Nope, me too. I thought our loose forwards especially were awful. On the 20 minute period either side of half time I don't think we hit a single ruck first with or without the ball, and hence kept getting pushed back and have to try and scramble. Carter also very lucky we could score tries because his kicking was woeful.
In saying that, a win is a win, and good teams find ways to win even when playing poorly.aitkenmike2010-08-24 16:51:54
Horror-canes - The Fever Union thread
Nope, me too. I thought our loose forwards especially were awful. On the 20 minute period either side of half time I don't think we hit a single ruck first with or without the ball, and hence kept getting pushed back and have to try and scramble. Carter also very lucky we could score tries because his kicking was woeful.
In saying that, a win is a win, and good teams find ways to win even when playing poorly.
I guess that last part is the key thing. In the first couple of tests we had got away with not committing big numbers to the contact because the guys that were there were winning it so comfortably and getting us quick ball. With the Boks finding their mojo again (to an extent) it meant we were getting bashed around a bit at ruck time and weren't getting as good ball.
In saying that, a win is a win, and good teams find ways to win even when playing poorly.
Loving the way we play at the moment though, Nigel Yalden wrote a column talking about our skillset. I think that is the key, everyone in our team is skilled and can run, pass, tackle and do it accurately. Signs are all positive. Especially with players like Sivivatu and Hore to come back.
Slade signs with Highlanders
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/4061933/Colin-Slade-signs-with-Highlanders-for-2011
Aaron Smith could be next
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/4059039/Turbos-halfback-could-head-to-Highlanders
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/4061933/Colin-Slade-signs-with-Highlanders-for-2011
Aaron Smith could be next
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/4059039/Turbos-halfback-could-head-to-Highlanders
Aaron Smith is quality, well he could be. Good signing for Landers, rumours of Treeby heading down there aswell. Wouldn't surprise me to see a few of the young Lions brigade head down there with Jamie. Charlie Ngatai or Alapati perhaps.
Charlie Ngatai and Shaun Treeby would be good, definitely need more centers. Julian Savea would be the player I'd like the most from Wellington though. So if we managed all those three plus someone like a Sosene Anesi then we'd have a pretty solid backline.
I'd be pretty happy with Jimmy Cowan and Aaron Smith.
Colin Slade and Robbie Robinson.
Michael Hobbs + Kendrick Lynn + two more centers
James Paterson, Fetu Vainikolo + one more winger
Ben Smith + one more fullback
I'd be pretty happy with Jimmy Cowan and Aaron Smith.
Colin Slade and Robbie Robinson.
Michael Hobbs + Kendrick Lynn + two more centers
James Paterson, Fetu Vainikolo + one more winger
Ben Smith + one more fullback
Otago must be looking forward to playing the likes of the mighty Thames Valley in the coming years.
How the heck did Wellington get out of jail against Northland? I had a bet on Wellington to win but backed Northland while watching because they played a great game.
Otago must be looking forward to playing the likes of the mighty Thames Valley in the coming years.
And how exactly will that occur?
Great 2nd half from Wellington last night, some great tries in that game! Ranger is sensational when he gets the ball! Gonna put it out there but I would seriously consider taking Savea on the end of year tour. Wont do any harm and he is absolute quality!
Looking forward to the BOP game this arvo, Delaney back at 10 v MacAllister which will be a good battle.
great win by THE BAY. fantastic stuff, total rugby. burliegh is quality
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/4072394/All-Blacks-star-Ma-a-Nonu-delivers-ref-bomb
What a f**kin idiot.TopLeft072010-08-29 19:35:57
What a f**kin idiot.TopLeft072010-08-29 19:35:57
Interesting that they showed the full swearing in the quotes. Obviously commonly used, but just hadn't seen a story without using some sort of symbol to block it out.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/4077305/Jamie-Joseph-signs-four-new-Highlanders
Aaron Smith
Nick Crosswell
Jarrad Hoeata
Shaun Treeby
Aaron Smith
Nick Crosswell
Jarrad Hoeata
Shaun Treeby
Five makos sign with Crusaders, although four have previously been there.
Joe Wheeler
Kade Poki
Quentin Macdonald
Chris Jack
Ben Franks
Joe Wheeler
Kade Poki
Quentin Macdonald
Chris Jack
Ben Franks
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/itm-cup-heartland-championship/4105733/Northlands-Jared-Payne-lends-hand-after-quake
Jared Payne to Blues
NZ U-20 first five Tyler Bleyendaal to Crusaders (Yet to play ITM Cup)
Jared Payne to Blues
NZ U-20 first five Tyler Bleyendaal to Crusaders (Yet to play ITM Cup)
Good win for The Bay last night in trying conditions, manawatu were pretty rubbish at some points but coulnt take them lightly after beating wellington.
really good to see us get another bonus point, stark contrast to last year
really good to see us get another bonus point, stark contrast to last year
Are getting smashed
So are Southland playing real Auckland or Canterbury for the shield this year?
Auckland next, then Canterbury, and Wellington to finish things off
Ryan's Rovers2010-09-11 09:25:25
Ryan's Rovers2010-09-11 09:25:25
f**king love the All Blacks right now.
I HATE conference style competitions.
I HATE conference style competitions.
+1. Why the frick did we agree to this? Finals are automatically weaker because two aussie teams are garunteed to be there. As for the South African conference, the Cheetahs and Lions have 0% chance of qualifying anyway, and I hate this rubbish where you don't play everyone. WHY THE HELL NOT!?
I HATE conference style competitions.
+1. Why the frick did we agree to this? Finals are automatically weaker because two aussie teams are garunteed to be there. As for the South African conference, the Cheetahs and Lions have 0% chance of qualifying anyway, and I hate this rubbish where you don't play everyone. WHY THE HELL NOT!?
Only one Aussie team is guaranteed to be there. And only one NZ team, and only one RSA team. It's the conference winners + the next top 3 on the overall ladder.
Example: (Number after name being rank in terms of overall ladder points)
AU - Brumbies (1), NSW (7), QLD (8), WA (10), VIC (11)
NZ - Hur (2), Cru (4), Chi (6), Hig (12), Blu (15)
SA - Bul (3), Sha (5), Sto (9), Che (13), Lio (14)
Brumbies, Canes and Bulls get in as conference winners.
Crusaders, Chiefs and Sharks get in as wildcards.
(And those numbers are certainly not predictions! Just an example)
That being said, I'm really not a fan of the new system either.
My bad, I thought it was the top two from each. Still though, Im sick and tired of this conference crap and leagues where you don't play everyone. It doesn't help an average team improve if they've got the hardest draw the following year. The quicker they get rid of Super Rugby the better. Provincial rugby should go all year round, with a champions league type format and international windows in between.
Really dont like the new format, the thought of seeing all the Kiwi teams play twice isnt appealing to me. It just feels like overkill.
My bad, I thought it was the top two from each. Still though, Im sick and tired of this conference crap and leagues where you don't play everyone. It doesn't help an average team improve if they've got the hardest draw the following year. The quicker they get rid of Super Rugby the better. Provincial rugby should go all year round, with a champions league type format and international windows in between.
Would probably be unsustainable. Can't see the NZ TV market being able to support full year professional NPC. I would rather see Full year Super 15, with club and NPC amateur running underneath.
My bad, I thought it was the top two from each. Still though, Im sick and tired of this conference crap and leagues where you don't play everyone. It doesn't help an average team improve if they've got the hardest draw the following year. The quicker they get rid of Super Rugby the better. Provincial rugby should go all year round, with a champions league type format and international windows in between.
Would probably be unsustainable. Can't see the NZ TV market being able to support full year professional NPC. I would rather see Full year Super 15, with club and NPC amateur running underneath.
Either way it's seems farcical having two separate competitions at each end of the year. But what they should do in that scenario would be if the Crusaders were in the Super 15 then Canterbury couldn't be in the league below it.
My bad, I thought it was the top two from each. Still though, Im sick and tired of this conference crap and leagues where you don't play everyone. It doesn't help an average team improve if they've got the hardest draw the following year. The quicker they get rid of Super Rugby the better. Provincial rugby should go all year round, with a champions league type format and international windows in between.
Would probably be unsustainable. Can't see the NZ TV market being able to support full year professional NPC. I would rather see Full year Super 15, with club and NPC amateur running underneath.
Either way it's seems farcical having two separate competitions at each end of the year. But what they should do in that scenario would be if the Crusaders were in the Super 15 then Canterbury couldn't be in the league below it.
Then you'd have the NPC be considered second division rather than second league. It'd lower the standing and legitimacy of the NPC even further and basically screw over that competition. You'd also throw away some of the biggest drawcards - I support Bay of Plenty, it'd suck for us to lose the chance to beat hated rivals in Waikato and Auckland, while Canterbury tends to be a decent draw as well.
As for the champions league format, the reason why the Super model was chosen was for TV audiences. Using the Bay as an example again - we're part of the Chiefs union. By having the Chiefs represent all their subunions, their television audience includes Waikato, the Bay, Counties etc. If it were a Champions league format and only Waikato got through, most people in the Bay wouldn't watch, which means less TV dollars, which means less sustainable.
Couple of things
1) The new format, I love it! Having the Crusaders and the other kiwi teams here every year is going to be great. Great for crowds to I think. Crusaders here early next year will be massive, first chance to watch SBW line up against Maa and Conrad. Worth the price of admission alone.
2) On the whole where will NPC sit, I think eventually the NPC will sit below Super Rugby and run concurrently essentially as a feeder comp. Kind of like the minor leagues in American Sport I guess and teams would send players back there. Unfortunately for those of us with provincial links to non Super teams it is hard but we just have to jump on our Super teams as being our teams.
My bad, I thought it was the top two from each. Still though, Im sick and tired of this conference crap and leagues where you don't play everyone. It doesn't help an average team improve if they've got the hardest draw the following year. The quicker they get rid of Super Rugby the better. Provincial rugby should go all year round, with a champions league type format and international windows in between.
Would probably be unsustainable. Can't see the NZ TV market being able to support full year professional NPC. I would rather see Full year Super 15, with club and NPC amateur running underneath.
Either way it's seems farcical having two separate competitions at each end of the year. But what they should do in that scenario would be if the Crusaders were in the Super 15 then Canterbury couldn't be in the league below it.
But this won't be the case for longer thanks to the new contracting rules, you can sign anyone from anywhere. Which I find weird that you can support Hawkes Bay and like Israel Dagg, Khan Fotualii Zac Guildford but then they're judas' when Hurricanes play the Crusaders? You should be able to support the one team through the whole year and the only way to do so is provincial rugby going throughout the year.
Super Rugby wouldnt ever be played over a full year, mainly since the SA Rugby Union makes most of its money from the Currie Cup, as they sold off franchises for Super Rugby.
Atm Super Rugby seems to be flogging a dead horse, trying to do anything to push up the TV revenues. Honestly I feel its time has passed, but the NZRFU would be broke without it.
Atm Super Rugby seems to be flogging a dead horse, trying to do anything to push up the TV revenues. Honestly I feel its time has passed, but the NZRFU would be broke without it.
So nine All Blacks have been "wrapped in cotton wool" and won't play for the rest of the ITM Cup.
Mills
Jane
Nonu
Smith
Whitelock
McCaw
Weepu
Read
Kaino
They're professional athletes, I'm sick of hearing "they've played too much rugby." If they're not fit enough, then don't select them for the national team, having them not turn out for their province is just nonsense. I know the NZRU are the ones paying them, but the provinces still do. One thing I would like to see is for the NZRU not to pay the players, but for the franchises themselves to foot the all of the bill.
Mills
Jane
Nonu
Smith
Whitelock
McCaw
Weepu
Read
Kaino
They're professional athletes, I'm sick of hearing "they've played too much rugby." If they're not fit enough, then don't select them for the national team, having them not turn out for their province is just nonsense. I know the NZRU are the ones paying them, but the provinces still do. One thing I would like to see is for the NZRU not to pay the players, but for the franchises themselves to foot the all of the bill.
Why is the new comp called Supe RugbY?
So nine All Blacks have been "wrapped in cotton wool" and won't play for the rest of the ITM Cup.
Mills
Jane
Nonu
Smith
Whitelock
McCaw
Weepu
Read
Kaino
They're professional athletes, I'm sick of hearing "they've played too much rugby." If they're not fit enough, then don't select them for the national team, having them not turn out for their province is just nonsense. I know the NZRU are the ones paying them, but the provinces still do. One thing I would like to see is for the NZRU not to pay the players, but for the franchises themselves to foot the all of the bill.
Mills
Jane
Nonu
Smith
Whitelock
McCaw
Weepu
Read
Kaino
They're professional athletes, I'm sick of hearing "they've played too much rugby." If they're not fit enough, then don't select them for the national team, having them not turn out for their province is just nonsense. I know the NZRU are the ones paying them, but the provinces still do. One thing I would like to see is for the NZRU not to pay the players, but for the franchises themselves to foot the all of the bill.
wow thats ridiculous. Not playing rugby incase you get injured and cant play rugby 
So nine All Blacks have been "wrapped in cotton wool" and won't play for the rest of the ITM Cup.
Mills
Jane
Nonu
Smith
Whitelock
McCaw
Weepu
Read
Kaino
They're professional athletes, I'm sick of hearing "they've played too much rugby." If they're not fit enough, then don't select them for the national team, having them not turn out for their province is just nonsense. I know the NZRU are the ones paying them, but the provinces still do. One thing I would like to see is for the NZRU not to pay the players, but for the franchises themselves to foot the all of the bill.
Mills
Jane
Nonu
Smith
Whitelock
McCaw
Weepu
Read
Kaino
They're professional athletes, I'm sick of hearing "they've played too much rugby." If they're not fit enough, then don't select them for the national team, having them not turn out for their province is just nonsense. I know the NZRU are the ones paying them, but the provinces still do. One thing I would like to see is for the NZRU not to pay the players, but for the franchises themselves to foot the all of the bill.
wow thats ridiculous. Not playing rugby incase you get injured and cant play rugby
Note that Brad Thorne isn't on that list despite having played pretty much every minute for the ABs this season (that I can remember??), and being the oldest. Does he just come from the Jerry Collins "I don't care, I just want to play" school?
Why is the new comp called Supe RugbY?
So wen they add new teams they don't have to change the name again
Why is the new comp called Supe RugbY?
So wen they add new teams they don't have to change the name again
Wiki says 2013 and Southern Kings or whatever they're called will be in there. I think the only good thing about it, as teams could easily be added just to a conference.
Kendrick Lynn is out of the rest of the ITM Cup because the Highlanders have said he needs to have surgery to be fit in time for Super Rugby selection. They were having an outcry on radio sport today about it, easy way round this, make the one comp! please NZRU! it's not that hard..
Bay of Plenty and Phoenix on at the same time today, thats a pain