QF Blues v Highlanders
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Gutted I won't be there; a long standing trip away with family planned. I suppose with the new Blues I should check playoff dates before agreeing to events, but it feels ... presumptuous?
Hopefully we'll see the top team except Clarke out there. We should have enough to handle the Highlanders easily, but rugby ain't played on paper. Beating 3 kiwi sides to win will be a massive, massive test.
Of all the finalists I think we've got the highest chance of winning the comp, but I don't think it's quite 50/50 frankly.
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Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
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@Kiwiwomble said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@NTA come on man...we all know it....no need to say it
Makes more sense than:
WEEK 1
Reds win in ChCh v Saders
Clan win in Auckland v Blues
Canes win in Canberra v Ponies
Tahs win in the 'tron v ChiefsWEEK 2
Reds win in Brisbane v Clan
Tahs win in Welly v CanesWEEK 3
Tahs win at Leichardt v Reds@NTA said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Tahs win at Leichardt v Reds
And Matt Burke scoring over the top of Ben Tune to seal the game. The glory days aye Nick…
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So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
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So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
they're massively outmatched on talent, so you do what all teams down on talent do
Make your tackles, make the rucks a shitfight, stay out of your end, and take every opportunity for points.
Then let scoreboard pressure take care of the rest.
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So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
@African-Monkey Could definitely be an upset. Per M4L above, they will copy the Brumbies game plan from two weeks ago.
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@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
they're massively outmatched on talent, so you do what all teams down on talent do
Make your tackles, make the rucks a shitfight, stay out of your end, and take every opportunity for points.
Then let scoreboard pressure take care of the rest.
@mariner4life said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
they're massively outmatched on talent, so you do what all teams down on talent do
Make your tackles, make the rucks a shitfight, stay out of your end, and take every opportunity for points.
Then let scoreboard pressure take care of the rest.
If Blues don’t give away penalties they should win. Landers have struggled to get out of their own half during large portions of games.
So Blues by only 999?
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So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance?
Not really. It would be a massive boil over. I don't think the Blues wanted to go 13 games straight in order to fail at the first hurdle against a team that wouldn't be playing finals football in a competently run competition.
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Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
@Tim said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
Saucer of milk, table two....
The 4-10 Highlanders, who lost to three of the five Australian sides over the run home, may be one of the poorest teams to have played post-season professional sport...
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@Tim said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
Saucer of milk, table two....
The 4-10 Highlanders, who lost to three of the five Australian sides over the run home, may be one of the poorest teams to have played post-season professional sport...
@Machpants said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@Tim said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
Saucer of milk, table two....
The 4-10 Highlanders, who lost to three of the five Australian sides over the run home, may be one of the poorest teams to have played post-season professional sport...
buuuuurn
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Wait, Southland won 1 game in last year's NPC and got a semi final
Must be a deep South thing
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So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
Huge difference between what Blues fans are saying and what other teams fans are saying.
No guarantees in knockout rugby. Only takes one good performance from a struggling team to ruin someone’s day.
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So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
If Leon gets covid and has to stay at home it will be all on for young and old!
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All in all, freshness and backups with minutes under their belts, the Blues are travelling well, with Caleb Clarke (hamstring) their only significant absence. Don’t be surprised if human band-aid Bryce Heem slots in on the right wing, and Mark Telea shifts across in a replication of last year’s adjustment.
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Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2:Stu Curran
TMO :James Leckie -
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2:Stu Curran
TMO :James Leckie@Daffy-Jaffy said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2:Stu Curran
TMO :James LeckieHow the hell does Pickerill and Williams get a gig and O'Keefe doesn't? WTF is going on with SANZAAR?
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2:Stu Curran
TMO :James LeckieHow the hell does Pickerill and Williams get a gig and O'Keefe doesn't? WTF is going on with SANZAAR?
@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
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@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
@ACT-Crusader said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
Can't run around for 80 mins three weeks in a row? That sort of thinking is how we get Wayne Barnes in 2007.
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@ACT-Crusader said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
Can't run around for 80 mins three weeks in a row? That sort of thinking is how we get Wayne Barnes in 2007.
@antipodean said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@ACT-Crusader said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
Can't run around for 80 mins three weeks in a row? That sort of thinking is how we get Wayne Barnes in 2007.
More like giving all the refs a final I would guess.
