Super XV 2015 General Discussion Thread

sydthebeat

LEADERBOARD after round 2

1 Luckygent88 16.83
2 Swiwi 12.50
3 Bridge93 10.33
4 Kiwi_knock 10.33
5 sydthebeat 9.00
6 Pudsy33 8.00
7 Yeah_Right 6.50


Luckygent88 storms ahead early!!!!

Swiwi.

This week will sort the wheat from the chaff. Some tough calls to be made. Munster at the head of the leaderboard anyway :P

Sopoaga out for the Highlanders, hopefully the next cab off the rank steps up.

sydthebeat

Sopoaga out?? feck!!!

Hayden Parker step up!

LuckyGent88

sydthebeat wrote: »

LEADERBOARD after round 2

1 Luckygent88 16.83
2 Swiwi 12.50
3 Bridge93 10.33
4 Kiwi_knock 10.33
5 sydthebeat 9.00
6 Pudsy33 8.00
7 Yeah_Right 6.50


Luckygent88 storms ahead early!!!!

Just like my football fantasy probably. Start out strong only to turn ****e!!!

Morf

How Franks only got 2 weeks is puzzling.

His accepted explanation is even weirder.

Rugbydump Link

sydthebeat

sydthebeat wrote: »

Sopoaga out?? feck!!!

Hayden Parker step up!

So marty banks gets to make his Highlanders debut at ten ahead of Parker.

Haven't seen the guy play but looks way more physical than parker and has a huge boot in him. ...

sydthebeat

Morf wrote: »

How Franks only got 2 weeks is puzzling.

His accepted explanation is even weirder.

Rugbydump Link

That's a horrible cheap shot by Hames....

Yeah_Right

sydthebeat wrote: »

That's a horrible cheap shot by Hames....

How the ref didn't review either of those from the Crusaders v Highlanders game is puzzling. Both should have been yellow cards at least.

Swiwi.

sydthebeat wrote: »

So marty banks gets to make his Highlanders debut at ten ahead of Parker.

Haven't seen the guy play but looks way more physical than parker and has a huge boot in him. ...

Another one of those up and coming 10s who's excelled at ITM level. At the moment fly halves grow on trees in NZ, far and away our position of most depth.

LuckyGent88

Super Rugby Week 3 - Starts 27/02/15
Highlanders v Reds 6.35
W Force v Hurricanes 11.00
Cheetahs v Blues. 5.10

Saturday games
Chiefs v Crusaders 6.35
Rebels v Brumbies. 8.40
Bulls v Sharks 3.05
Lions v Stormers. 5.10

BYE
Waratahs

Pick of the round probably being the Chiefs against the crusaders. Some real quality players on show in this game and hopefully we see a great game.

Cheetahs and blues could be a really entertaining game. Both sides wouldn't have the best defense and they really like to throw the ball around and open up the game.

Bulls and sharks on Saturday should be a very physical game and it's a game the Bulls really have to win after loosing the opening 2 games.

pickarooney

Decent chance for three away wins on the hop for the canes this weekend.

sydneybound

Reds are good value so far wasn't expecting that but still early I suppose.

James O'Connor made a fantastic break and has done a few other things right.

Class looking stadium.

Edit - O'Connor just misses an easy kick!

LuckyGent88

Highlanders up by 6 at the break. Not the greatest quality on show but a win for either team is vital.
Reds have conceded way too many turnovers.

LuckyGent88

Superb try save by Aaron smith

Swiwi.

Highlanders by 7

sydthebeat

glad of that, still some cobwebs to shake off and all a bit too frantic at times. However the set piece is holding up nicely. Decent show by banks as well

sydneybound

Really hope Western Force can win at home today. They'll have it tough against the canes.

Given rugby has a major fight on its hands in Australia from an outsiders point of view I generally root for them.

Swiwi.

sydthebeat wrote: »

glad of that, still some cobwebs to shake off and all a bit too frantic at times. However the set piece is holding up nicely. Decent show by banks as well

Lovely step and finish by Waholo there. I like wingers who take their chances so clinically.

skippymac6

Canes look good early here. Force can't keep holding them out on their own line

Swiwi.

Canes looking the real deal here. Shields/Savea/Vito is a classy back row. And welcome to Super Rugby Nehe Milner-Skudder.

sydthebeat

Thats a big win for the hurricanes.... beat the force

13 - 42

5 trys for the bonus point, excellent start to the competition by the hurricanes

sydthebeat

the cheetahs and blues game has divided the league... 3/3 split..
spanning from swiwi going for the cheetahs by 5 to yeah_right going for the blues by 8

matthew8

Mark Hammett's departure has done wonders for the Hurricanes.

Swiwi.

matthew8 wrote: »

Mark Hammett's departure has done wonders for the Hurricanes.

An appt which should never have happened. Need to be proven at ITM cup level, and then make the step up. Not go from playing to coaching with no track record. His coaching career is over before it's really started.

sydneybound

matthew8 wrote: »

Mark Hammett's departure has done wonders for the Hurricanes.

Not for this thread but cardiff blues are in a lot of bother. Peter Pies (their investor) has been talking about pulling out.

Hammett walked out after signing a three year deal too.

Swiwi.

matthew8 wrote: »

Mark Hammett's departure has done wonders for the Hurricanes.

You watching your crew there buddy? The old Le Roux, Hendricks partnership working nicely.

For the Blues, the ABs in the forward pack are having great games, Patrick Tuipolotou and Charlie Faumuina are everywhere. Also, Isaia West looking much more comfortable at 10, and quite like the look of Piutau at 13, has a bit of the Luke Fitzgerald about his play.

LuckyGent88

That was a superb result for the Hurricanes. Never an easy game in perth and to get the try bonus is great for team.
They may actually fulfil their promise for a change.

matthew8

Swiwi. wrote: »

You watching your crew there buddy? The old Le Roux, Hendricks partnership working nicely.

For the Blues, the ABs in the forward pack are having great games, Patrick Tuipolotou and Charlie Faumuina are everywhere. Also, Isaia West looking much more comfortable at 10, and quite like the look of Piutau at 13, has a bit of the Luke Fitzgerald about his play.

I am watching, anything the Cheetahs do this year is a bonus with all the players they have lost but they're doing well. One good thing about Super Rugby is the replacement level players all seem up the task so even the clubs who are raided by other clubs can beat anyone on their day.

sydthebeat

Blues ahead 24 - 22 with five to go. .... and theyve scored 3 tried as welll

And bad mistake by Hendricks to give blues a line out on the 22

sydthebeat

Blues players just caught with their pants down from that line out.

Decided not to contest but when cheetahs mauled they walked back and were penalised for all leaving the line out !!!

LuckyGent88

sydthebeat wrote: »

Blues ahead 24 - 22 with five to go. .... and theyve scored 3 tried as welll

And bad mistake by Hendricks to give blues a line out on the 22

And they have f****d it up!!!!

sydthebeat

What a finish. ...

West misses a drop goal attempt on the last kick. .

Cheetahs win 25 - 24

Jacovs

Wish Joe Pietersen came back to us instead of the Cheetahs. I liked him.

Swiwi.

sydthebeat wrote: »

Blues players just caught with their pants down from that line out.

Decided not to contest but when cheetahs mauled they walked back and were penalised for all leaving the line out !!!

Must check the law book on that. Blues are masters of throwing away games. Comfortably dominated that game but so many errors cost them dearly. The ABs in the team were immense but their season already in jeopardy.

sydthebeat

Swiwi. wrote: »

Must check the law book on that. Blues are masters of throwing away games. Comfortably dominated that game but so many errors cost them dearly. The ABs in the team were immense but their season already in jeopardy.

If they're going to do that, they just HAVE to send a player around the back and sack the ball carrier. ... I know it technically wouldn't have changed anything for the peno, but it would have taken the refs focus to the rear of the maul inside of the front of it.

pickarooney

Sweet hurricanes and cheetahs double. Canes will probably lose their home games now.

skippymac6

Jasus this tackle in the air thing is getting crazy. Three penos and two yellow cards for that offence and it's only twenty gone

Swiwi.

Cheifs look pretty awesome tonight so far. I fear for my team. And yes tackling in the air is flavour of the day.

Edit: Their forward pack is just magnificent, and if you give Cruden ball on a string, with SBW...can be carnage.

sydneybound

SBW looks extremely good tonight. A couple of scraps to show the lads are up for it.

Slowish start to the game with the ref going to the TMO for those two incidents.

Poor miss by Slade before HT. Looks a decent crowd. Pity I can't watch the second half, the golf course awaits.

sydthebeat

Some intensity to this game!

Swiwi.

sydthebeat wrote: »

Some intensity to this game!

Best game this season so far. It's like a final with plenty of niggle. Happy that my team got a try there, brings the game back within reach.

Swiwi.

Game over

Braindead from the Crusaders.

I know on this forum Joe Schmidt >>>> all other coaches, but at Super XV level Dave Rennie is excellent. Chiefs just awesome today, and that's with players like Hosea Gear not even in the 23.

On early form I'd say Chiefs and either Crusaders (who always improve and have Whitelock & Read to come back) or Canes will make the last 6.

sydthebeat

This is turning into a rout

Swiwi.

sydthebeat wrote: »

This is turning into a rout

Has turned. Still time left :eek:

Swiwi.

Before you laugh too much syd...Highlanders off to Waikato Stadium next week. A losing BP would be a magnificent effort...

sydthebeat

Swiwi. wrote: »

Before you laugh too much syd...Highlanders off to Waikato Stadium next week. A losing BP would be a magnificent effort...

Yeah We've a tough start to the season, and we didn't exactly overly impress yesterday. A LBP would be very valuable there. Don't want to get left behind in the kiwi conference too early

LuckyGent88

Wow, what a result for the Chiefs. Sounds like they were in very impressive form. Have sent out a massive warning to the rest of the super 15 sides with that win.
Very worrying result for the crusaders but would never count them out just yet.

Kiwi_knock

This Rebels and Brumbies game is tough to watch, so many mistakes.

Kiwi_knock

Higginbotham costing his team by continually turning down kicks at goal.

Swiwi.

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Wow, what a result for the Chiefs. Sounds like they were in very impressive form. Have sent out a massive warning to the rest of the super 15 sides with that win.
Very worrying result for the crusaders but would never count them out just yet.

Honestly with the way the Chiefs played today, they would be in the IRB Top 10 international teams I reckon. Forwards were savage, both on attack and defence, dominated the breakdown, won the scrum battle, lineouts excellent, and when he has front foot ball I think Cruden is the deadliest flyhalf in world rugby (just think Ire v NZ at Hamilton a couple of years back). He is not as good as Sexton at controlling a game, and his goalkicking was once again average (6/9), but in tandem with SBW it's scary. Add in James Lowe on the wing who's fulfilling his ITM potential, and that was a complete statement.

Crusaders have too many journeyman in the backline (Fonatia, McNicol, Taylor) but Ellis looked decent on his return, Slade and Crotty also good. The forwards were the real disappointment though, Crockett chewed and spat out by Tameifuina, Sam Cane out-McCawed McCaw, and the Chiefs lock were everywhere.

Once we have Read, Whitelock, Dagg, Nadolo, Franks back in will help. I dunno about Carter, for me he's living off reputation only, I would probably keep Slade at 10, put Carter at 12 and Crotty at 13. I'd be happy to go to the RWC with Barrett, Cruden and Slade, unless Carter actually goes a decent period of time injury-free AND shows some form.

Could be worse, Luckygent, we could be Blues' fans... :pac: