Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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#3490361 13-May-2026 09:18

Sometimes I haven't totally agreed with the ABs (or Chiefs, etc) coach appointments. However, once they're onboard, I totally give them the benefit of the doubt, back them and the team, and look to enjoy the ride, come what may.

You, on the other hand, seem to have a different approach, where you hate the guy and the appointment and are going to look for any evidence to back that up and find problems wherever you can (either real or imagined). I'm no expert, but I reckon living in that sort of dark, negative mindset cannot be good for your mental health.

Sports are there for our enjoyment (amongst other things). The eye-patch messiah is gone. That's not changing. I reckon, back the team and the coaches and try to enjoy the game anyway. That's much more fun.

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#3490375 13-May-2026 09:37

Earbanean:

Sometimes I haven't totally agreed with the ABs (or Chiefs, etc) coach appointments. However, once they're onboard, I totally give them the benefit of the doubt, back them and the team, and look to enjoy the ride, come what may.

You, on the other hand, seem to have a different approach, where you hate the guy and the appointment and are going to look for any evidence to back that up and find problems wherever you can (either real or imagined). I'm no expert, but I reckon living in that sort of dark, negative mindset cannot be good for your mental health.

Sports are there for our enjoyment (amongst other things). The eye-patch messiah is gone. That's not changing. I reckon, back the team and the coaches and try to enjoy the game anyway. That's much more fun.

What a strange claim to make. I backed Robertson, Hansen, and Foster, and Henry (despite being very opposed to his reappointment initially). I was pretty much the only person in this thread to back Foster.

To say everything you said and then make a disgracefully insulting comment about a prior coach is absolutely revolting. To say you supported Robertson is a joke.

Claiming you are the voice of reason, when your eye patch is just as firmly attached is vile. You need to knock it off.

Only someone with a serious eye patch is going to suggest that Rennie is right to have made those comments.

You are every bit as biased as I am, and I am tired of the insults and passive aggressive nonsense.

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#3490575 13-May-2026 13:51

Ummm, OK. Moving right along then...

Another coffee, some more contemplation and I've made another firm decision. It's early days, and the business end of Super is still to come, but I'm firmly in the camp: Love starts at 10 in the July tests. Ideally, a 10 would be eased in from the bench, but with the daunting SA tour in August and World Cup next year, IMO we simply don't have time for that luxury. It's deep end time.

I reckon Love should start and get big minutes in all 3 tests - or at the very least, 2 of them. If it doesn't work out, then Barrett can easily slot back in to start against the Boks. Barrett has loads of experience, will have had some minutes off the bench in July, and will start in one of the SA warm up games. So, we have the fallback safety net if we need it. Let's go all in on Love.

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#3490618 13-May-2026 16:51

I'd do it slightly differently. I'd give him 40 minutes off the bench at 10 in the first test. By this time the defense will have softened a fraction and the baptism by fire is still going to be there, but a fraction less spicy.

Second test start him and give him 40 minutes. He can drop back to 15 depending on how spent he his.

Third Test start him and give him 60 minutes.

I get the urgency (which makes Rennies comments even worse), but potentially wiping out his confidence isn't going to be good. The opposing team are going to target him to put him under pressure, so the forwards will need to be DRILLED to protect him and give him front foot fall. Ryan will absolutely need to demand this and accept nothing less. Furthermore, they need to be CRYSTAL clear with Love about what one or two things he needs to worry about and tell him to not worry about anything else. The coaches need to make sure that Barrett and Dmac get the same message, so they are not overwhelming him with other helpful information. I'd also be tempted to put Havilli outside him at 12. Havilli is smart, has good leadership and communication and will be a calm voice for him to hear.

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#3490704 14-May-2026 08:21

Nah, if Love starts, then Barrett is 12. He probably should be anyway, but having Love's Canes teammates outside him and inside him (Roigard) will be ideal. Combinations are really important - and IMO Roigard and Barrett justify their starting spots anyway.

If Proctor also starts at 13, then that's a Canes 10, 12, 13 combination. Not saying Proctor is in any way certain for 13 though. A lot depends on how they want to use Tupaea and/or Faingaʻanuku.

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#3490782 14-May-2026 09:29

Earbanean:

Nah, if Love starts, then Barrett is 12. He probably should be anyway, but having Love's Canes teammates outside him and inside him (Roigard) will be ideal. Combinations are really important - and IMO Roigard and Barrett justify their starting spots anyway.

If Proctor also starts at 13, then that's a Canes 10, 12, 13 combination. Not saying Proctor is in any way certain for 13 though. A lot depends on how they want to use Tupaea and/or Faingaʻanuku.

Faingaʻanuku feels like he would be a weapon at 12. They won't play him there I doubt, but as a physical player, he is the sort of power we want at 12.

We miss J Barretts height at fullback IMO. I think Jordan is excellent at FB, but he is excellent on the wing too. I think it would be unlikely they would play 9, 10, 12, 13 all canes players, but I could be wrong.

Tupaea would be hard to keep off the field. Proctor was probably a little hard done by in the way they tried to play him and put him under too much pressure, but they did give him a reasonable run at 13 and you'd have to say it wasn't a wild success. What he did give us was a proper go forward attack for the first time in years. Ioane isn't an attacking 13 (or in fact, of recent times a defensive one only). Obviously Proctors main issue was his defence, but it's fixable if they wanted to.

It will be interested to see how many Chiefs players make it this year, in the tests we went Chiefs heavy last year, we were penalty heavy too.

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#3490994 14-May-2026 20:14

networkn:

It will be interested to see how many Chiefs players make it this year, in the tests we went Chiefs heavy last year, we were penalty heavy too.

Ha ha I like what you've tried there. Maybe not total nonsense if the stats showed it was actually the Chiefie players being penalised - but I've (like you) yet to see that. If however, they were concerned about discipline in selections this year, then they'd clearly be avoiding Sader players - as the Saders currently have the worst discipline record of all NZ teams in this year's Super Rugby. 1 red, 11 yellows and 111 penalties is by far the worst. Always better to go with hard facts, rather than eye patches.

Maybe the ABs were 'penalty heavy' last year, because of the Sader dominated coaching team? Maybe with the new, cleaner, coaching line up, the discipline will improve?

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#3491002 14-May-2026 20:49

Cleaner Rennie LOL.

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#3491313 15-May-2026 22:36

Good win for the Chiefs at home against a fairly hapless Highlanders side.

Didn't enjoy MacKenzie getting knocked out cold. Hope he's OK.

Tangetau with a season ending ACL injury, surgery incoming for him. He looked distraught. I really felt for the guy. Such a shame.

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#3491314 15-May-2026 22:37

Hopefully, Rennie will be able to stay awake for the AB's games. He was clearly struggling tonight watching the Chiefs and Highlanders. :(

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#3491625 17-May-2026 00:24

He's clearly visualising how's he is going to convince his players to be more dirty.

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#3491626 17-May-2026 00:50

lachlanw:

He's clearly visualising how's he is going to convince his players to be more dirty.

That certainly wouldn't surprise me.

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#3491680 17-May-2026 07:11

lachlanw:

He's clearly visualising how's he is going to convince his players to be more dirty.

🤣

Best he touch base with Rob Penney then!

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#3491692 17-May-2026 09:47

tukapa1:

Best he touch base with Rob Penney then!

just as long as he doesn't get any media advice from 'Hot Mike' Penney.

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#3491921 17-May-2026 16:06

Actually the Blues are the most penalised team in the comp with 122 Penalties. Nice try though. Rennie won't be calling anyone though, he is the master of discplinary issues with his teams.

The canes look like they did when they had BB, Milner-Scudder, Laumape and Aso. It's nice to watch and Enari played probably the best I've seen him in a long time.

Love had a few shaky moments, but we need to see him at test level IMO.

It's the canes comp to lose. If the Crusaders can't take it, then the Canes get my support. I love watching rugby played with that level of expression AND execution.

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