Blues v Hurricanes

[Canes4life]

@daffy-jaffy strong looking side, this one could go either way IMO.

[Stargazer]

For who prefers pictures:

[Winger]

@canes4life said in Blues v Hurricanes:

Ffs, Blackwell returns

I thought we were rid of this waste of space. So Canes had a good win and they change a winning team around with worse players. The coaches are clueless

[Canes4life]

@winger complete morons aye.

[kiwi_expat]

@winger said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@canes4life said in Blues v Hurricanes:

Ffs, Blackwell returns

I thought we were rid of this waste of space. So Canes had a good win and they change a winning team around with worse players. The coaches are clueless.

The Hurricanes won lots of games last season with those same players, including beating the Crusaders in Christchurch. Scrafton & Blackwell were two players who contributed hugely towards that win. I think you could show them (and the coaches) a little more respect.

[Chris]

@canes4life said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@stargazer it's just so painful. IWL was one of the top players on the park last week, it surely doesn't give the kid confidence when he's replaced by one of shortest, if not the shortest lock in Super Rugby history. Seriously, what does a guy like Blackwell do at training to make him command such a permanent position in the team? He's just so ordinary and has tits for hands.

Numia and Rakete-Stones have been alot stronger over recent weeks, Armstrong is lucky to be in the 23, let alone starting.

IWL I thought was massive last game for the Canes and Scrafton was good I cant see why Blackwell is back strange selections.

[Stargazer]

@kiwi_expat You sound like you're on the Canes' coaching staff :grinning_face_with_big_eyes:

[Canes4life]

@stargazer he must be related to Holland. I don't think anyone is questioning Scrafton but the size of Blackwell just doesn't cut it. The coaches don't really deserve full respect when their winning record is just over 50%. The Canes and their fans have higher expectations than that, including myself.

[Stargazer]

@canes4life From the media release:

Holland said the coaching staff were continuing their plan to rotate some players and give others an opportunity through the tough Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign.

He's mostly rotating the same players. I still have to see proof that all players are given an opportunity.

[KiwiMurph]

Scrafton's discipline is horrendous - he gives away so many needless penalties.

[kiwi_expat]

@canes4life it's actually around 60%

[kiwi_expat]

I'd say the reason for Blackwell being continually selected is because he's a key leader in the group, he's a senior player, he was the Hurricanes player of the season in 2019, was pretty outstanding in Super Rugby Aotearoa last year too. Also isn't he the Wellington Lions captain?

[Tim]

https://www.tab.co.nz/sports/event/861139/rugby-union/super-rugby-aotearoa/super-rugby-aotearoa/blues-v-hurricanes

Blues $1.35
Hurricanes $3.00

Odds should be more even?

[Steven Harris]

I would have to check the record books , but would Tom Robinson be the first Northlander to ever captain the Blues .?,.I was thinking maybe Justin Collins ...?,he may of , but he may have been playing for Auckland at the time .,Thoughts ..?

[taniwharugby]

@steven-harris I think Gus must have, Taylor likely to have captained the Chiefs on occasion too?

[Canes4life]

@kiwi_expat are you saying this only because you're a Highlanders supporter and want us to stay average? Blackwell might be a hard worker, a leader in the group and a key shot caller within the pack but it doesn't take away the fact that he's still 1.90m, has shit hands and often gets man handled taking the ball up. Proof in point when he cost us the game against the Chiefs the other week with a poor carry. IWL showed on Friday what we are missing not having him starting on a regular. The size he brings means we don't go backwards at scrum time, we are alot more efficiant in stopping attacking mauls, and IWL actually has enough height in the lineout which enables our hookers to hit their target.

[Tim]

@steven-harris Glenn Taylor?

Looks like he was in 2002:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/taylor-named-blues-captain/IIKKY32VH443KNKSLA43BZNXV4/

[Steven Harris]

@tim good spotting, you have plethora of knowledge.

[Bovidae]

Taylor might be one of the few players to captain 2 SR teams (Chiefs in 2000).

[taniwharugby]

@tim I always forget he played for the Blues (in fact checking his Wiki page, I forgot entirely he played for the canes in 98 before he went to the Blues.

29 games for Chiefs, 11 for Canes and 23 for Blues