Highlanders

1 Aki Seiuli, 2. Ash Dixon (c), 3. Siosuia Halanukonuka, 4. Alex Ainley, 5. Tom Franklin, 6. Elliot Dixon, 7. Dillon Hunt, 8. Gareth Evans
9 Aaron Smith, 10. Marty Banks, 11. Patrick Osborne, 12. Richard Buckman, 13. Malakai Fekitoa, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. Matt Faddes

Reserves
16 Greg Pleasants-Tate, 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18. Siate Tokolahi, 19. Joe Wheeler, 20. Jackson Hemopo, 21. Kayne Hammington, 22. Fletcher Smith, 23. Teihorangi Walden

Unavailable due to injury: Shane Christie, James Lentjes, Dan Pryor, Lima Sopoaga, Ben Smith, Luke Whitelock, Liam Squire (Out for the season: Jason Emery, Hayden Parker).

Is this the smallest Super rugby crowd of all time?

@KiwiMurph said in Bulls v Highlanders:

Is this the smallest Super rugby crowd of all time?

I don't know, but you can hear every little word both of them are saying

The condition of the ground is not great.

What a try for the Landers.

that was pretty funny just now with the ball scratching the dead ball line and Banks standing there pointing at it so the TJ would see

surreal, both teams look exhausted just before halftime, heavy conditions, water on the park, longish grass, muddy, highlanders should fillet the Bulls in the second half

refereeing performance was very good so far IMO, really let the game flow and narrated the little decisions / non-decisions. A few forward passes or knock-ons maybe wrong, but that's minor to the overall performance

yep, mostly very good hands, but 59 kicks tells the story

Highlanders with zero attacking shape

Bulls score after Faddes gets an unlucky bounce from a Bulls grubber. 10-10

I think the Bulls should forget about using their backs.

terrible hairstyles seem to run in the Jantjies family, as Tony (Elton's little brother) looks like the work of a mad hairdresser's.

Stupid by naholo .. red carded

Stupid from Naholo and a deserved red. No doubt people on here will try and blame the ref for his decision.

what! a joke! really stupid decision on Naholo, red card
he was going for the spilt ball, he didn'tchange his line to hit the Bulls player
sh*t local reffing in SA

I'm not so sure that was a clear red. Lots of theatrics in the fall of that Bulls' player. He also seemed to fall onto Naholo's shoulder.

@Wairau said in Bulls v Highlanders:

what! a joke! really stupid decision on Naholo, red card
he was going for the spilt ball, he didn'tchange his line to hit the Bulls player
sh*t local reffing in SA

I was wondering whether Naholo was purely going for the ball, because his hands / arms pointed in that direction, but he then looked at the Bulls player instead of the ball. Red is OK I think

Aaron Smith has been very disappointing, he should worry about the ball himself, not pointing at the ref and not doing anything

It was a clear red only a biased kiwi would think otherwise.

@Tordah said in Bulls v Highlanders:

Aaron Smith has been very disappointing, he should worry about the ball himself, not pointing at the ref and not doing anything

He shouts and makes gestures like he's panicking. Totally losing his cool.

@African-Monkey said in Bulls v Highlanders:

It was a clear red only a biased kiwi would think otherwise.

How is it a red thats a collision that happens in every game

What a shit field. That's a ground for club rugby, not Super Rugby.

A shoulder charge into the head is always gonna be a red it's not a hard concept to understand.

Now THAT should be a red. Diving into the pile of bodies, straight with his shoulder to the face.

@Stargazer said in Bulls v Highlanders:

What a shit field. That's a ground for club rugby, not Super Rugby.

Just to think the Blues played the Cheetahs on a wet field..

And it is red. Way more deserved than Naholo.

Pleasants-Tate gets a shoulder to the face in a cleanout

@African-Monkey said in Bulls v Highlanders:

A shoulder charge into the head is always gonna be a red it's not a hard concept to understand.

how is it a shoulder charge, a shoulder charge is what blue 5 did

@Rebound Yup and also got a red for it. 2 correct decisions.

Referee has been the best on the park

Landers should try a drop goal, when/if possible.

Yesss, Fekitoa!

And the Highlanders snatch it.

The Bulls decision to turn down 3 from 5 metres in front is one of the worst pieces of captaincy this season. Absolutely ridiculous decision.

my stream has Fekitoa just scored, how far off am I?

@KiwiMurph said in Bulls v Highlanders:

The Bulls decision to turn down 3 from 5 metres in front is one of the worst pieces of captaincy this season. Absolutely ridiculous decision.
You got that right.

@Tordah Not far. About half a minute?

@Stargazer said in Bulls v Highlanders:

@Tordah Not far. About half a minute?

thanks you. That's what I get for being an illegal little dick I guess

even game over the local guys try to influence the match, waiting for us to drop it, delaying the hooter for 26 seconds over the 80m, while Highlanders were keeping it tight

about naholo red, I could see yellow, just. But the Bulls player spilt the ball and Naholo went for the ball and caught him in the head with a strong challenge. He was definitely targeting the ball.

@Tordah said in Bulls v Highlanders:

Referee has been the best on the park

for real

He managed to make a sh1t game even worse with his bullsh1t calls