NPR

Guy Smiley wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:20 am

Grandpa wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:17 am

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 7:54 am
TBF, it didn't take Nostradamus for that one

I really rate Leon but the Blues have gone backwards this season to the bad old days of playing like individuals rather than as a team and poor discipline back to haunt.

1/2 backs are 3rd rate. They really need to pension BB off and put Perofeta in at FH. Christie is sh*te: there are at least 1/2 a dozen better SHs in T14.

Completely agree. Christie is ponderous and should be nowhere near the All Blacks. And BB should be worried about his chances of making the All Blacks squad this year... DMac is ahead of him for number 10 and 15... And Zarn Sullivan should be playing regularly for the Blues.. a crime he isn't......

Zarn’s coming back from injury. His return has been a steady increase in minutes I think….

and the Blurs look a better team with him and Perofeta together in the backline. They complement each other and set the backline beautifully.

He started against the Force... and then wasn't even in the squad today until Lowe dropped out. I hope you are right that they are managing him... I'd put him in and drop BB to the bench.

Also, with so many wingers on fire this year, even given Reece's injury, Caleb Clarke is surely on borrowed time as an All Black starter?

Tahs player flirting with the dead ball line there, for no reason at all. Just ground the fucking thing, you pillocks.

This game has suddenly turned into basketball.

Bloody amazing match. The Tahs did far better than I expected, especially given their three YCs.

Headlines about Dmac outplaying BB and making a claim for the ABs 10 jersey. Half the country is still under the razzle dazzle spell... and this pic tells a story,



who goes into any sort of despairing lunge tackle making a fist? Someone who doesn't believe in themselves and isn't going to try.

4 tries bombed by the Bloose - but Spongebobs has to be the worst. Loved it but man, we got lucky.

Enzedder wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 11:23 pm 4 tries bombed by the Bloose - but Spongebobs has to be the worst. Loved it but man, we got lucky.

Also lucky to have the defensively inept Clarke "marking" double try-scorer Emoni Narawa.

Canes vs Force kicking off in balmy Palmy in about 10 minutes.

Hurricanes: 1-Pouri Rakete-Stones, 2-Dane Coles (c), 3-Tyrel Lomax, 4-James Blackwell, 5-Dominic Bird, 6-TK Howden, 7-Du'Plessis Kirifi, 8-Brayden Iose, 9-Jamie Booth, 10-Brett Cameron, 11-Salesi Rayasi, 12-Jordie Barrett, 13-Bailyn Sullivan, 14-Daniel Sinkinson, 15-Harry Godfrey
Reserves: 16-Hame Faiva, 17-Tevita Mafileo, 18-Owen Franks, 19-Hugo Plummer, 20-Peter Lakai, 21-Cam Roigard, 22-Riley Higgins, 23-Kini Naholo

Western Force: 1-Tom Robertson, 2-Tom Horton, 3-Santiago Medrano, 4-Felix Kalapu, 5-Jeremy Williams, 6-Tim Anstee, 7-Ollie Callan, 8-Rahboni Vosayaco, 9-Gareth Simpson (c), 10-Hamish Stewart, 11-Manasa Mataele, 12-Bayley Kuenzle, 13-Sam Spink, 14-Zach Kibirige, 15-Chase Tiatia
Reserves: 16-Feleti Kaitu'u, 17-Marley Pearce, 18-Siosifa Amone, 19-Ryan McCauley, 20-Jackson Pugh, 21-Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 22-Jake Strachan, 23-George Poolman

Canes ahead 26-7 at HT.

Great to see young Harry Godfrey playing so well in his first start.

Ah fuck, looks like Cameron just copped a badly broken leg.

Nope, thankfully he's able to walk off the field.

Gumboot wrote: Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:07 am Ah fuck, looks like Cameron just copped a badly broken leg.

Nope, thankfully he's able to walk off the field.

It looked a lot worse than it was, thankfully.

Kiwias wrote: Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:12 am

Gumboot wrote: Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:07 am Ah fuck, looks like Cameron just copped a badly broken leg.

Nope, thankfully he's able to walk off the field.

It looked a lot worse than it was, thankfully.

Yep, the initial reaction from the players and ref had me thinking the worst.

Great comeback by the Force but not quite enough.

Entertaining finish. Canes just hang on 45-42.

And happy to see such a large crowd.

Enzedder wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 11:23 pm 4 tries bombed by the Bloose - but Spongebobs has to be the worst. Loved it but man, we got lucky.

Annoyingly for me, I was the only person in the FR to go with the Blues and so that has pretty much killed my FR campaign for this season.

Meantime, just saw the Canes result. 40 points conceded at home to the Farce?

They would get ahead and then sleep. It was a horrible watch - so much better than the Force but they just fell asleep on defence all the time

Enzedder wrote: Mon Apr 03, 2023 3:53 am They would get ahead and then sleep. It was a horrible watch - so much better than the Force but they just fell asleep on defence all the time

I was at game, was fun, but Canes were down to basically 12 players last 10 minutes, after Cameron went off Iose was limping etc,hardly got above jog, and Sullivan looked to have a bad arm injury, was carripng one arm with other, and tried to pick up ball from behind a ruck and couldn't hold it, when Force scored last try.

RMo in his 100th game for the Crusaders, while Goodhue and David Havili are back from injury.

I guess this is the best place to put this, being a sort of default NZ rugby thread...

Sky Sport have excluded Justin Marshall from their RWC commentary team.


W0000 H0000

Guy Smiley wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:27 pm I guess this is the best place to put this, being a sort of default NZ rugby thread...

Sky Sport have excluded Justin Marshall from their RWC commentary team.


W0000 H0000

Who is on it?

But we don't get your commentary so doesn't matter really. I don't really like any NZ pundits apart from Mehrtens anyway.

Grandpa wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:34 pm

Guy Smiley wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:27 pm I guess this is the best place to put this, being a sort of default NZ rugby thread...

Sky Sport have excluded Justin Marshall from their RWC commentary team.


W0000 H0000

Who is on it?

But we don't get your commentary so doesn't matter really. I don't really like any NZ pundits apart from Mehrtens anyway.

The broadcaster has announced internally and to Media Insider that four commentators/hosts will travel to France for the tournament in September and October – Grant Nisbett, Mils Muliaina, Jeff Wilson and Kirstie Stanway.

Kirstie's a pain in the arse for my money, but she's a frontline presenter so we're stuck with her. Agree with you re. Mehrts, he's a breath of fresh air.

Guy Smiley wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:41 pm

Grandpa wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:34 pm

Guy Smiley wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:27 pm I guess this is the best place to put this, being a sort of default NZ rugby thread...

Sky Sport have excluded Justin Marshall from their RWC commentary team.


W0000 H0000

Who is on it?

But we don't get your commentary so doesn't matter really. I don't really like any NZ pundits apart from Mehrtens anyway.

The broadcaster has announced internally and to Media Insider that four commentators/hosts will travel to France for the tournament in September and October – Grant Nisbett, Mils Muliaina, Jeff Wilson and Kirstie Stanway.

Kirstie's a pain in the arse for my money, but she's a frontline presenter so we're stuck with her. Agree with you re. Mehrts, he's a breath of fresh air.

Mils is pleasant but dull and Wilson is just dull... you poor buggers...

Just a shame they're not taking Karl Te Nana and his Flat Cap of Personality

Guy Smiley wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:41 pm

Grandpa wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:34 pm

Guy Smiley wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:27 pm I guess this is the best place to put this, being a sort of default NZ rugby thread...

Sky Sport have excluded Justin Marshall from their RWC commentary team.


W0000 H0000

Who is on it?

But we don't get your commentary so doesn't matter really. I don't really like any NZ pundits apart from Mehrtens anyway.

The broadcaster has announced internally and to Media Insider that four commentators/hosts will travel to France for the tournament in September and October – Grant Nisbett, Mils Muliaina, Jeff Wilson and Kirstie Stanway.

Kirstie's a pain in the arse for my money, but she's a frontline presenter so we're stuck with her. Agree with you re. Mehrts, he's a breath of fresh air.

That's a team that looks suspiciously like it's been chosen on something other than merit, that's for sure. Replacing Marshall — who despite suffering verbal diarrhoea at times regularly offers genuine insights — with that master of the cliche and obvious Muliaina is absurd, unless of course Sky's objective is to emphasize style over substance. Then they're bang on.

Otherwise, the only one of that 'diverse' team who's up to it is Wilson. Nisbett doesn't even know who most of the players are any more.

Leicester Fainga'anuku a late scratching (tight calf in the warm-up) so McLeod in at 12 and Goodhue to 13.

100th match for RMo -- a welcoming haka from the St Andrews 1st XV.

Crusaders starting with two young locks Gardiner and Strange

Beautiful break by RMo puts Codie Taylor in for the try on his 100th start

MP turn on the razzle and run in two tries to take the lead

This 2023 Saders team is a mess, unable to score after 20 phases on the 5 yard line.

The forwards are a shambles, clearly missing five regular starters.

This was always going to be a tough one, missing five regular starting forwards and five regular starting backs. Youngsters have a great chance to show their worth.

Kiwias wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:27 am The forwards are a shambles, clearly missing five regular starters.

Ah, rookies.

Backs look sharper, good try scored.

I have lost count of the number of times we have lost possession, far too careless with the ball.

EDIT: and a-fucking-gain!!

MP going to lose but their best performance of the season.

And how is that not a yellow?

Not pretty and very impressive play by MP but I'll take the win.

Clock showing 78 mins?

Definitely not pretty but with the injuries the Crusaders have, any win is a good win. With reinforcements still to come they are doing well to be hanging in there with the leading sides.

Jb1981 wrote: Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:55 am Definitely not pretty but with the injuries the Crusaders have, any win is a good win. With reinforcements still to come they are doing well to be hanging in there with the leading sides.

It actually bodes quite well for the rest of the season to be in this position despite all the injuries. Today's front row with Barrett and Whitelock at lock and a backrow of Blackadder, Christie, and Grace looks seriously good.

Guy Smiley wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 5:20 pm Headlines about Dmac outplaying BB and making a claim for the ABs 10 jersey. Half the country is still under the razzle dazzle spell... and this pic tells a story,



who goes into any sort of despairing lunge tackle making a fist? Someone who doesn't believe in themselves and isn't going to try.

May it please your honour, my client was clearly attempting to trip DMac up by knocking one leg onto the other in time honoured fashion. I submit this was the correct procedure to follow in these circumstances where he was clearly beaten. A not guilty verdict is the only feasible outcome open to your honour on the basis of the evidence (ie: one photo).

#Justice4BB

BB kind of looks depressed recently.

I certainly find his form for the Blues depressing.

broeyes wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 1:41 am BB kind of looks depressed recently.

I certainly find his form for the Blues depressing.

After years of abuse from know-nothings on the "interweb", I'm not surprised.

They are abused more than buck-toothed Prime Ministers, especially if they are from the wrong province.