Hurricanes v Chiefs
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<p>Shit result for the Chiefs but I could see it coming a mile away, which is why I wasn't that excited for it (though still hoping for a surprise). I'm not sure the Chiefs could've stopped the Canes if they hadn't travelled to and back from SA but I do think it would've been a closer, more intense game. But oh well, that's the way the current, shit draw works, the Chiefs had their chance to secure their own home finals and send the Canes to SA instead but blew it.</p>
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<p>Still not a bad season at all for the Chiefs given the injury list they gathered during it. Positives are that Bird and Harris came back from injury really pushing for AB spots. Seu, Sanders and Boshier were real finds. DMac, Tamanivalu and ALB grew into their roles in their second seasons. Beaver was awesome. And the Chiefs thrashed Wales even without their ABs.</p>
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<p>So go the Canes next week. Sucks we only got one year to mock them for being the only NZ franchise not to win anything though.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="601842" data-time="1469926465">
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<p>even though to everyone bar the judiciary, <strike>that</strike> <strong>your</strong> Kwaiydes was intentional! </p>
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<p>Bugger me, which yellow card? Dropping the bloke from Argentina last year (gutless)? Blindsiding and back slamming the back from Uruguay in the World Cup (gutless)? Knocking the ball out of Colin Slade's hands - at the ruck, in front of the referee - stoopid ² (whilst at Toulon, around about the time the owner discovered, and said publicly, he is a flake)? Dangerous tackle on Morne Steyn 6 years ago? Same thing on Berrick Barnes 4 years ago? Or the knee to Sir Richie's face in 2011 (when he was on his back on the ground - inexcusable. BBBT pulled out his knife, fork, pepper shaker and serviette to have him for dinner a millisecond later at which point the brave <span style="font-size:14px;">li'l fella evacuated his bowels, which went unreported).</span></p>
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<p>I also remember seeing him courageously smack Sir Richie around the head (once again while he was sitting on the ground) after a try had been scored against the All Blacks - it might have been in Hong Kong. Neither attack on Sir Richie was yellow carded - should have been because they were deliberate.</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:verdana, sans-serif;">You will find a <span style="font-family:verdana, sans-serif;">representative selection of marvelous trademark try assists from the li'l fella, <strong>your</strong> li'l fella, to amuse you right here – <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:verdana, sans-serif;">try assists </span></span></span>offered to blokes wearing red, green, black, dark green ...</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="margin-left:40px;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:verdana, sans-serif;">
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<p>Incidentally I have just discovered the multi millionaire super star, who was too cool to renew his drivers licence a couple of years ago, has been getting about all these years, since age 13 (15 years ago), without an Australian passport. He's a b-r-i-t-e lad!</p>
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<p style="margin-left:40px;">In May 2016, <em>Cooper stated that Cooper</em> had been dumped from the Australian Sevens team for the Olympic Games because he did not hold Australian citizenship. It was revealed that he had been travelling on a New Zealand passport while playing internationally for Australia.</p>
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<p>( <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11635293'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11635293</a> )</p>
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<p>The Australian Sevens coach says he wasn't dropped for this, that it was because "the team had not had enough time to work with the fly-half" - Laptop Cooper lies, no surprise.</p> -
Cooper wouldn't be eligible for an Aussie passport because of the John Howard laws. He would have missed the 2001 cut off migration date by about 6 months.<br><br>
So, yeah, he wouldn't have been eligible for the Olympiad. Because I believe citizenship is an ioc criteria.<br><br>
I understand Halai had to withdraw from NZ 7s commonwealth games a few years ago as he didn't/doesn't have NZ citizenship/passport. So, assume commonwealth games used same criteria (which is actually strange for an organisation that splits uk into 4 nations) -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="601865" data-time="1469932773">
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<p>Well i will debate<br><br>
Cruden still excellent but Barrett doing the spectacular.<br><br>
I'd still start Cruden.<br><br>
However I am leaning towards Ardie over Cane ...</p>
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<p>I don't think Cruden was excellent. He made two or three handling errors which were unusual from him. Maybe he was too eager to show that he is the incumbent 10 in the AB ?</p>
<p>Anyway, not having the goalkicking responsability may play against him. On the other hand, Barrett's goalkicking (and kicking in general) has improved a lot since the third test against Wales. I guess this is a matter of confidence and his has grown immensily for a few weeks. Barrett's tackling has also improved greatly. He did stop Retallick in his tracks one meter from the goal line, thus saving what appeared a probable try. This was not spectacular but effective.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="601865" data-time="1469932773"><p>Well i will debate<br><br>Cruden still excellent but Barrett doing the spectacular.<br><br>I'd still start Cruden.<br><br>However I am leaning towards Ardie over Cane ...</p></blockquote> <br>I'm completely the opposite. Cruden has been largely anonymous. Barrett has been outstanding.<br><br>Ardie is, for all his undoubted ability in the loose, too compliant in the tackle. He might hold on to the attacker but he gives up metres in doing so. Cane hurts people as he drives them back.<br> <br><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="601845" data-time="1469927758"><p>I watched it several times after, Cane cleaned perenara out and it looked to me like he tried to kick out of the tackle, only Cane let him go in the same instant. His instant concern might save him but it looks unflattering the slower you watch it</p></blockquote><br>I pout it down to a genuine accident with no malice. It seems that either no one caught it and hence why it hasn';t nbeen citedor someone in SANZAAR has had a bump on the head resulting in common sense.<br><br>The Canes will need TJP at his best to beat the Lions. Travel not withstanding, they're going to be a genunine contender next Saturday.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="reprobate" data-cid="601919" data-time="1469956098">
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<p>totally agree re barrett's tackling. it was initially a real weakness, but has been consistently improving and is no longer an issue at all. </p>
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<p>The other thing that is no longer an issue is Barrett's goal-kicking. Before he went into ABs camp he was a liability and cost the Canes at least one game. He's apparently come back completely repaired - so a tip of the cap to whomever did that in the AB set-up. Possibly Enoka as much as the skills/kicking coach. </p> -
<p>Barrett's goal kicking has cost the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://goalkickers.co.za/'>Hurricanes 24 points this season</a>, less than 2 points per game. Hardly an issue right now.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="601976" data-time="1470004444">
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<p>Barrett's goal kicking has cost the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://goalkickers.co.za/'>Hurricanes 24 points this season</a>, less than 2 points per game. Hardly an issue right now.</p>
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<p>That website rates him the worst kicker in the competition! 64th out of 64.</p>
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<p>His kicking looks like it has improved in the past 4 or 5 weeks but I wouldn't be using that source as evidence that his kicking is "hardly an issue right now"!</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Don Frye" data-cid="601992" data-time="1470005340">
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<p>That website rates him the worst kicker in the competition! 64th out of 64.</p>
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<p>His kicking looks like it has improved in the past 4 or 5 weeks but I wouldn't be using that source as evidence that his kicking is "hardly an issue right now"!</p>
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<p>But the website also says he costs the Hurricanes less than 2 points per game. Barrett got the Hurricanes 2 tries they wouldn't have scored otherwise on Saturday. The conclusion I make from that website is that goal kicking isn't all that important. A first-five can cost you one or two points with the boot if they are as good as Barrett is.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="602011" data-time="1470006940">
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<p>But the website also says he costs the Hurricanes less than 2 points per game. <strong>Barrett got the Hurricanes 2 tries they wouldn't have scored otherwise on Saturday</strong>. <strong>The conclusion I make from that website is that goal kicking isn't all that important. A first-five can cost you one or two points with the boot if they are as good as Barrett is</strong>.</p>
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<p>Not in test rugby.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gt12" data-cid="602021" data-time="1470009234"><p>
Not in test rugby.</p></blockquote>
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Yeah because BB has never created tries from nothing in test rugby. <br>
Would love him to be kicking at 100%, but he offers a lot more than his rivals in the other areas in his game. So it needs to be taken into consideration. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gt12" data-cid="602021" data-time="1470009234">
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<p>Not in test rugby.</p>
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<p>Why does test rugby have to be different? The first-five is the most important position on the field. A first-five playing well is going to add a lot more than a couple of points over a first-five playing averagely. A first-five doesn't need to set up tries to add value. Surely we can all agree that a first-five who has a good general kicking game is going to add a lot more than 1 or 2 points per game? A first-five who can control the game or link up with team mates is also going to add a lot more than 1 or 2 points per game.</p>
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<p>The point is I would only pick Sopoaga or Cruden ahead of Barrett if they were at least almost equal in everything else.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Don Frye" data-cid="601992" data-time="1470005340">
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<p>That website rates him the worst kicker in the competition! 64th out of 64.</p>
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<p>His kicking looks like it has improved in the past 4 or 5 weeks but I wouldn't be using that source as evidence that his kicking is "hardly an issue right now"!</p>
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<p>Also i should point out that he isn't the worst kicker in the competition. The reason he lost a relatively high number of points is because he had so many shots at goal. Cruden and West actually had worse kicker ratings, they just had less opportunities.</p> -
<p>Not sure quite what your point is hydro.</p>
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<p>Before he went into AB camp, Barrett was kicking poorly - the canes fans were urging that kicking responsibilities be passed to Woodward. If I recall correctly, he missed something like five kicks from six versus the Chiefs, which - along with Woodward's tits for hands - cost them a win (and quite a comfortable win).</p>
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<p>Since AB camp - and including for the ABs - he's clearly kicking much better. Suggestions that he can't play first five for the ABs because his goalkicking isn't good enough, or that the canes' goalkicking duties should be passed to Woodward, have died away.</p> -
<p>This was a clear points win in favour of Barrett versus Cruden.</p>
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<p>I would say that given what this game meant to both teams/players, BB clearly stood up in the semi-final cauldron and his poise and gamesmanship was outstanding as was his kicking.</p>
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<p>His improvement in the past 12 months has been remarkable whereas Cruden IMO has been rather stagnant. Yes Cruden is an outstanding 10 but right now it is very clear that Barrett has surpassed him and again, IMO, Barrett should be the starting 10 in the RC.</p>
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<p>I also think that Ardie deserves a start as his play has been irresistable and at the conclusion of that game, he is the top ranked tackler in the entire comp with one game to go. Sure he standsout because of his speed and open field play but that tackle count shows he clearly get's in and does the grunt work.</p>
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<p>And someone said earlier, he doesn't have the impact in the tackle as Cane, well maybe not (I actually dispute this but I'll leave that for now) but he certainly has been dominant in tackles and also being tackled. Add that to his dynanisim/athleticism that got him that awesome turnover in the tackle in this game, I think he deserves a crack at the starting 7 job.</p>
