blues by 10 or more.

I wouldn’t pick any Hurricanes in a combined Blues/Hurricanes team....

nzzp

@ACT-Crusader Beaudy?

Snowy

@ACT-Crusader said in Blues v Hurricanes:

Ardie to 2nd 5

Too tall.

Dice

Happy enough with the team we selected, especially the backline.

Surprised that Mafileo and Pierce didn't make the 23, because our pack was humming pre-lockdown with these two as starters.

nzzp

@Dice we don't know how people came back from lockdown though, some must have been in better shape than others

Dice

@ACT-Crusader said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@Stargazer said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@Canes4life A 6:2 split on the bench ...

Ardie to 2nd 5

In my opinion, the Ardie/Messam midfield is the greatest midfield I've ever.....imagined.

Snowy

@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@Dice we don't know how people came back from lockdown though, some must have been in better shape than others

I was mostly fat, drunk and lazy which is probably why I haven't been selected.

As for imagining -
The Blues are favourites.
Eden park will be sold out (ish) for super rugby.
Dan Carter and Beauden Barrett are Blues
Leon McDonald is coach
Ruru finally gone
Akira didn't even make the line up (is he injured or just like my first sentence?)

2020 is a crazy time.

nzzp

@Snowy not only that, we're only halfway through the year!

Duluth

@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@sparky

It's not that simple. Blues lost their starting fullback. Duffie is not it.

Leon does a good job of explaining it here.

Also - some good info on Akira

We’re mindful that Beaudy is an outstanding first five. That’s not lost on us,” said MacDonald after a rigorous Friday training session at Alexandra Park. “But he’s also a world-class fullback as well and we need that hole filled.

“It will be his first game for the Blues, in front of a big crowd, against his old team and I don’t think it will hurt for him to be back in the boot a little bit with his vision and experience to be a calming influence from the back. Then, in time, we’ll probably see him move forward as well.

“At some point he will be in the frontline … but right now this is the best fit for our team, the situation, where he’s at in terms of his integration back into rugby and the fact it’s his first game for the Blues.”

MacDonald, much like Steve Hansen last year, was also happy to concede that Barrett’s versatility also allowed him the luxury of fielding two game drivers in his starting lineup.

“He’s excited about the opportunity to get out there and this just takes a little bit of pressure off him,” added the Blues coach. “He can work alongside Otes, whom he has a long history and a good relationship with. Those two working together as our brains trust is going to be really useful in such a big game.”

“It’s hard telling someone they’re not playing when they’ve done everything right, and Akira is one of those,” added MacDonald. “He’s come back and his skinfolds have never been so good, his fitness levels are great and he’s trained the house down. His time will come. He’s pushing and asking the right questions, and puts pressure on the guys who get the opportunity to really nail it.”

Good clear explanations from MacDonald about Akira and Barrett.

I hope Duffie plays well when he subs on. If he doesn’t it gets really hard to select BB at ten

KiwiMurph

Eden Park is sold out.

Wow.

Canes4life

@Winger I think the Hurricanes need to stay in this one for 50 minutes. If they can do that, then bringing on the likes of Fifita, Aumua, Savea, Fidow & Walker-Leawere is definitely match-winning firepower, whereas the Blues look a bit meh off the bench.

Kirwan

@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Hurricanes:

Eden Park is sold out.

Wow.

Yeah, I was looking at tickets last night and was only a shitty tickets left.

KiwiMurph

@Kirwan said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Hurricanes:

Eden Park is sold out.

Wow.

Yeah, I was looking at tickets last night and was only a shitty tickets left.

Yeah I think capacity is slightly down at the moment. 41k.

taniwharugby

@KiwiMurph when was the last time there was a crowd that size in NZ for a RR super game!

I know this is different to other years, but I hope EP and thier security team allow people to have a good time so people remember why they go to live sport in NZ!

KiwiMurph

@taniwharugby I think 15 years - 2005 Blues v Canes at Eden Park was the last regular season crowd in NZ higher.

Bovidae

@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@taniwharugby I think 15 years - 2005 Blues v Canes at Eden Park was the last regular season crowd in NZ higher.

Yes, the article says it was Umaga's 100th match for the Canes.

I'm also surprised that the Hurricanes have won the last 5 games in Auckland.

canefan

@Bovidae said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@taniwharugby I think 15 years - 2005 Blues v Canes at Eden Park was the last regular season crowd in NZ higher.

Yes, the article says it was Umaga's 100th match for the Canes.

I'm also surprised that the Hurricanes have won the last 5 games in Auckland.

I'm not. We were excellent and the Blues have been poor. It took us 10 years to win for the first time at EP though, making up for lost time

The Silver Fern

Blues v Hurricanes