Crusaders finish strong against the Blues

@Steven-Harris said in Crusaders v Blues:

As much as I have wanted the Blues to get across the line this evening ..I have got to question how much some really do know about the game of rugby ...the one area where the Crusaders have dominated has been in the high kick stakes..the Blues have been completely overshadowed in this aspect...the much maligned George Bridge has put so much pressure on the receiver from high kicks ...the Blues have failed to negate this area..and their own high kick when it really mattered , unfortunately fell by the wayside ..both Christie and Barrett at crucial times put kicks out on the full...to me the turning point was the charge down of Blacks kick ..and the subsequent short kick off from Mo’unga , the Blues had fallen asleep and you could see the momentum change ,some great individual performances , but big match players come up with big moments ..on that aspect ..The Crusaders Take the chocolates ..it was great to watch a game that I really feel the Blues are now relevant again..you know when a Canterbury crowd goes silent for long periods means you have them under the pump..to blame this evenings official is joke..game management when it really mattered was the difference..

Spot on great analysis

@ACT-Crusader said in Crusaders v Blues:

I haven’t yelled at the TV like that when Jordan scored since Aaron Smith scored that try early in the Ireland match last year.

Haha me too

@number9 said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

@number9 said in Crusaders v Blues:

Blues dominated the Crusaders up front and at the set piece. Taylor was full of shit with what he said at his interview.

Different game than I watched

Then you are obviously blind, Blues killed their scrum, had then at the breakdown and won lineoits off the Crusader throw in. Watch the replay.

Hahaha or you are bias

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

Ok sort of game so fat

Oh here come the Akira haters again ?

Que?

Am Akira fanboi

@KiwiMurph said in Crusaders v Blues:

Beauden was rubbish. One of the worst games i've ever seen him play. He gave away 2 soft penalties - he kicked out on the full - he put in a shit kick before halftime. He was pants. He also looks like he has seriously lost his pace.

He was brilliant about 4-5 years back and before then. But hes been going slowly downhill since. But still good but not great.

I hoped the Blues coaches would get him moving back towards great again. But so far hes moving in the opposite direction. Maybe his time is up. Or the Blues move was a big mistake. Or hes not really a FB.

I'm bored with the Crusaders winning year after year so disappointed with this result. The only team that might have challenged is so far behind now the title is decided after 4 games

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

@number9 said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

@number9 said in Crusaders v Blues:

Blues dominated the Crusaders up front and at the set piece. Taylor was full of shit with what he said at his interview.

Different game than I watched

Then you are obviously blind, Blues killed their scrum, had then at the breakdown and won lineoits off the Crusader throw in. Watch the replay.

Hahaha or you are bias

Biased

Google

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

Ok sort of game so fat

Oh here come the Akira haters again ?

Que?

Am Akira fanboi

You had too much or you need more red mate?
Bones has captured your penchant for grammatical pedantry perfectly?

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

@number9 said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

@number9 said in Crusaders v Blues:

Blues dominated the Crusaders up front and at the set piece. Taylor was full of shit with what he said at his interview.

Different game than I watched

Then you are obviously blind, Blues killed their scrum, had then at the breakdown and won lineoits off the Crusader throw in. Watch the replay.

Hahaha or you are bias

Biased

Google

Thanks @booboo

@KiwiMurph initially I thought Sotutu might be the worst thing that could happen to Akira , but I’m starting to think it might be a blessing in disguise For him , he looks more at home at 6 to me now.

@kiwiinmelb said in Crusaders v Blues:

@KiwiMurph initially I thought Sotutu might be the worst thing that could happen to Akira , but I’m starting to think it might be a blessing in disguise For him , he looks more at home at 6 to me now.

Still has the flashes of brilliance we know he’s capable of, but appears to be doing more of the donkey work in between.

I am not sure what to make of our depth at the moment.
Blues Developing well
Crusaders. Still winning but weaker than previous years
Highlander performing above their weight
Canes weaker than previous years
Chiefs very poor at the moment

Add all that up we are not that strong overall,
Still we will Put out a strong 23 in the black jersey but injuries will Hurt us.

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

I am not sure what to make of our depth at the moment.
Blues Developing well
Crusaders. Still winning but weaker than previous years
Highlander performing above their weight
Canes weaker than previous years
Chiefs very poor at the moment

Add all that up we are not that strong overall,
Still we will Put out a strong 23 in the black jersey but injuries will Hurt us.

Form of super teams after 4 games is hardly a gauge on All Black depth.

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

Ok sort of game so fat

Oh here come the Akira haters again ?

Que?

Am Akira fanboi

So fat indeed.

@Gunner said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

I am not sure what to make of our depth at the moment.
Blues Developing well
Crusaders. Still winning but weaker than previous years
Highlander performing above their weight
Canes weaker than previous years
Chiefs very poor at the moment

Add all that up we are not that strong overall,
Still we will Put out a strong 23 in the black jersey but injuries will Hurt us.

Form of super teams after 4 games is hardly a gauge on All Black depth.

I know but I am looking at overall depth in our SR teams it’s weakening

Huge, huge, huge last 20 minutes from the Crusaders to secure their 36th win at home in a row. Mo'unga and Drummond were brilliant in the last quarter. Sam Whitelock's workrate is immense. Bridge was excellent in the air. Razor has developed a wonderful team spirit at the franchise. Only a matter of time until he's given the reins of a Test team.

Lots of learnings for the Blues:

Beauden Barrett should be at 10 or the bench. His signing looks stranger and stranger, if Rangi isn't going to trust him to lead the backline as he did at the Canes.

The Blues celebrated Reiko Ioane's try like they'd won the World Cup. I never like that. Put the ball down. Jog back. Same as Pinetree, JK or Jonah did. The postman doesn't celebrate delivering a letter. Save the high fives for being the team with the most points at the final whistle. The Blues' premature jubilation invited a response and boy did it come.

Mark Telea needs to work on his high ball work.

Not convinced by the Blues' half backs.

Title not over, but it's Advantage Crusaders.

Struggling to understand a lot of the rulings at the breakdown and why moody not carded. Crusaders too clinical in the end.

@ARHS said in Crusaders v Blues:

Struggling to understand a lot of the rulings at the breakdown and why moody not carded. Crusaders too clinical in the end.

I have doubts the try by Ioane should have been scored,
You could say Talea knocked it on in the air, then Plummer knocked it over the try line .
Or the Crusaders should have got the penalty from the scrum as they were the dominant scrum

Some real doubt in my mind it was a try because of the lead up to it.
So it’s all a matter of perspective and who you support.

@Chris Yeah, that period of play was baffling to say the least. Not the refs fault, he was was let down by his officials.

@Chris knock ons get missed, sure. But you can't quibble with not back off a quick tap 5m out results in a PT and a yellow card.

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris knock ons get missed, sure. But you can't quibble with not back off a quick tap 5m out results in a PT and a yellow card.

May not have been an issue if the other things were picked up, so it’s whichever way you look at it .
A counter argument to a yellow card theory that may not have been in play if the officials had done their job better not one knock but 2.

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris knock ons get missed, sure. But you can't quibble with not back off a quick tap 5m out results in a PT and a yellow card.

May not have been an issue if the other things were picked up, so it’s whichever way you look at it .
A counter argument to a yellow card theory that may not have been in play if the officials had done their job better not one knock but 2.

That's a pretty poor argument for not following regular protocol.

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris knock ons get missed, sure. But you can't quibble with not back off a quick tap 5m out results in a PT and a yellow card.

May not have been an issue if the other things were picked up, so it’s whichever way you look at it .
A counter argument to a yellow card theory that may not have been in play if the officials had done their job better not one knock but 2.

That's a pretty poor argument for not following regular protocol.

Exactly do your job officials don’t let 2 knock ons go that lead to a try.
still would not have mattered the Crusaders were too good when it mattered in fact that try sparked the Crusaders to take control and take the game away from the Blues.

@Chris yeah true being an extra two points and a man down has never effected a team before eh.

@Chris To me it looked like Havili knocked the ball on first, and the ball was then propelled forward off Telea's head. So scrum to the Blues on that spot would have been the correct call.

@Chris said in Crusaders v Blues:

@ARHS said in Crusaders v Blues:

Struggling to understand a lot of the rulings at the breakdown and why moody not carded. Crusaders too clinical in the end.

I have doubts the try by Ioane should have been scored,
You could say Talea knocked it on in the air, then Plummer knocked it over the try line .
Or the Crusaders should have got the penalty from the scrum as they were the dominant scrum

I was with you until you said the Crusaders had the dominant scrum.

Some real doubt in my mind it was a try because of the lead up to it.
So it’s all a matter of perspective and who you support.

I felt the Blues got the rub on a couple of contentious knock-on calls (or non-calls) and the Crusaders benefitted from sympathetic interpretations of the offside line and ruck calls.

Biggest differences were the Crusaders won the kicking contest and didn't switch off.

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris yeah true being an extra two points and a man down has never effected a team before eh.

Not us mate you are correct there

@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Chris To me it looked like Havili knocked the ball on first, and the ball was then propelled forward off Telea's head. So scrum to the Blues on that spot would have been the correct call.

Ok then Plummer knocked it on and over the crusaders line scrum to the Crusaders

The camera view from between the posts clearly showed Plummer knocking on, his second touch in that movement.

That the refs got distracted by Telea's falcon was pretty piss poor. The camera footage was clear

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

Ok sort of game so fat

Oh here come the Akira haters again ?

Que?

Am Akira fanboi

So fat indeed.

Ash.. missed the auto correct.

D'oh

@Siam said in Crusaders v Blues:

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Bones said in Crusaders v Blues:

@booboo said in Crusaders v Blues:

Ok sort of game so fat

Oh here come the Akira haters again ?

Que?

Am Akira fanboi

You had too much or you need more red mate?
Bones has captured your penchant for grammatical pedantry perfectly?

Auto
Correct

@Bones @Chris @Siam
I've not mentioned versing or apostrophes for months

So apart from a couple of posts where I didn't check auto correct and "far" turned into "fat" and people continue to think they are "bias" like a concept my thoughts before reading the thread are (apologies for any typos ) ..

Awesome game of footy.

Went a wee bit quiet after hakf time but burst into life.

Expected winners got up. Fuck it. Was wanting Blusers to win.

Hope Otere learns from the charge down.

Could you argue he hadn't started approaching the ball?

Is Rieko > Jack?

Can Razor get a hair cut?

Thought the refereeing was good. Couldn't complain too much.

More stuff when I think of it after I read the thread In the morning.

Someone on this board picked Will Jordan at huge odds to be top try scorer and was only worried about amount of game time he would get.

That is looking to be a nice tip

The width of the old “Taranaki” gate a lot wider for Beauden it seemed than the less narrow Auckland garden gate!
Two crazy events in that game you don’t often see.A handy conversion charge down ,and the quick restart kick off by Mohunga.Both against the Blue’s composure and very telling.
Another hard fought game ,with the Crusaders as is their want finishing strongly.With the gap now six points they are sitting pretty.Commend the Blues performance,parts of which were very structured and compelling..They now have to keep up to the standard they have reached and keep winning the rematches.

Sorry bad spelling
Mo’unga,

@Duluth said in Crusaders v Blues:

@Frank said in Crusaders v Blues:

Finlay Christie has a very good quick game but I think he'll be targeted.

I think they would've targeted any of the Blues halfbacks..

Christie's been good off the bench. I would've preferred him to get a start before this match though.

Doing my morning after catch up on the thread.

Was really impressed with Christie.

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Blues:

This Blues defence is relentless.

This.

Took a huge effort by the Sith to break it down

Not sure whether this link works, but - in addition to the charged down conversion - this was the spark that ignited the Crusaders into a higher gear: