Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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#2270848 6-Jul-2019 07:37

I expect the Jags to run the Crusaders close tonight. Crusaders 1-12 is paying $3.10. Barrett and Crotty is a big loss but home field advantage and finals experience will get them over the line.

The Jags are impressive though, as highlighted on the 1040 show the other night. They are much stronger than the Lions who made 2 finals recently.

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networkn

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#2270898 6-Jul-2019 10:37

As a Crusaders fan, I can't get to cheering on the Jags, but as a team almost made up exclusively of Internationals, they should be pretty up for it.

If they win, I'll be disappointed for the Crusaders, and Happy for the Jags however.

I do think it's going to be a brusing encounter, I imagine every crunching collision will have Hansen gritting his teeth.

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#2270903 6-Jul-2019 10:54

networkn:
As a Crusaders fan, I can't get to cheering on the Jags, but as a team almost made up exclusively of Internationals, they should be pretty up for it.

If they win, I'll be disappointed for the Crusaders, and Happy for the Jags however.

I do think it's going to be a brusing encounter, I imagine every crunching collision will have Hansen gritting his teeth.

I know Crotty and Barrett are out with injury, but aren’t the Crusaders mainly made up with ‘internationals’ as well?

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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#2271140 6-Jul-2019 18:52

1-17 to 5-00

Id like to watch tonight but I also dont watch Federer play against a top 70 player, I already know the result. Admittedly I watch F1 when I already know the result.

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#2271213 6-Jul-2019 22:46

Up the Crusaders! 3Peat, and 10 Titles!

Commiserations to the Jaguares, it was going to be a tough assignment to come to another place to play a final, take into account travel as well.. What an achievement to even be in the final and it was obvious after the game what it meant them to not be able to cross the line.

What a way to send off those players who have played their part in creating the Crusaders legacy. It will feel super strange not seeing those players take the field next year, but I feel there is a good spine in this team. I expect next year to be very hard for them regardless, losing all that experience.

I think Richie Mo'unga hasn't missed a single kick in 3 games now. Some of those kicks were superb.

Sam Whitelocks leadership cannot be overstated, I'd like to see him take over as Captain of the AB's next year.

I'd love to see Razer Robertson play a part in coaching the AB's. Possibly Ian Foster as head coach and him as an assistant for a few years. I see a lot of Hansen in Robertson, the way he can get the most out of his players, genuinely cares for them, but then isn't afraid to make big calls like sitting out seasoned players in the finals, if it's in the best interest of the team. He shows massive potential.

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#2271249 7-Jul-2019 08:56

I think we are in big trouble come the World Cup. If the AB fowards treat the breakdown like the Crusaders then we will be pinged every second ruck. The sealing off the ball and fowards straight off their feet is a chronic SH issue that the referees just seem to let slide.

The other thing I just dont get is why on a defensive maul there is suddenly no offiside line. Jags had the ball and were held up close to the line defensively. You then have several players coming in from the side, including Bryn Hall who jumped onto the top of the maul from the Jags side. I am all for a defensive maul becoming a turnover, but equally the rules of the maul still exist (offside line, defending team cannot pull it down, joining correctly).

It was a pretty poor game to watch as the Jags just couldnt string phases together. Everytime they came close they spilled the ball through an attempt at a 50/50. Was never a close game.

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#2271284 7-Jul-2019 11:52

I don't think either team were able to string phases together, I don't recall seeing more ball dropped in a game for a long time. Admittedly, the night was exceptionally cold, and the ground and ball was very wet, but still....

I was disappointed by the number of handling errors and missed tackles by the Crusaders, it's been a bad few weeks for them. I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come for the AB's.

Even with missed tackles, the Crusaders were very good on defense. Some of those covering tackles were potentially game savers. David Havilli has reasonable defensive nous.

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#2271575 8-Jul-2019 07:20

Look honestly in the all-time semi-final rankings, I'd have been happy if that one had been played in the fog.

Exceedingly average game, strongly highlighting the perils of the conference system and how you will frequently not end up with the two best teams in the final.

networkn

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#2271651 8-Jul-2019 09:45

GV27:

Look honestly in the all-time semi-final rankings, I'd have been happy if that one had been played in the fog.

Exceedingly average game, strongly highlighting the perils of the conference system and how you will frequently not end up with the two best teams in the final.

Well, what difference would it have made, the week before, the two best teams went at it. It was entertaining and tight and depending on who you ask, the correct team won.

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#2271653 8-Jul-2019 09:47

networkn:

GV27:

Look honestly in the all-time semi-final rankings, I'd have been happy if that one had been played in the fog.

Exceedingly average game, strongly highlighting the perils of the conference system and how you will frequently not end up with the two best teams in the final.

Well, what difference would it have made, the week before, the two best teams went at it. It was entertaining and tight and depending on who you ask, the correct team won.

Yes, and it would have been far more fitting as a final. I generally don't like seeing Canterbury win but not as much as I like seeing Wellington lose, so either way.

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#2271655 8-Jul-2019 09:50

GV27:

networkn:

GV27:

Look honestly in the all-time semi-final rankings, I'd have been happy if that one had been played in the fog.

Exceedingly average game, strongly highlighting the perils of the conference system and how you will frequently not end up with the two best teams in the final.

Well, what difference would it have made, the week before, the two best teams went at it. It was entertaining and tight and depending on who you ask, the correct team won.

Yes, and it would have been far more fitting as a final. I generally don't like seeing Canterbury win but not as much as I like seeing Wellington lose, so either way.

The last 3 years must have been fairly miserable for you then lol :)

I don't really understand your objection, the final was played the week before if you wanted the two best teams. I don't think if it was played a week later, the result would have been different.

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#2271656 8-Jul-2019 09:54

networkn:

The last 3 years must have been fairly miserable for you then lol :)

I don't really understand your objection, the final was played the week before if you wanted the two best teams. I don't think if it was played a week later, the result would have been different.

I'm a Blues fan, the last sixteen years have been fairly miserable.

All I'm saying is it reflects badly on the competition to have the two best teams meet in the semi-finals and then a total non-event of a final only brought about by a crappy conference system. Hopefully the change back to round-robin seasons will stop this from happening.

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#2271657 8-Jul-2019 10:01

I am also looking forward to the round robin return. Unfortunately, next year, still the conference system.

I think the conditions largely affected the final to be honest. I was expecting much better than that by both teams, but I believe had it of been dry weather, the scorelines would have been even more one sided, though more tries would have been scored.

It takes a hell of a lot for a team to travel away in a final and win, it's only been done twice. The Crusaders win over the Lions was almost certainly because of the Red card handed to the Lions in the first half. I think had the game gone on another 10 minutes the Lions still might have won, the Crusaders were off their feet at 75 minutes.

I think they are doing away with home advantage in finals once the round robin starts I think. I disagree strongly with this. I think if you have been good enough to top the table, then you deserve home advantage.

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#2271770 8-Jul-2019 11:41

Agreed.

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#2271873 8-Jul-2019 14:43

One thing that looks pretty steady at this point, is we have a couple of good options for goal kicking. Despite a rusty start to the season, RM has 24 from his last 25 kicks, 77% for the season, but 100% through the play offs, big games with loads of pressure. Not easy kicks, many of them.

I would really like to see a game with Ben Smith on 1 Wing, Reiko Ioane on the other, Beauden Barrett at 15 and RM at 10.

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