The Silver Fern

Ennor has re-signed for another year

@Chris-B said in Highlanders v Crusaders:

@Chris For a good part of the season you could construct a very strong "Missing XV" from injuries and gone from the previous year - have to play Richie at halfback. Would certainly have given what we were fielding a good drubbing.

Brewis, Taylor, Williams
Barrett, Whitelock
Sione Havili, Blackadder, Dunshea
Mo'unga, Burke
Goodhue, Ennor
Faingaánuku, Nanai, Jordan

The Canes have had just as many injuries this year and are still in contention so it’s not always just injuries. Every team goes through that.

Interestingly both the Crusaders and Canes really struggled when they had Hohepa at 10 for a long period. I think as long as you have key players in key positions then you can cope.

Worst rule implementation is no contest at linesout and it doesn’t have to be straight

Practically guarantees a try from a 5m lineout

75% inside 22m

Should be the other way round

No contest then it should be measured by a laser

@frugby agree.

Can see Nareki and Rayasi(already left NZ) making themselves available for Fiji.

JRK is only 22, Tavatavanawai only 26, can’t see them committing to Fiji yet.

@cgrant said in Waikato v Canterbury:

Parker has really stepped up this year as well. Next year, he could be the starting Nr.8 with the Chiefs.

I think Parker will take over the PGS role and play 6/8 off the bench. Jacobson is the starting no.8.

@Chris My comment was a bit of a pisstake, of course there are younger players there, Auckland have a few themselves like Heem, Royal etc. but it seems like Canterbury have a lot more older players than in previous years like Heinz, Crotty, Funnell, Moody, Romano mixed with guys like Lienert Brown, Drummond, Dunshea, Harmon, Prinsep and Jager either 30 or approaching 30. For an NPC side, it is fairly old.

@Stargazer Japan didnt give much credence to the Sunwolves from the outset did they?

Which is why they were made up of so many players from NZ / Aus rather than the best local Japanese (or even ex NZ/SA/Aus players) who were playing the Japanese comp.

Maybe we need to see if we can add 2 or 3 teams to thier comp with an aim to get Japan into a SH comp, with Fiji, finally realise we dont hold all the cards?

@Crazy-Horse Completely agree.

@mikedogz I chuckled when I saw him running. Such a low centre of gravity aye.
Bench firepower unashamedly won that for the Saders. Some really good cameos and nice touches from the likes of Moananu, McLeod and Goodhue. And the subbing of Drummond who was a real handbrake.

@SBW1 if you're on a phone, that button on the right lets you reply to the thread instead of replying to a post..

Screenshot_2023-04-11-07-41-27-60_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg

@Rapido said in NZ Super Smash 20/20:

Lance Cairns hit 59% of all the 6s hit by New Zealanders in internationals during the span of his career.

(although cricinfo's records are incomplete, some games boundaries haven't been retained in the uploaded scorecards).
He hit 69 known sixes of the known 117 known sixes NZers hit in tests and ODIs during his time.

Or, another way ...

Nzers batted 1963 times for 177 sixes Cairns batted 130 times for 69 sixes Batting records | Combined Test, ODI and T20I records | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com Batting records | Combined Test, ODI and T20I records | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

Also the boundaries were way longer and you had to clear the fence that marked the boundary for the full six runs to be scored, hitting the fence on the full only counted for four. The bats he used would not have had the benefit of the minute computer design analysis todays slabs of willow are given to ensure they were optimal for six hitting. It is not uncommon to see mishits and thick top edges going for six these days.

@pakman said in SF Crusaders v Chiefs:

@kiwi_expat said in SF Crusaders v Chiefs:

@Canes4life said in SF Crusaders v Chiefs:

Can Robertson just take Foster’s place already.

Yep, Incredible defense. Every Crusaders player knew what to do in every situation. Their line speed in defence, the outside defender coming up quicker to shut wide play down, only three max in the tackle, another defensive line quickly forming behind the ruck, and great communication. Then rinse and repeat. Brilliant coaching, Robertson surely has the best defensive set-up in the Southern Hemisphere.

A big part of this is ruck judgement. If ball not obvious to be won, Chch is excellent at clearing their players out so arguably the ruck has ended. I'm not sure where the offside line is in such instances but they appear to line up parallel with the foremost opposition player. So in practice, perhaps 2m downfield from where the halfback picks up the ball.

By the time the ball gets to the oppo first five Chch defense is over the advantage line.

Really makes it difficult to impossible to get go forward from slow ball.

My gut tells me the offside line needs to be moved further back, but not sure exactly how to achieve that.

Maybe make it 5m back from front of first oppo player at the ruck which was?

5m gaps are very hard to police and would end up with lots of debatable calls. I thought that interpretation they tried of being 'clearly onside' rather than 'clearly offside' worked well. It wouldn't stop good ruck management defence like that you describe but it made a very clear method for the AR to identify those small half steps that make a big difference in these situations.

(I'm not complaint about anything in this game here just discussing the offside line topic)

@Dan54 said in Crusaders. v Reds:

@Derpus said in Crusaders. v Reds:

@taniwharugby the inconsistent application of the laws by the SR refs and the general thuggery of the SR players (how many tip tackles have we seen now? all in the space of about three weeks) have killed off any chance of the 20 minute card getting up.

And we now see the ref is absolutely correct according to WR laws which is what the game is played under. Matera has not been cited because the tackle did not meet the red card threshold. It's probably not the inconsistency of the refs the probelm, but perhaps we see things differently on perhaps who we support etc.
And shows what I know I thought it was red, but after seeing replayes he lands on arm, then shoulder etc so not a red card. I not arguing whether it should be or not, but it was correct decision re the laws of game.

Yes perfectly summed up @Dan54

End-of-year awards winners:

Men's Player of the Year – Billy Harmon
Māori Player of the Year – Billy Harmon (New Brighton)
Men’s Rookie of the Year – George Bell (Lincoln University)

FPC Player of the Year – Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox (Christchurch)
Most Promising FPC Player of the Year – Hannah King (Lincoln University) and Atlanta Lolohea (Christchurch)
FPC Development Player of the Year – Samantha Spence (University of Canterbury)

Canterbury Rugby Canterbury Rugby Canterbury Rugby Canterbury Rugby Canterbury Rugby Canterbury Rugby

Some of that Crusaders defence in the second half was very impressive.

Series of dominant tackles driving the Force ballcarriers backwards.

A great deal more enthusiasm and intent than the previous week.

@TheMojoman said in Rebels v Crusaders:

@ACT-Crusader said in Rebels v Crusaders:

@Bones said in Rebels v Crusaders:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Rebels v Crusaders:

Havili and Goodhue as the midfield FFS!

I will be mildly surprised if Razor selects that midfield after steadfastly sticking to today's one the last couple of years. Best coach can't be wrong!

Razor has played Havili and Goodhue together a couple of times. I think it will be an easier decision now that Jordan has cemented the fullback position.

I wonder if he will have a dabble and try
12-Goodhue
13-Fainga'anuku

Fainga'anuku played more like a centre on the weekend anyway.

I don't think he'll leave out either Goodhue or Havili. Probs Goodhue to 13? Not sure if Havili has ever played 13.

I expect 12. Havili, 13. Goodhue, too.
Havili has played at 13 before, next to Crotty, but I doubt he'll be moved again (other than to fullback, if needed).
No way Razor will leave him out of the starting XV.

@hydro11 said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@gt12 said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@hydro11 said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@hydro11 said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@hydro11 said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@hydro11 said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@hydro11 said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@bones said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

@cgrant said in Crusaders v Hurricanes:

It was a very kickable penalty. How many chances to get the 3 points : more than 70% IMO. How many chances to score a try via the lineout ? 20% maybe ?

I'm struggling to understand this concept that it's impossible for the canes to win in normal time, yet so much more acceptable they'd win in extra time. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Trying to score from something they're bad at (lineout - maul) against a team excellent at defending a maul. Extra time provides unstructured opportunities which is something the Canes are reasonable at.

It's not just a maul though. Even if you don't score from the maul, you should be able to recycle and get an unstructured opportunity 5 metres out.

Did they..?

Going for the lineout has less than a 50% chance of success, so can't use the fact it failed to prove your point. It has to be based on the likeliness at the time.

Let me get this logic right: A Canes lineout has more chance of losing possession that winning it, so it's better to attempt that to its inevitable conclusion (as we saw), than to force other opportunities?

No. The lineout has less than 50% chance of leading to a try. Obviously, we have more than 50% chance of winning the ball back.

Ok. A Canes lineout has more chance of not leading to a try than scoring one, so it's better to attempt that to its inevitable conclusion (as we saw), than to force other opportunities?

Yes. Going to golden point also has more chance of losing than winning.

There's only two teams competing in golden point...

Yes, but the Crusaders are a far better team, thus giving them a greater than 50% chance of winning in golden point. I don't believe you think the Hurricanes are as good as the Crusaders, or would be as likely to win from that point.

Even if you think golden point is a 50/50, Jordie still has to kick the goal to take us there. Unless you give him a 100% chance of doing so, there was a sub 50% the Hurricanes won from that position.

I understand now. You weren't going to win so why delay the inevitable, get it over in normal time!

That’s exactly what I’m reading too.

We’ll only get one chance as we aren’t good enough. Fair enough.

What I find hilarious is that the Canes were 6/10 against the Saders for line outs won.

But the kick is the risky option.

Our lineout is much better than that normally though.

Ahhh that poor display must have contributed to J. Blackwell's dropping from the side that fronted against Moana Pasifika.