North vs South

[NateHill74]

@macmanus yep, hobbled off unassisted against Hurricanes after 50 odd minutes

[nzzp]

@Tim said in North vs South:

@mariner4life Christ I'm glad this isn't me this year.

I remember when we lost to the Rebels at home a couple of years ago.

post a goddamn trigger warning. I remember that game. Was sitting with a paltry farking crowd, with a mate.

Bailed soon after halftime. It was genuinely that bad. He chose to leave and walk in the dark down Sandringham Road rather than sit and watch the Blues that he paid for. Their No 8 was quality that day, but I hated it.

Such a contrast to this season thankfully

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/104428363/blues-super-rugby-season-of-woe-continues-with-home-defeat-to-melbourne-rebels

[Yeahtheboys]

@Tim no Weber?

[Tim]

@Yeahtheboys I want the North to win, but I want it to be a contest.

[Bones]

@Tim said in North vs South:

@Yeahtheboys I want the North to win, but I want it to be a contest.

[Tim]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12357656

While they are both veteran presences, Blues lock Patrick Tuipulotu and Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith elevated their games to a whole new level during the Super Rugby Aotearoa season.

"I thought Patrick was one," Foster said when asked who stood out to him. "He's someone who took the challenge of getting better and better, and he delivered a magnificent campaign to date and he's added leadership to that. Not only leadership, I thought he had been pretty inspirational in that space.

"Aaron Smith, as someone who's been around a long, long time, playing in his 150th game, to see what the game meant for him I thought was quite inspirational with the energy he put into it."

[Machpants]

@Tim very fair points

Aaron and Patty T stand out performers, Patty T coming of age and Smith still improving despite age/experience. To take on from other franchises, Jordie was what turned it around for the canes (amazing finally mature calm performances), Mo'unga was exceptional for the Saders, and the Chiefs we have Boshier I guess? I'm not so sure there

[booboo]

@Gunner said in North vs South:

@gt12 said in North vs South:

@WillieTheWaiter

He was bad against the Landers, after being good against the Canes, but I think he only got on the field twice.

Canes: Not selected
Saders: Not selected
Blues: Not selected
Landers (14 minutes): 4 passes, 1 tackle made, missed 2
Canes (15 mins) : 23 passes, 3 runs, 2 clean breaks, 44 metres, 1 offload, 1 tackle made (no misses)
Saders: Not selected
Blues: Not selected
Landers: Selected but didn't get on

That's shocking when you look at it like that, how can a guy who has played a total of 29 minutes get selected?
Real slap in the face to Nock and Hall.

Hall, maybe.
Nock? Nuh, hardly think he was in contention

Something odd there with the Chiefs.

[Bones]

@booboo said in North vs South:

Something odd there with the Chiefs.

Trask a shining light though.

[Tim]

@Bones He’s never going to live that down.

[Bones]

@Tim said in North vs South:

@Bones He’s never going to live that down.

[booboo]

@Snowy said in North vs South:

@Duluth said in North vs South:

As biased as the selectors

Haha. Here we go again.
Fox - New Plymouth / AKl
Plumtree - Hawera / Welly
Foster - Putararu / Waikato

Who exactly are they biased for or against? Against the south I suppose? If they don't pick your favourites (from your biased point of view) are they the biased ones?

On the other hand they might be looking to find the best players so that their team wins? (ABs not North / South). Who would have thought that!
They might also want to see some guys play again and know what they get from others?

I really don't understand why any selector would deliberately undermine their own team.

Actually Fox is from Putaruru (note spelling), well Waotu really.

Apropos to nothing when I was secretary of the Putaruru Cricket Club I came across an old score book for kids cricket and some bloke called G Fox seemed to score all the runs.

Wayne Smith also from Waotu/Putaruru (flatted with his cousin, well second cousin). NZ's first five factory apparently.

[booboo]

@Bones said in North vs South:

@booboo said in North vs South:

Something odd there with the Chiefs.

Trask a shining light though.

Potential upside.

Not from Putaruru though.

[cgrant]

One of the biggest bolters is Alex Fidow. We did not see his usual barnstorming runs this year, maybe because he has lost a few kgs, and thus some of his kinetic energy. Maybe he selectors think he has a better potential than Mafileo who is a better scrummager but lacks mobility.

[cgrant]

It will be interesting who will the benched hooker for the SI : Coltman or Makalio ? The latter will be worth a look IMO.

[junior]

@mariner4life said in North vs South:

my main takeaway from the squad naming is

our depth isn't great. There are a lot of guys in those two groups who won't ever realistically be pushing for Test level.

Part of the problem is the selection criteria. If it was a straight Possibles/Probables match, the depth would look better because everyone in serious contention would get a proper shot. I think you also look at, say, the South backrow and, at first glance, think "there's no way Prinsep is the second best 8 in the country", before realising that there's three better 8s in the North squad and another one who misses the match because he only qualifies for the North. Guys like Prinsep get nowhere near this match if its Poss/Prob.

[booboo]

@Bones said in North vs South:

South should fuck Ennor off to the bench and start Tomkinson at 12, Goodhue to his rightful place.

Goodhue to 13 definitely. Havili to 12?

[Bones]

@booboo said in North vs South:

@Bones said in North vs South:

South should fuck Ennor off to the bench and start Tomkinson at 12, Goodhue to his rightful place.

Goodhue to 13 definitely. Havili to 12?

Safe to say that's about a 0% chance of happening.

[booboo]

@Tim said in North vs South:

@Bones He’s never going to live that down.

FABKT

[Yeetyaah]

@NateHill74 don't worry about being rude, fuck the jafas they put us back into a state of lockdown.