@Canes4life said in Reds v Highlanders:

@KiwiMurph said in Reds v Highlanders:

@Canes4life said in Reds v Highlanders:

Jesus Tangitau.

A real step back tonight. Real Auckland npc 2025 stuff.

Defensively he has plenty of work to do.

High ball too.

@KiwiMurph said in Reds v Highlanders:

@Canes4life said in Reds v Highlanders:

@KiwiMurph said in Reds v Highlanders:

@Canes4life said in Reds v Highlanders:

Jesus Tangitau.

A real step back tonight. Real Auckland npc 2025 stuff.

Defensively he has plenty of work to do.

High ball too.

Same with almost every NZ outside back right now.

Pasitoa has been pretty good since he came on

@SouthernMann said in Reds v Highlanders:

Pasitoa has been pretty good since he came on

Seems to be better around the field than Millar.

Thought JRK was going to do an Ardie there.... Oh, hang on, he did.

The backline passing is so fucking pedestrian

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

The backline passing is so fucking pedestrian

Just no ability to create space or opportunities.

So the TMO can still interject in Australia? Thought it was only for foul play or if called upon for a try.

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

The backline passing is so fucking pedestrian

Rinse and repeat all nz teams with possible exception of Canes.

Joe Brial the best NZ eligible six

@SouthernMann said in Reds v Highlanders:

Joe Brial the best NZ eligible six

Low bar

@KiwiMurph said in Reds v Highlanders:

@SouthernMann said in Reds v Highlanders:

Joe Brial the best NZ eligible six

Low bar

Same with us Highlanders fans saying we just lost to a team with more than a dozen Wallabies.

So are the reds good or the chiefs and crusaders juts doing the usual slow start to the season when the ABs aren’t playing or are on the bench?

I think we might be fucked if this is the third best Aussie team

Reds are a fun team to watch

NZ teams are not playing enough rugby. The box kick has turned us into metronomes. Horrible rugby to watch.

@Yeetyaah said in Reds v Highlanders:

Reds are a fun team to watch

Harry Wilson and McReight are such a pleasure to watch, relentless, and ball handling skills of any back.

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

So are the reds good or the chiefs and crusaders juts doing the usual slow start to the season when the ABs aren’t playing or are on the bench?

I think we might be fucked if this is the third best Aussie team

Why are you lumping the Chiefs with Crusaders?

that was shite... 2/10 performance from the landers, landers backs defense in particular was pitiful... our attack was hoping for a spark of individual brilliance and kick kick kick

Reds looked good, good D, good ruck speed and ran circles around the Landers backs, deserved winners tonight

Reds backline would know how to get the most out of Tangitau and JRK.

@kev said in Reds v Highlanders:

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

So are the reds good or the chiefs and crusaders juts doing the usual slow start to the season when the ABs aren’t playing or are on the bench?

I think we might be fucked if this is the third best Aussie team

Why are you lumping the Chiefs with Crusaders?

Chiefs might have won both their opening games but it's been uninspiring stuff.

@WoodysRFC said in Reds v Highlanders:

@Yeetyaah said in Reds v Highlanders:

Reds are a fun team to watch

Harry Wilson and McReight are such a pleasure to watch, relentless, and ball handling skills of any back.

Wallabies have some superb loosies when you factor in Valetini and Cale as well.

@Canes4life said in Reds v Highlanders:

@WoodysRFC said in Reds v Highlanders:

@Yeetyaah said in Reds v Highlanders:

Reds are a fun team to watch

Harry Wilson and McReight are such a pleasure to watch, relentless, and ball handling skills of any back.

Wallabies have some superb loosies when you factor in Valetini and Cale as well.

Brial looks the real deal too

@KiwiMurph said in Reds v Highlanders:

@kev said in Reds v Highlanders:

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

So are the reds good or the chiefs and crusaders juts doing the usual slow start to the season when the ABs aren’t playing or are on the bench?

I think we might be fucked if this is the third best Aussie team

Why are you lumping the Chiefs with Crusaders?

Chiefs might have won both their opening games but it's been uninspiring stuff.

Brumbies, Canes and Reds have probably played the best rugby so far in my view in terms of shifting the ball.

Chiefs will be much better when DMac returns.

@Canes4life said in Reds v Highlanders:

Brumbies, Canes and Reds have probably played the best rugby so far in my view.

Chiefs will be much better when DMac returns

Tahs over Reds for me. Tahs pumped them in week 1.

said in Reds v Highlanders:

@kev said in Reds v Highlanders:

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

So are the reds good or the chiefs and crusaders juts doing the usual slow start to the season when the ABs aren’t playing or are on the bench?

I think we might be fucked if this is the third best Aussie team

Why are you lumping the Chiefs with Crusaders?

Chiefs might have won both their opening games but it's been uninspiring stuff.

The Chiefs have won, they play an attacking style, and have a lot of quality to come back into their starting 15. My favourite team to watch.

Might see Brumbies, Chiefs, Canes, Tahs, Blues, and Reds in top six this year?

I don’t really take the lowly highlanders getting beaten by 12 wallaby reds. The highlanders had three all blacks on the field, a winger that everyone said should be in the ABs, and 7(?) AB XV players over the past 2 years, many of whom I’d bet would have been capped by the wallabies by now.

The reds negated the highlanders strengths by locking up the only two attacking weapons and exposing the defence out wide. It was simple and executed well

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

I don’t really take the lowly highlanders getting beaten by 12 wallaby reds. The highlanders had three all blacks on the field, a winger that everyone said should be in the ABs, and 7(?) AB XV players over the past 2 years, many of whom I’d bet would have been capped by the wallabies by now.

The reds negated the highlanders strengths by locking up the only two attacking weapons and exposing the defence out wide. It was simple and executed well

I think that's misleading

Reds had an entire test capped pack with the exception of Brial who looks a Wallaby in waiting

De Groot is the only Highlander making that pack.

However - I agree the Highlanders attack coach is not giving them any chance.

@KiwiMurph said in Reds v Highlanders:

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

I don’t really take the lowly highlanders getting beaten by 12 wallaby reds. The highlanders had three all blacks on the field, a winger that everyone said should be in the ABs, and 7(?) AB XV players over the past 2 years, many of whom I’d bet would have been capped by the wallabies by now.

The reds negated the highlanders strengths by locking up the only two attacking weapons and exposing the defence out wide. It was simple and executed well

I think that's misleading

Reds had an entire test capped pack with the exception of Brial who looks a Wallaby in waiting

De Groot is the only Highlander making that pack.

However - I agree the Highlanders attack coach is not giving them any chance.

I’m just trying to point out it’s not the plucky underdogs vs a stacked super rugby team. It’s a team of what should be very good second string NZ players vs the third best Aussie.

Agree on the attack. It’s been abysmal for the past season and a bit

Frustrated, well Joseph needs to drop a few of the "senior'' players next weekend, the worst I've seen Kneepkens in a landers Jersey so he can make way for Solomon, and I'm sorry but Sean Withy has Tits for hands so if Renton is due back put Casey at 7

Not convinced on the Tahs yet, beat a half strength Reds side who had no Harry Wilson or Carter Gordon while missing several others and beat the Drua last weekend who get easily beaten by Moana the week before in Lautoka who haven't fired a shot since.

Tahs also started well in their first two games at home last year only to be really ordinary after that.

@Grooter said in Reds v Highlanders:

Frustrated, well Joseph needs to drop a few of the "senior'' players next weekend, the worst I've seen Kneepkens in a landers Jersey so he can make way for Solomon, and I'm sorry but Sean Withy has Tits for hands so if Renton is due back put Casey at 7

Issue is withy offers a threat at the breakdown. He got 2 turnovers. But so does Casey so perhaps a good idea.

Stoddard can’t play lock so either he’s 8 or 20

Very lackluster performance from the Landers. I know Holland's out for the year but what's happened to that Argie lock they signed?

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

I’m just trying to point out it’s not the plucky underdogs vs a stacked super rugby team. It’s a team of what should be very good second string NZ players vs the third best Aussie.

It is the plucky underdogs vs a stacked super rugby team.

The likes of Dunshea and Withy are complete journeymen and Wingam Stodart and Casey have barely at this level.

Calling them the 3rd best Aussie team seems a tad premature when the likes of Wison and Gordon didnt even play week 1.

@KiwiMurph said in Reds v Highlanders:

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

I’m just trying to point out it’s not the plucky underdogs vs a stacked super rugby team. It’s a team of what should be very good second string NZ players vs the third best Aussie.

It is the plucky underdogs vs a stacked super rugby team.

The likes of Dunshea and Withy are complete journeymen and Wingam Stodart and Casey have barely at this level.

Calling them the 3rd best Aussie team seems a tad premature when the likes of Wison and Gordon didnt even play week 1.

How many years does it take a coach to get the core group of players to a decent standard then? It’s been about 4 now. Where are they going?

@jimmyb said in Reds v Highlanders:

Will most of the guys in the team even know who Split Enz are?!

History never repeats, history never repeats

Harry Wilson is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Great player.

Well if we want a reminder about different levels of rugby that was a good one. You could see Reds pack was full of internationals , and the Clan had bugger all. When the big moments come they tend to make less mistakes.
And Fakatava who looked bloody good at NPC again showed why he has not featured for ABs since first little taste, he struggles at this level a bit. I also withdraw my comments of a couple of weeks ago wondering if Jacomb was making right choice going to Clan, with Millar there, much as Millar is a good capable 10, he's not going to win you many games with his game reading.
Funnily enough also for Reds probably one of their best forwards was Brial, the only non (up till now) test player in starting pack.