Super Rugby 2016

It's funny, you're as arrogant as the Chiefs fans. The Canes lost it rather than the Chiefs winning it type thing. I wouldn't call it a special team....they are actually confirming that they're getting slowly worse each week. It was a good game nevertheless.

 

Like I say not through your excellence. Was our missed opportunities that cost us.

Around the 50 min mark the Canes went into panic mode a bit but came right which was good.

Also was that Seta try actually a legitimate try? I couldn't really see but the crowd didn't seem to like it. I assume it's probably like Nonu's try in the super rugby final last year?

I think a Canes team losing by 1 point and leaving like 20 points out on the park shows we are on the rise as per our last 5 games. The game isn't really a hindrance on either team's chances given how shit the Aussie teams are.

 

Oh OK. I'll provide more insightful comments tomorrow. It was an awesome game, awesome crowd, can't wait until next year when I live here to go to all games.

 

Ok whilst I was disappointed there were a lot of positives in that game for us. You have to remember we started the season terribly. We've been getting better and better each week which bodes well for us come the back end of the season.

There's no doubting that the Canes were the better team for most of the 80 minutes, even Rennie admitted that. I don't buy into this "they found a way to win bullshit" because if that pass had stuck at the end, the Canes would have won - something out of the control of the Chiefs.

It's looking a lot more positive for us that we have the ability to remain patient and create opportunities. I couldn't really say the same for the Chiefs, apart from some run against the play tries, they didn't create all that much. Their performances do seem to be getting worse and worse and I think that display showed that they aren't miles ahead like people seem to have been suggesting after trouncing overseas teams. Regardless the structure of the comp basically means they'll be in the play offs for sure now, the more NZ teams the better! I'm not so sure you could call them clear title winners though....which is good as it keeps the comp wide open.

Onto the players - Barrett's running game was amazing, his goal kicking was costly. Mixed bag for him. Cruden seemed a little quiet which was a bit disappointing annnnd the one thing which edged me was fucking uncontested scrums. Apparently the loosehead prop that couldn't play tighthead has done so literally 2 weeks ago, if that's the case that's very negative from the Chiefs.

The fans - good crowd. The people I was around were a mixed bag though. Some Chiefs fan that was probably in his 50's acting like a primary school kid, it's alright to support your team but non stop belligerent comments gets a tad annoying, watch the game ffs. They Canes fans I was with were members and knew their code which was good. We all seemed to agree that the Canes panicked around the 50 min mark but came right.

Nevertheless it was a good game! Can't wait until we meet again.

 

In other good news for us, Ardie Savea has pulled out from doing the Sevens thing!!! I always reckoned things would be a bit iffy once he left so thank fuck he's not. Now All Blacks need to select him IMO.

 

I thought the chiefs deserved to win and several of the canes tries were created by Joubert's favouritism towards them. But I knew going into the match Joubert would be like that. Most biased ref in the league. Totally home town referee unless the visiting team is a very good team and then he will favour the winning team. It was Joubert who fucked over Scotland.

Your analysis that the Chiefs are getting worse to worse week to week is grossly unfair. We were missing Ngatai and our front row looked like it was missing some of its better performers.

If you had NMS at full back then you would have won. My friend said he bet on the chiefs only because Woodward was playing ahead of Black and Marshall.

The ranking of the 7s in the comp is:
Cane
Savea
Todd

And there is not much seperating them. Good luck to Savea if he wants to make the side.

 

Yeah Marshall must have been injured because he was taken from the bench and replaced by Black. Even Jane back there would have been better. Actually I'd prefer 14. Proctor 15. Jane and have Haloholo at 13.

I don't think the Chiefs deserved to win necessarily, I'm pretty sure most would agree we were the better team. Also one of the Chiefs tries was created by a forward. Jourbert's reffing was bad but haven't complained because I feel it went both ways.

Actually I think your problem was the forwards, couldn't get good ball for the backs whereas the Canes could which made Barrett's night easy (well running at least). For the most part your Forwards were near full strength too so not blaming Ngatai's absence/ the backs at all.

All I'm saying is if the Chiefs are the benchmark for the title then they definitely aren't sure to win it yet because they got beaten by the Canes last night (maybe not on the scoreboard but you know what I mean). I know the public have been going wild over them but if the NZ Derby matches show anything, the overseas teams have made them look good and I think that could even be said for the Canes who still haven't had a complete performance. Don't get me wrong though, win or lose it was probably one of the most entertaining matches I've been to and wish all the NZ teams luck. I do feel some teams are going under the radar a bit. Especially the Saders, they're only a BP away from the Chiefs on the table and are doing better than expectations. No way in hell I'd have expected them to do this well. I'd much rather any other NZ team winning over them however.

It is frustrating from a Canes perspective because we should have won it, I would criticise that more but it's typical Canes fashion to leave heaps of points out on the field so I'm not going to waste my breath. I do think we're getting better and better so have that positive.

Regarding Savea he'll be an immense impact player. Can't see him starting but he has to be on the bench IMO. I'd say Hansen has said something to change his mind about the Olympics.

 

Rennie is a weird judge of talent. Hika Elliott is a brilliant player, and Marshall not so much.

I hope Nathan Harris comes in for Marshall.

After a bit of googling, rego, it appears those props are our props for the season. We had two All Black standard props but both got injured. Maybe time to send an SOS to big Ben?

Where the Hurricanes did dominate and probably deserved to win the game was scrum time. I have never seen such a complete mismatch.

 

Yep Nepo and Manu were big losses injury wise, I said it at the time too - it killed them the other night. Rhys Marshall can't throw the ball in to save himself but was better last weekend. Brad Weber probably played his worst game all season and Cruden was quiet as. Seta's inclusion worked exactly as expected, he ran right through our small midfield. I'm not sold on starting Damian in the ABs because that means we shift Smith to the wing but where I am sold on the idea is starting Barrett at 10 and having Damien kick. Cruden can't really kick to save himself either (hence Damien with those duties) and Barrett's running and distribution game is lighting up. I honestly don't think Cruden is a sure fire AB starter yet. I know Barrett hasn't proven himself starting in the past for the ABs but I don't think you can hold him down forever based on that. Sopoaga is in the background calling too but I wouldn't look into his kicking stats too much because of course a player that plays their home games inside will have a better %.

There's no denying in previous weeks the Chiefs have played some entertaining rugby but I don't think it's the type of rugby that wins titles I'm afraid. Defence is just too poor and the set piece is woeful. Chiefs need to up their forward game and defence and they'll be unstoppable. Backs won't simply win every game on their own and I reckon the match against the Landers could prove that.

Couple of key matches this week in:

Blues v Rebels
Landers v Brumbies (pretty much going to define whether or not the Brumbies can get back on track imo)
Lions v Canes
Stormers v Tahs

and the battle of the shitter but even teams:

Reds v Cheetahs
Jags v Kings

 

If you don't think your scrums and forwards in general killed you, you're seriously high.

In fact it's pretty much confirmed that the Chiefs were negative and bullshitted that Fisi'ihoi couldn't play tighthead to make it uncontested scrums. He's started several games there before. In fact Rennie has been told he'll be allowed to play there in the future without any ramifications.....

I'm sorry but I don't care what team it is, who wins etc. But that is fucking poor and negative.

 

Losses haha it's all gains for me. The Landers one has potential I guess. Can't see the Sharks being much of a fight. They couldn't even score a try against a 14 man Highlanders team....can't see them scoring more than the Chiefs but I guess you never know.

 

Haha our scrums got killed but because we won they didn't actually get killed....makes no sense ever.

That game of rugby showed that it will matter. Defence and forwards certainly do. Sure not against these shitty overseas sides that all NZ teams are wrecking but against decent sides it most certainly does. Another night (and Woodward kicking) and the Canes would win that one, as would other decent teams. The Chiefs were very very lucky in that one and just luck doesn't take you all the way to a final. If the Chiefs don't step up their game they're setting up for falling short.

Yes they did prefer to be down to 14 to ensure they retained possession. That scrum when they went to uncontested was right in front of the posts...it was under massive pressure all night and a penalty in front would have won us the game. It inevitably worked. That prop can play both sides so yes they chose to go for the negative way and it meant they kept possession and didn't risk an easy 3.

 

Even with the Canes losing by 1 point, the arrogant fans are starting to quieten. All I was hearing for weeks was how the Chiefs were streets ahead. As you'd know I didn't buy into it. I'm not saying they're not a good team but they're not streets ahead.

The Canes still haven't played a complete performance yet either.