@Bovidae said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
Fihaki confirming his AB XV selection.
Razors pet mate. He has been banging the table for him since he was in NZ20’s. Can’t give up on him now or else he will look silly. I just do not see what they see in him but hey, wtf do I know posting this from my couch.
What a try again from BOP. Wow. Dont want to thrash the guy because he’s trying to create something from nothing but that was off a nothing chip kick from Fihaki… yikes.
And that should secure the result. Great effort to support rewarded with a try. Crusaders defence looking tired now.
@antipodean said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
And that should secure the result. Great effort to support rewarded with a try. Crusaders defence looking tired now.
They were hitting hard when I started watching, but curiously sending in two guys to most narrow channel tackles and lots of wrestling after the tackled player should have been released. Coming back to bite them now.
@Bones said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
@Frank said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
Narawa should be ahead of Fihaki. Way ahead.
And Carter.
It’d be a long list
@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
@Bones said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
@Frank said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
Narawa should be ahead of Fihaki. Way ahead.
And Carter.
It’d be a long list
Yeah I was trying to keep it to just this game.
@antipodean said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
And that should secure the result. Great effort to support rewarded with a try. Crusaders defence looking tired now.
So is Canterburys
@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
TJ constantly getting BOP names wrong. He needs to be retired
Fixed
@Canes4life said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
TJ constantly getting BOP names wrong. He needs to be retired
Fixed
Nah he correctly called Fihaki when he missed touch, then when Fihaki got the ball in the next play from the lineout he called him Punivai - which is pretty fucked as they look different and Fihaki was fucking wearing headgear! Plus Punivai was outside him
@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
That was impressive by the Bay. Hope they go all they way
All the way to Wellington for their second place medal.
@Bones said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
That was impressive by the Bay. Hope they go all they way
All the way to Wellington for their second place medal.
Wellington is never a certainty when favourites. Don’t jinx us. 
@Canes4life said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
@Bones said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
That was impressive by the Bay. Hope they go all they way
All the way to Wellington for their second place medal.
Wellington is never a certainty when favourites. Don’t jinx us.
To be fair I'm more worried by BoP than Waikato, but the cauldron that is the 'tin will provide the winning edge.
Empire defeated, but a few more injuries, hopefully nothing serious, just making the final special. Great work by usual suspects and how the fuck so many of that opposition is AB rated is beyond me, even our reserve wingers looked better than Fihaki
Ah Khoi is a machine
Geez that was good wasn't it? A worthy watch after the Heartland final, some of those tries were stunning!! The Bay will take some beating in final.
That second half from the Bay was epic. Just so solid. Sorry getting emotional here. Carter's try in the corner will go down in Bay folklore
@KiwiPie said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
That second half from the Bay was epic. Just so solid. Sorry getting emotional here. Carter's try in the corner will go down in Bay folklore
By geez it was great watch as a neutral, maybe I leant towards the Bay, there something about that team I really like, Pretty solid from 1 to 15 and just a bit of X factor thrown in to make them a real fun team to watch. I really happy if they win the whole thing , though I still really quite neutral.
Great atmosphere at the ground. Bop is a genuine 23 man effort team, but has 3 game breakers. Ah Kuoi, Carter and Narawa are constant threats at this level. Amazing try by Carter.
Fihaki McLeod Gallagher Grace etc did not provide the edge they need to given their national recognition.
I hope the BOP game breakers can inspire the other 20 around them to their very best next week and bring back the title.
@Smuts said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
As a neutral, it was satisfying to watch Canterbury lose.
I found it both satisfying to watch Canterbury lose, and unsatisfying to watch BoP win.
@ARHS said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
Great atmosphere at the ground. Bop is a genuine 23 man effort team, but has 3 game breakers. Ah Kuoi, Carter and Narawa are constant threats at this level. Amazing try by Carter.
Fihaki McLeod Gallagher Grace etc did not provide the edge they need to given their national recognition.
I hope the BOP game breakers can inspire the other 20 around them to their very best next week and bring back the title.
I have never rated Fihaki and McLeod so I didn't expect much from them. Grace has been a bit rubbish all season. I wonder if all the injuries have dented his confidence? Gallagher is the biggest disappointment for me though. I am hoping he gets a new lease of life at the Canes because he hasn't kicked on the last couple of years. Injuries may be playing a part with him too, but when he first appeared I thought he was going to be quite the enforcer.
@Duluth said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
Hutchinson physically looks similar to young Halfpenny
And that where it ends
@MiketheSnow if ever there was a match that you could claim won through Welsh influence this was up there 
@bayimports said in BOP v Canterbury (SF):
@MiketheSnow if ever there was a match that you could claim won through Welsh influence this was up there
Last weeks was a better example, your Welshie got your team on the early roll that meant you had a chance to win at the end.
Pleasently surprised, the BOP has always had the danger out wide but lacked startch/execution up front to really match it with the big boys consistently.
The final presents the neutral fan with a golrious oppertunity to watch two teams famous for losuing things up as soon as they get tagged as favourites desperatly trying to out-do each other on the big stage,
I'll be watching this one from behind the couch...
