Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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Networkn
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#2014964 12-May-2018 22:32

Handle9:

networkn:

Here is the highlights of this game. The flick behind pass and flip try scored by them. As good as the pass by BB last year against maybe SA? for the AB's.

These highlights show how far rugby has come. The ponderous passing from Marshall really is woeful compared to the speed and width of Smith generates. Mehrtens is taking the ball so close to the ruck it's amazing they could get outside anyone.

It shows the thinking that you were better off with a huge halfback (Marshall, Kelleher etc) who's pass was slow but could make lots of tackles was inherently flawed.

Marshalls passes were not always that slow, he played lots of faster passes, but yes Smith sets the standard. He was wily and his decision making was often really excellent. He understood space.

I don't consider the fact half-backs being bigger then, to be flawed, the game was different then, not as fast etc.

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Handle9

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#2014968 12-May-2018 22:58

Marshalls fast passes required a huge windup or a dive pass. He was never a good passer. He had other attributes where he excelled but for a half back he was a poor passer, especially compared to Gregan who played in the same era.

Bachop who was his predecessor was almost as quick as Smith. Laurie Mains picked him in 95 from Japan because of the speed of his pass and how much better the backline worked with him. He was the unsung hero of the team that set world rugby alight with what could be done with a passing game.

There was a conscious decision at the start of professional rugby to pick bigger halfbacks, at the expense of their passing. If you watch games from that era these guys were referred to as "an extra loose forward."

The size of every other position has gone up since then, in many cases considerably. Ben Smith now looks like a midget and he weights 91kgs. Christian Cullen was approx 85kgs. The half back is the only position who have stayed reasonably small.

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#2015099 13-May-2018 12:58

This is disgraceful conduct by Moody.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12050582

I hope he gets seriously pinged. He has been involved in this stuff before, and I have said before that I don't think it has any part in Rugby.

If he had been sent off for it, and we lost the game, I would have thought it was thoroughly deserved.

Classless Thugery at it's worse.

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#2015114 13-May-2018 13:41

He should really get 6 weeks for that. It’s be a shame as he’s head and shoulders above all our other loose heads but that is really poor.

Dingbatt

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#2015251 13-May-2018 17:27

I have just watched the replay.
What I thought was a miraculous comeback from 29 down after 30 minutes to snatch it, has been soured by Moody's foul play, which ironically led to his try. The Warratahs can feel rightly aggrieved by the lack of vigilance by the officials. Where was the "check check" call we have heard often during the season. With the benefit of hindsight Beale should have stayed down, in the best Italian Football traditions, to draw attention to the foul. The Crusaders should have played the final 45 minutes with 14 men and had the try disallowed.
Contrast that with how rapidly referee Ben "Quick Draw" O'Keeffe went to his pocket to issue yellows to the Warratahs. And the fact that Folau appeared to be ahead of the kicker for the 'Tahs last try barely seems to matter.
I also think the Warratahs complaints about play off the ball have some foundation. Looking at you Mr Whitelock. But they are not guilt free themselves in that realm.
There is an old unsportsman-like saying that goes "If you have to cheat to win, win". Unfortunately in professional sport that seems to happen more often than it should. Moody might be lucky to see the French in June.

“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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#2015334 13-May-2018 20:13

Agreed that it was a red card and the Crusaders should have spent 45 minutes with Moody off the field, which likely would have resulted in the Crusaders losing to the Warratahs. I do not agree that Folau was in front of the kicker "barely seems to matter".

Either you want the referring to be consistent or you don't. Both tries shouldn't have been allowed.

I don't think the ref was quick to go to the pocket any more than he would have been in the same situation in the other direction. So long as a ref ref's both teams the same, it's all you can ask for. It's up to both teams to adapt to the way particular refs view the game. Some referees concentrate more on the break down, others forward passes etc.

I agree that the off the ball play was poor, both sides guilty of it.

I 100% disagree with that saying, and I have said it in this thread many times. I'd rather be a fair loser than a cheating winner. I'll re-iterate my feelings that Thuggery isn't something I believe has a place in Rugby, from any team or any player. The AB's have been guilty of it more in the past 3 years than I can recall in modern times, it's not something I enjoy

in the game or agree with in the game.

I am not stating this as fact, this is my view, but there seem to be a LOT of forward passes going on at the moment, but the transfers are so quick, it's hard for the ref's to keep track of. If they aren't forward, they are exceptionally flat.

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#2015354 13-May-2018 20:31

The Folau comment was meant to be ironic. Should have put a /irony bb code after it :-)
Just reinforces that I don't think the officials had that great an evening.

Not looking forward to the Chiefs Sharks game next week once their All Blacks are back home. Retallick particularly is the bedrock that team is built on.

“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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#2015359 13-May-2018 20:40

Dingbatt: The Folau comment was meant to be ironic. Should have put a /irony bb code after it :-)
Just reinforces that I don't think the officials had that great an evening.

Not looking forward to the Chiefs Sharks game next week once their All Blacks are back home. Retallick particularly is the bedrock that team is built on.

Sorry, Yeah I missed it.

Do you mean you are looking forward to the Chiefs Sharks? I am confused?

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#2015450 13-May-2018 23:37

Well, he got 2 weeks, I was thinking 4. Is there an actual video or just the picture? Seems light based on the description, and I don't think it does much to deter players.

Sometimes I wonder about things like when players shake hands at the end after something like that, what goes on.

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#2015476 14-May-2018 07:47

networkn:
Dingbatt: The Folau comment was meant to be ironic. Should have put a /irony bb code after it :-)
Just reinforces that I don't think the officials had that great an evening.

Not looking forward to the Chiefs Sharks game next week once their All Blacks are back home. Retallick particularly is the bedrock that team is built on.

Sorry, Yeah I missed it.

Do you mean you are looking forward to the Chiefs Sharks? I am confused?

I mean I am not expecting a great performance, as the Chiefs are built around Retallick and Cane. Neither of whom will be playing. They are effectively a B side due to all the injuries on top of those removed for All Black duties.

“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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#2015525 14-May-2018 09:28

Dingbatt:

I mean I am not expecting a great performance, as the Chiefs are built around Retallick and Cane. Neither of whom will be playing. They are effectively a B side due to all the injuries on top of those removed for All Black duties.

Yeah, fair enough, it's been a horror year for injuries this year. People love to rag on the Blues, but man they have really battled with it. They looked twice as good with SBW and co back.

I think it's going to be a road too far for the Chiefs to be in the running for the title. They might make the top 8, but unless they get some players back and soon, it's a lot to ask. They have played some brilliant rugby this year under the toughest of circumstances, the game against the Blues was an example, but it's a lot to expect that each and every week.

The Sharks have looked compelling even though they aren't seeing the results in terms of wins.

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#2015528 14-May-2018 09:31

It's not often I agree with Rattue but..

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12050644

This does make for some interesting reading. We are relatively short on really good propping stocks right now. The AB's looked very average last year playing our second and third choice tight 5 at times.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12050854

Moody's non-Red card is nowhere to be seen on this list, probably because it's had no impact on a game for the negative, but it deserves an honourable mention. I am still mad about it.

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#2015532 14-May-2018 09:37

Hopefully, I don't get my head taken off here, but am I the only one who felt the commentary on Nehe Milner Skudder was completely over the top? It was bordering on embarrassing how much they went on about him.

He's a really good player, and he has had a lot of injuries and it IS good to see him back to playing Rugby, but holy moly, you'd think the guy cured cancer!

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#2015535 14-May-2018 09:43

Looks like we have seen the last of Aso this year! Wrist surgery is likely for him apparently. That's a shame for him, he was playing well, though with the embarrassment of riches of canes are playing within the backs, I am not sure it's really going to be such a big issue.

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#2015679 14-May-2018 12:43

networkn:

Hopefully, I don't get my head taken off here, but am I the only one who felt the commentary on Nehe Milner Skudder was completely over the top? It was bordering on embarrassing how much they went on about him.

He's a really good player, and he has had a lot of injuries and it IS good to see him back to playing Rugby, but holy moly, you'd think the guy cured cancer!

Speaking of commentary I thought I was going to have to mute the sound in the Crusaders game but she did tone it back down. She started talking too loud like she trying to shout over the top of everyone else but it did soften down.

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