Also I think this kicks off around 5am Saturday which for me isn't a bad time as it's when I'm normally up during the week and I should be able to watch at least the first half before being harassed by small humans and/or wifey.

@shark Yep, kick-off is Saturday morning at 5.10am.

Jaysus Rasta in the Bull pen - surely the Saders will draw a crowd?

Fuuuuk great Ref appointments
Clowns at the circus

@shark said in Bulls v Crusaders:

Also I think this kicks off around 5am Saturday which for me isn't a bad time as it's when I'm normally up during the week and I should be able to watch at least the first half before being harassed by small humans and/or wifey.

Don't forget the Heineken Cup final at about 0400. Steyffen Joans says it's going to be the match of the century, and could beat international sides.

Crusaders:

1 Joe Moody, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Mike Alaalatoa, 4 Mitchell Dunshea, 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Jordan Taufua, 7 Matt Todd (c), 8 Kieran Read
9 Bryn Hall, 10 Richie Mo'unga, 11 George Bridge, 12 Ryan Crotty (vc), 13 Jack Goodhue, 14 Sevu Reece, 15 David Havili

Reserves:
16 Andrew Makalio, 17 Harry Allan, 18 Oliver Jager, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Whetukamokamo Douglas, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Braydon Ennor

@Stargazer

Same comment I made after last week’s game. Romano vastly better than Dunshea against the big SA boys.

Strange injured or out of favour?

@Tim Injured a foot infection

Strong argument that is our best backline.

Looking for better performances from our front row and loosies this week.

@ACT-Crusader said in Bulls v Crusaders:

Strong argument that is our best backline.

Looking for better performances from our front row and loosies this week.

Probably only Whitelock and Franks away from best pack as well.

Bulls:
1-Lizo Gqoboka, 2-Schalk Brits, 3-Trevor Nyakane, 4-Jason Jenkins, 5-RG Snyman, 6-Marco van Staden, 7-Jannes Kirsten, 8-Duane Vermeulen, 9-Andre Warner, 10-Handre Pollard (c), 11-Rosko Specman, 12-Burger Odendaal, 13-Johnny Kotze, 14-Cornal Hendricks, 15-Warrick Gelant

Reserves:
16-Jaco Visagie, 17-Simphiwe Matanzima, 18-Wiehahn Herbst, 19-Thembelani Bholi, 20-Paul Schoeman, 21-Embrose Papier, 22-Manie Libbok, 23-Divan Rossouw

Only concerns for me - and these are amplified against SA teams - are the green bench props and not having any genuinely tall timber by modern standards.

Our three locks are 1.99, 1.97 and 1.98m. Read is another option but the rest of our loosies aren't tall, Douglas is the next tallest at 1.9m.

Snyman is a whopper at 2.07m and Jenkins is 2.01m. Kirsten on the blindside is 1.97m. Vermeulen and Read match up at 1.93m. The Bulls don't have a lot of height on the bench but start with a signficant advantage there.

The height difference, recent scrummaging issues and less effective mauling of recent times are concerns. But we should still win even if we lack a little of the pill.

@ACT-Crusader said in Bulls v Crusaders:

Strong argument that is our best backline.

Looking for better performances from our front row and loosies this week.

I'd add Franks, Perry and Whitelock and say that is our best 23 - though there would be some quibbles in the outside backs.

Funnily enough - without Franks and Whitelock - it doesn't look as strong as this suggests - in part because of the weaknesses in the bench props. Wonder if that's why Romano is on the bench - add a bit of scrum starch.

@shark Have no fear, 1.9m locks are the standard these days.

@Nepia said in Bulls v Crusaders:

@shark Have no fear, 1.9m locks are the standard these days.

Ardie Savea is 1.88cm. He could play lock!

@Chris-B said in Bulls v Crusaders:

@ACT-Crusader said in Bulls v Crusaders:

Strong argument that is our best backline.

Looking for better performances from our front row and loosies this week.

I'd add Franks, Perry and Whitelock and say that is our best 23 - though there would be some quibbles in the outside backs.

Funnily enough - without Franks and Whitelock - it doesn't look as strong as this suggests - in part because of the weaknesses in the bench props. Wonder if that's why Romano is on the bench - add a bit of scrum starch.

Yeah we need Romero when there is a big drop off in our front row come the second half.

I also think any two of Jordan, Ennor and Reece at this point would still make it the ‘top 23’

@ACT-Crusader Yes - any one of those three is unlucky.

Tough job for Mataele to reclaim his place in the pecking order next year - and for Punavai and Faingaanuku to get much of a look in.

@Nepia said in Bulls v Crusaders:

@shark Have no fear, 1.9m locks are the standard these days.

There is definitely a general shrinking in NZ thats for sure. Between utility forwards starting at lock, and then comparitive midgets like specialist lock James Blackwell at 1.9m, it's starting to look like club footy at SR level.

How many 2m+ locks are there in NZ SR squads this year? Off hand I can think of Josh Dickson, Paripari Parkinson, Whitelock, Retallick and Tuipulotu.....

@shark

Tuipulotu is just under

Scrafton is 2m

@Duluth said in Bulls v Crusaders:

@shark

Tuipulotu is just under

Scrafton is 2m

Cheers.

I see Michael Allardice is just on 2m, so the Chiefs have two. Do the Canes have anyone on or over 2m??

@shark Geoff Cridge is 2.00m

@Stargazer Bloody hell, I didn't even know he was in the squad.

Goodhue is 1.99, and the yet to be sighted Jacob Pierce is 2.01.

@Tim Robinson is 1.98m, but played 6 this season, but has played majority of his M10 cup rugby at lock.

Plenty of dudes just under 2m.

@ACT-Crusader Not only that worry in the drop off of our props abilities in the 23 the Fuckwits controlling this game worry me.

@Stargazer he has been spotted - I saw him on a news item on 1Sport the other night, Gareth Evans was packing down at 8 so can't be too far away either.

Mounga playing well

Always think the ref sounds like hes aborigine.

Crusaders bringing back the Romi Ropati look

Mo’unga playing really well.

I think Rasta is reffing really well too, so far

Awesome first half from Mo'unga! Havili, Taufua, Dunshea and Goodhue also among the best players on the field.

Do we think bridge is more caleb ralph or more jane/kahui?

Cant make up my mind if he is genuine AB material or not?

That 4th try was almost comical. The whole Bulls defence track across the field following the ball and the Crusaders switch back to find approximately 7 unmarked players.

@Billy-Tell I think he has had good impact in this game. He may not score as many tries as last season, but he enables others to score.

Crusaders playing well - running the Bulls around. Speed of the game at altitude has been a bit like a high stakes poker game - I'll see you speed the game up and raise you. Looks to be working for us.

Mo'unga and Havili among the best for the Crusaders. Couple of poor kicks by Hall. Reece a bit anonymous early on. Forwards playing fast and open - nice finish of the try by Dunshea.

Mouunga is o for awesome. Magnificent game

@Billy-Tell Yes, he's a class apart. Impressive!

Yeah - Richie looking the complete package - goal kicking might still need a bit of work. That Pollard is a metronome.

Sevu Reece came into the the game a bit more.

Bulls handling pretty ordinary.

I don't know why more NZ teams don't just take that quick channel ball in the scrum most of the time. Suits our style and that our propping stocks are looking a bit frail.

Razor got the tactics spot on for that game - implementation was excellent for the most part. The middle 20 minutes of the second half the Bulls had too much of the ball and there were too many penalties given away.

Read is steadily growing back into the game after his long injury break. Full of passion as well (expletives included haha).

Great news for the ABs.