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.

Fucking hell, that performance didn't help Joseph's AB chances, that team looks a bit underprepared and doesn't seem to play to their strengths at all.

That Reds team looks like they are improving every week, they are fun to watch and have loosies that actually throw themselves around, which doesn't seem that true for the Landers (apart from Casey).

It looks to me that the Landers were trying to play rugby as it was successful about 24 months ago, and now teams have moved beyond that, especially if you can't close them down and force them to play the same way.

@Tim said in Reds v Highlanders:

Tavatanawai looks slow.

Yip noticed that last week when lord made his break. Jim had nothing.. very slow especially as he is a hybrid wing/12

Didn’t catch the game, but it still seems to me our two main problems are:

1. Backs aren’t getting a great platform as our loose forwards can’t clean rucks properly

2. Our attacking shape isn’t very good (Almost if Corey Brown sucks!)

Highlanders have relied a lot on individual brilliance, Tangitau, Nareki etc. Just didn't happen for them last night. Lennox went pretty well, so one plus.

@ARHS said in Reds v Highlanders:

Highlanders have relied a lot on individual brilliance, Tangitau, Nareki etc. Just didn't happen for them last night. Lennox went pretty well, so one plus.

I think a lot of teams rely on individual performance now for scoring points because of how tight defences normally are. The Highlanders did not have a very tight defence in this game, however.

@WoodysRFC said in Reds v Highlanders:

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

Thats the problem with most NZ teams, we are unable.to create space for the weapons we still have.

The Reds try in the first half should not have stood. The 15 was clearly in front of the kicker (13); no way Howden didnt score that. Thats 14 points! Highlanders deserved more