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Super Rugby Pacific 2024

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    #152
    theVersatile
    Registered Users Posts: 2,321 ✭✭✭theVersatile


    Really tragic stuff out of Otago. RIP

    https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/highlanders/highlander-connor-garden-bachop-dies-25

    Sig.png



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    #153
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,644 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    I just read that now.

    That is so tragic. 😣



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    #154
    Ben Bailey
    Registered Users Posts: 675 ✭✭✭Ben Bailey


    Dreadful news about Connor Garden-Bachop

    May he rest in peace



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    #155
    Ben Bailey
    Registered Users Posts: 675 ✭✭✭Ben Bailey


    On this day 29 years ago Jonah Lomu scored 4 tries against England.



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    #156
    Brief_Lives
    Registered Users Posts: 3,143 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    Coverage of the final just started on Sky Sports Action



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    #157
    Lucca High Sympathy
    Posts: 0 ✭ Lucca High Sympathy


    Insane stat there a few mins ago on the quality of the Blues scrum this year - they’ve won a penalty on 42% of their own put ins (Chiefs at 13% by contrast).



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    #158
    Brief_Lives
    Registered Users Posts: 3,143 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    36kgs difference in pack weights, to the Blues



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    #159
    Brief_Lives
    Registered Users Posts: 3,143 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    That first try given to the blues was very unfair. you couldn't even see the grounding.



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    #160
    Lucca High Sympathy
    Posts: 0 ✭ Lucca High Sympathy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122290230#Comment_122290230

    Yeah I thought it was extremely marginal, and thought given it was “no try” on the field I didn’t see that being overturned.

    Blues have been the better side so far though.



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    #161
    Brief_Lives
    Registered Users Posts: 3,143 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122290239#Comment_122290239

    100% - Blues are relentless

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


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    #162
    fitz
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 8,124 ✭✭✭fitz


    Hasn't really been much of a contest, this. Blues just steamrolling the Chiefs.



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    #163
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,644 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    Be very interesting if razor brings this blues game plan into the test team, they are incredibly effective



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    #164
    Brief_Lives
    Registered Users Posts: 3,143 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    Largest winning margin in a final

    image.png



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    #165
    Locke_Lamora
    Registered Users Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭Locke_Lamora


    Will be interesting to see what Robertson does with the 10 situation with Mo'unga gone.



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    #166
    Yeah_Right
    Registered Users Posts: 6,019 ✭✭✭Yeah_Right


    Woohoo!!!!! It was finally our year 😁



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    #167
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,644 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122290769#Comment_122290769

    Congratulations YR.

    Hopefully the next one won't be 21 more years



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    #168
    Brief_Lives
    Registered Users Posts: 3,143 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    This was the lineup for the 2003 final, Blues vs Crusaders

    Auckland: Doug Howlett, Rico Gear, Mils Muliaina, Sam Tuitupou, Joe Rokocoko, Carlos Spencer, David Gibson, Xavier Rush, Daniel Braid, Justin Collins, Ali Williams, Angus Macdonald, Kees Meeuws, Keven Mealamu, Deacon Manu.
    Replacements: Lee Stensness, Orene Ai'i, Craig McGrath, Mose Tuiaili'i, Brad Mika, Tony Woodcock, Derren Witcombe.

    Canterbury: Leon MacDonald, Marika Vunibaka, Caleb Ralph, Daniel Carter, Joe Maddock, Aaron Mauger, Justin Marshall, Scott Robertson, Richard McCaw, Reuben Thorne, Chris Jack, Brad Thorn, Greg Somerville, Mark Hammett, David Hewett.
    Replacements: Scott Hamilton, Andrew Mehrtens, Ben Hurst, Sam Broomhall, Johnny Leo'o, Greg Feek, Slade McFarland.

    SOme utter legends in both teams.



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    #169
    Brief_Lives
    Registered Users Posts: 3,143 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    Someone once told me that Rico Gear, sounds like a Brazilian drug dealer, I will never stop laughing at that.



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    #170
    Dillonb3
    Registered Users Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭Dillonb3


    First All Blacks squad named. Scott Barrett named captain.

    5 uncapped players- Cortez Ratima, Billy Proctor, George Bell, Pasikio Tosi, Wallace Sititi



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    #171
    Lucca High Sympathy
    Posts: 0 ✭ Lucca High Sympathy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122296654#Comment_122296654

    They've also named Sam Darry, Ruben Love, David Havili and George Bower as extended squad members to cover for potential injuries.

    The big calls seem to be giving Scott Barrett the captaincy over Ardie Savea, and picked Wallace Sititi at 8 over Hoskins Sututu.



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    #172
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,644 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122296714#Comment_122296714

    and picked Wallace Sititi at 8 over Hoskins Sututu.

    yah thats a huge call imho. 8 is a stacked position though, with Ardie, sititi, sotutu and Iose all deserving of featuring at test level, this season.

    i would have had both Sititi and Sotutu in the squad, and less crusaders players to be honest. Blackadder is in there on reputation alone, cos its certainly not down to form. 5 starts this season only as hes perma injured.

    How Bell is there is beyond me, even apart from the injury to taukei'aho. Ricky Ricitelli is absolutely more deserving of that spot.

    delight for ratima, though youd guess Riogard would have been there if not injured. Fakatava can feel a little hard done by as well, but very hard to argue the 3 lads in there arent more deserving. Christie has had an excellent season and i hope hes the starting 9.

    Fletcher newell and tamati williams can also feel a bit lucky.

    hows theres only 1 of the blues front row there is beyond me, they blew every single opposition scrum out of the water, winning penalties on something mental like 42% of their scrums.

    the biggest question is whether razor will take on board the Blues very direct style or not.

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


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    #173
    Yeah_Right
    Registered Users Posts: 6,019 ✭✭✭Yeah_Right


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122296925#Comment_122296925

    Don't know if the ABs can play that style against the Boks. I think they'll have to combine the Blues direct physical confrontational style with the Hurricanes and Chiefs backline play.

    I'm not too surprised by the lack of Bluea forwards in the ABs. They're a great pack but individually they're nothing special. Sotutu is the only I'm puzzled by. Ioane ruled himself out by signing to play in Japan. I'd love to see Darry and Ricetelli get a run in the ABs but Ricetelli might be too old for a debut.



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    #174
    FtD v2
    Registered Users Posts: 225 ✭✭FtD v2


    Ardie Savea gone to Moana Pasifika till 2027.



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    #175
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,644 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    I just checked out the all black squad for the rugby championship.

    Pretty disappointing that Robertson has fallen back on his crusaders players as a crutch. Could this be the start of him showing as a great club coach but not a great test coach?? I know it's really early days yet, but there are certainly better players left out if that squad in place of lesser players and past it players.



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    #176
    ersatz
    Registered Users Posts: 1,524 ✭✭✭ersatz


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122454202#Comment_122454202

    I don't know enough to judge his selections but I wasn't particularly impressed with his team/tactics in the England tests. I wasn't expecting something amazing and new as we know these players but it seemed to revert to pre WC ordinariness, and his arse was saved by BB who probably should have started.



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    #177
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,644 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122455254#Comment_122455254

    Falling back to Sam cane and David havelli is a bad look, plus the number of crusaders players selected who frankly have had a disastrous season, must stick in the craw for other pet teams and players.

    10 players selected from the squad that finished 9th in the table, versus 8 players from each squad who contested the final, shows a unashamed bias to be honest.



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    #178
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,644 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    In other SR news, ex Connacht CDO and brother of Tony brown, Cody, joins Highlanders as attach coach for next season.

    Can't help but think this is a bit of a yellow-pack place filling.



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    #179
    Yeah_Right
    Registered Users Posts: 6,019 ✭✭✭Yeah_Right


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122455355#Comment_122455355

    Agreed but also I'm struggling to think of anyone who really stands out as being hard done by. Apart from Sotutu.

    I do think it's time for the ABs to move on from Havilli, he's a good club player that never really made it at test level. And Cane is a solid test player but probably time to give a younger guy a shot. I understand Jordan coming back in as he is world class.



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    #180
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,644 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122455865#Comment_122455865

    Agreed on all.

    Was Christie dropped or injured? If dropped in not sure hotham did enough to replace him. Christie, while never my fav player, has just had the season of his life.

    I can understand Bells inclusion and is there due to injuries but there are better players available in my opinion. He's in there on the back of only 7 professional starts for his club. The argument is probably he's "one for the future" but again, players like riccitelli aren't exactly over the hill at 29.

    Sotutu is obvious, and if have him in there with one of came or Blackadder dropping out. At this stage cane is a poor man's Dalton papallii.

    Narawa is unlucky as well, can't believe a player like him has only one AB cap. Just goes to show the quality ahead of him. Do you really need two dedicated full backs on the squad when you have will Jordan there as well?



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    #181
    Yeah_Right
    Registered Users Posts: 6,019 ✭✭✭Yeah_Right


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122455957#Comment_122455957

    I assumed Christie was dropped for injury because he went off injured in the 2nd test against England (I think) but it turns out he was dropped. Harsh call as he did just have his best SR season. However Hotham was always in the conversation off coming into the ABs. There was a lot of debate over him or Ratima. Any way Roigard is on his way back so they'll all push down a rung when that happens.

    Ricitelli is unlucky. But I think age did count against him. Did enough to earn a call up but he's not better than Aumua or Taylor and Bell is obviously who they are looking at for the future, like you say. Also theres Takei'aho still to come back.

    Agreed that Sotutu should be ahead of Blackadder but he obviously has credit in the back with Robertson. I think Cane is unnecessary as he basically does the same role that Jacobson does and I feel Jacobson is a better player at the moment. Dalton is the definite starting 7 though.

    I'm pretty sure Narawa is in the squad. He would have had more caps but pulled out of the RWC injured before it started.



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