Match thread

Duluth

@booboo said in Bulls v Blues:

19 Aaron Carroll,

Who?

BOP lock can't say I remember much of him during the NPC

He was added to the squad when Wardlaw had to withdraw. So he was initially outside the group of locks in NZ with a SR contract

So basically he's on the bench because of Goodhue, Tucker & Wardlaw injuries and the Blues wanted 4 locks for this match

Snowy

@taniwharugby said in Bulls v Blues:

@Machpants taking the AB blueprint a step further!

Yes, but in order for them to be triple play makers, they all actually need to be, well, play makers.

Duluth

@Machpants said in Bulls v Blues:

All three tens on the field, interesting

Two tens and Perofeta

Perofeta is a fullback.

I have a suspicion that Plummer will become a 12. He's a lot bigger than most 10's and he looks comfortable in his brief cameos at 12

(also I have a theory that real 2nd fives are about to make a return to NZ rugby)

Duluth

MacDonald on Plummer

 Harry has played a lot at 12, especially through the age-groups. More recently he's been a 10, but he's a big, strong guy and I think he suits 12. He's quite physical in the way he carries and his breakdown work.

Rieko will be back in the Stormers match

MacDonald confirmed All Blacks wing Rieko Ioane, who was part of the touring party, was not available for the Bulls match. He said the plan had always been to re-introduce him from his hand fracture for the second match against the Stormers
JK

Yeah as much as I dont rate these 3 players as 10s and dont really like the idea of all 3 of them being on the field at once, if hes going with that approach then Black at 10 and Plumber at 12 isn't too bad. Keeps perofeta out of the way.

Who's kicking goals?

JK

@Duluth said in Bulls v Blues:

(also I have a theory that real 2nd fives are about to make a return to NZ rugby)

Yes!!!! Like Walter Little style! Big cross field wipers kick here we come!

JK

true that mate. Think Black may be taking the attempts? Or Plumber?

Snowy

@JK Black would probably have more chance of getting it in the vicinity of the posts than the other two have recently.

Duluth

@Snowy said in Bulls v Blues:

Black would probably have more chance of getting it in the vicinity of the posts than the other two have recently.

Plummer is 3/4 this year. That was his success %age for Auckland last year too

He's been kicking well in the warmups. His technical issues from last SR season where the ball would die mid flight appear to be behind him

Perofeta has been awful

I expect Black to be the kicker though

Snowy

@Duluth said in Bulls v Blues:

Plummer is 3/4 this year. That was his success %age for Auckland last year too

Yeah. I know he's not as bad has been made out, but tend to remember the misses rather than the hits (and I was also suggesting that it would be Black).

Agree about Perofeta, terrible.

JK

Perofeta seems better from out wide but anything from in front or even 10m either side of the posts appears near impossible for him

KiwiMurph

@Bones said in Bulls v Blues:

Is this just resting Faiane then? Thought he was one of the blues best last week.

Sounds like its a combination of resting Faiane, needing more kicking options at altitude and giving Plummer an opportunity at 12 where he has played a lot of rugby growing up.

Snowy

@JK said in Bulls v Blues:

Perofeta seems better from out wide but anything from in front or even 10m either side of the posts appears near impossible for him

That's what makes it appear even worse - missing the very getable ones.

Kirwan

@Snowy said in Bulls v Blues:

@JK said in Bulls v Blues:

Perofeta seems better from out wide but anything from in front or even 10m either side of the posts appears near impossible for him

That's what makes it appear even worse - missing the very getable ones.

I find it easier for my mental health to assume he's going to miss every kick.

Snowy

@Kirwan And a fairly accurate assumption too.

Duluth

Hopefully Narawa gets a decent amount of ball. He had some freakish moments during the NPC

This video is only from the Northland match but it gives you an idea about his balance/swerve etc

@Duluth Lovely body swerve AND soft hands!

KiwiMurph

Looks like rain forecast.

I'm picking a tiny crowd.

Is anybody watching the Stormers v Jaguares. Yet another advert to ditch this bullshit system of home country refs. Ref Rasta making up rules and disallowing a fantastic Jaquares try

I mean if your refs are incompetent most of the time, neutral refs are just a no brainer

Stargazer

Just tuned in. Is the ref Nic Berry?

Stargazer

There's hardly a crowd; all those empty blue seats ...

Stargazer

Most boring 20 minutes of the 2020 SR season that I've watched thus far. Maybe that will change now that Ferreira has been sent to the bin.

Stargazer

Shoulder charge? Where was the direct contact?

Stargazer

Looks like direct contact with the head. What colour of card? Red?

junior

@Stargazer said in Bulls v Blues:

Shoulder charge? Where was the direct contact?

Looked like direct contact shoulder to head to me - red coming up?

Stargazer

Hmm, Narawa ducking considered enough mititgation. It's a yellow. Bulls down to 13 men.

Stargazer

If the Blues don't score now, they're not worth a win.

Victor Meldrew

YC seemed fair.

WTF. Where's the duck. Farrel dipped far more than this and it didn't matter. Really why must we bother with this shit this ref has rewritten multiple laws already this galf

Victor Meldrew

@Stargazer said in Bulls v Blues:

If the Blues don't score now, they're not worth a win.

They rarely disappoint...

Stargazer

Just when the Blues get a line-out close to the Bulls' try line, Ferreira comes back on.

Stargazer

Well done, Mark Telea. Try time!

Jesus what the assistant ref doing. Didn't even care to look whether a try is being scored

Stargazer

Bulls back to 15 men.

Stargazer

@Rebound Isn't that Egon Seconds?