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.

@Chris-B said in Bulls v Crusaders:

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

Not sure what that's about. Richie kicked 5 out of 6. Only missed one kick from a difficult angle after Dunshea scored in the corner.

@Stargazer Not this game, but the season overall.

Read is building nicely and as for the Crusaders, may as well just give them the trophy now..the Hurricanes is the only team that could potentially threaten them in the backs but after watching the way their forwards have been dealt to at set piece throughout most of the season that could be a real challenge against a Crusaders pack that won’t lack leadership in key areas unlike the mob that fronted up against the Canes last night..

@Stargazer nice chops..!

These early Saturday games totally mess up my sense of time. It feels like Sunday morning. How awesome that it's only Saturday morning, with more SR games to come!

Those cross kicks from Richie gave me wood. Not my favourite method of scoring a try, but just so accurate. Crazy.

Great result that one. Worried about the Moody injury though.

@shark yeah don't need him and Franks broken. Not with a lot of the ABs backups looking average.

Mo'unga tho, man as long as him and Beaudy stay fit, paired with Smith and TJ - that's a good axis. Read coming back, Ardie a better explosive option off attacking scrums, bender in 15 & Taylor still great at hooker. Spine is looking fine

@Steven-Harris yeah the Canes need Coles back through the playoffs. His leadership up front is vital if we have any chance of challenging.

Still a few weeks until the playoffs so anything can happen but the Crusaders look odds on for a home final where they will be bloody tough to beat.

@Stargazer said in Bulls v Crusaders:

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.

Read was awesome... getting back to his physical best.

Crusaders are obviously class but they weren't tested much by a limited Bulls side that offered very little.

Remember the Bulls got pumped by the Chiefs 56-20 in Pretoria in their only other game vs an NZ team so far this season (a Chiefs team that was 1 draw and 3 losses from 4 games going into the game).

Best part for the Bulls was the good crowd - promo seemed to work.

@KiwiMurph said in Bulls v Crusaders:

Crusaders are obviously class but they weren't tested much by a limited Bulls side that offered very little.

Remember the Bulls got pumped by the Chiefs 56-20 in Pretoria in their only other game vs an NZ team so far this season (a Chiefs team that was 1 draw and 3 losses from 4 games going into the game).

Best part for the Bulls was the good crowd - promo seemed to work.

Yeah the bulls were terrible, never looked in the game.

We seem to be taking a sevens style approach against the big African teams and a more structured gameplan when we play the NZ team. Makes sense I suppose.

Thought George bridge was awesome, created a lot by beating the first man often, and so solid under the high ball ( they seemed to target him with bombs, but didn’t do the same to Reece for some reason)