The Silver Fern

Sanzar deserve a bullet.

Japanese TMO says "not offside" "can award a try" in broken English to an Argentinian whose English isn't much better. Referee says "okay no try".

Idiotic at best

@Tim said in Blues vs. Bulls:

That did not look like a try.

Come on! The game was well and truly over and Paige hasn't scored a try in well over a decade (I'm serious)

Okay first. If anyone wants a good go at $8, back Fiji to win the 7s World Series.

South Africa won't be nearly the team they are now without the best finisher in the game Senatla, and the best forward Kwagga Smith. They don't have ready made replacements for them either. Shakes is just a regular footballer - nothing special in terms of speed and I've never seen him pounce early on counter-attacks the way Senatla does. Kwagga brought a brilliant fetching game to 7's which was gold. They haven't got that with anyone else.

$8 for next best Fiji is crazy good money considering how early in the season it is and the players they'll be losing. Could get a lot more if you think someone else will come good (but I doubt it).

Second. My old login stopped working which is fine because bbarcs was just random letters I punched into my keyboard but would be cool if admin could merge my post total! Thanks

I apologise for the refereeing.

Don't think Abel threw more than 2 line-outs straight all night either.

Only a handful of potential Bulls starters missing there.

Adriaan Strauss (Springbok)
Jan Serfontein (Springbok)
Arno Botha (Springbok)
Jannes Kirsten (2016 Forward OTY)
Roelof Smit (Springbok)

I'm tipping the Bulls to knock off the Stormers (terrible loose-trio and unsettled backline) in week 1 and be our best side this season.

@rapido

While I think it's an odd time to start complaining about scoring against the goal posts....

I've long thought the posts should be on the dead ball line rather. Safety reasons obviously, but you're also narrowing the part of the field penalties can be taken from which is good considering how far some of the guys can kick it nowadays.

Have the posts at the dead ball line the way they do with American football.

@taniwharugby said in Super Rugby News:

@cheetahsBO thing is, do the Cheetahs bring more $$$ to the table than the Sunwolves?

As at the end of the day, this is going to be a big factor in the decision.

Thought we were at the stage where we realised diluting the product was causing the huge drop in viewers & attendance.

I wouldn't pay to watch the Sunwolves have 60 points put on them every weekend.

@Stargazer said in Chiefs v Bulls:

The Chiefs shouldn't have any problem in South Africa the next two weeks with the Stormers & Cheetahs being their opponents.

Wouldn't put the house on it. The Stormers are more of an unknown then people probably know. Not very safe going against an unbeaten team - sometimes they just find a team to win, and it's not like the Stormers haven't got the players.

The Lions didn't get tested going backwards or out wide really but if he shows himself to be a brave defender then I'd say the Lions uncovered a true gem in 19-year-old winger Madosh Tambwe. Did everything he was asked to do very well and those little extra things that seperate the journeyman from the guys who go all the way.

Hasn't been a finisher like him in Jo'burg since Bryan Habana made the similar jump from U-19's.

And most importantly we need more physical wingers such as him out there so we can have more confidence to move the ball out there.

Last word on Lions game: Rohan Janse van Rensburg an absolute star and whoever in the Bulls organisation let him go as "your services won't be required in the future" should be shot. He is as they'd say in the NFL, a franchise player. Miles better then any of Kriel (best not pick him for the Boks this year. Has done nothing to warrant even being one), Odendaal & Swanepoel at the Bulls franchise that did not want him. (I exclude Serfontein because I still think he's every bit as good in a rubbish organisation)

Tambwe's U-19 record last year:

• 400 minutes player over 9 games, mostly off the bench.
• scored 16 tries including 4 when he came in with 30 minutes to go in final round robin and 3 in the final against Western Province when he came on with 20 minutes to play.

Not exactly the stupid rugby you expect from a NZ side.

Highlanders reserve tighthead was born with a single brain cell quite clearly

I've had it with these 3 minute TMO reviews. Can understand why people aren't interested in watching.

Referee wastes another 2 minutes checking a contest in the air. Nothing comes of it.

Feels like I'm watching an NFL game with all these stoppages