@jimmyb said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

@Bones said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

Also just realised he doesn't have his legs strapped for the lineout.

And he smashes over for a try

Marshall “overwhelming success”. Fuck me

Although I agree this rhetoric is slightly OTT, I'm going to go against the grain and think he's played really well.

The thing is that once this was was called, he was always going to be watched like a hawk with folks only looking for actions for confirm their pre conceived bias.

Has he been an amazing 7? No. Has he been a decent enough 7 to play there at Super Rugby level? Definitely. He's been heavily involved, I think Marshall said he''s had 6 more carries than the next best player. Thus, he's unquestionably been much more involved than he would have been at 12. He's always been a strong runner, with huge drive, so playing at 7 does give him more time to get his hands on the ball & he's literally grabbed it with both hands.

Overall, he's been brilliant, all over the field, playing really well.. Yes, some 7 jobs have been lacking, but what would you expect on his debut in this position from the backs? I saw a note against the scrum before, I mean come on ... the Cantab scrum has been dominant & thats hardly the 7's job.

I'd give him 8/10 as a player and perhaps 5/10 as a 7.

Far from shit.

@antipodean said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

That's not a reason to deny a try - that happens every ruck.

It's a reason to deny Havili a try

Despite all the unavailabilities the Crusaders just kicked into another gear when it mattered and apart from a couple of defensive hiccups in the main their tackling has been brutal

Considering both teams up and down form this year - a good game to open a good stadium

Good shit

@MajorPom I mean if we're looking for a replacement for Savea, he's doing a good debut job.

Crusaders weren’t great but you still wouldn’t want to be the Chiefs or Hurricanes and play them in the quarters or semis

@jimmyb said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

Crusaders weren’t great but you still wouldn’t want to be the Chiefs or Hurricanes and play them in the quarters or semis

Hurricanes will want a bye in the semis wont they?

@Bones said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

@MajorPom I mean if we're looking for a replacement for Savea, he's doing a good debut job.

I was thinking of dropping a "Savea-like" comment in there, but then thought there's enough posted about him on this board already!

You aren't wrong, honestly.

@MajorPom said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

@Bones said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

@MajorPom I mean if we're looking for a replacement for Savea, he's doing a good debut job.

I was thinking of dropping a "Savea-like" comment in there, but then thought there's enough posted about him on this board already!

You aren't wrong, honestly.

Needs more screaming after doing something good.

Was umming and ahhing over whether to keep Harvey in my team or take Jorgensen. Kept Harvey.. to all the other Ferners doing Fantasy... suckers...

@Bones Todd ,McCaw,Christie ,Faiaanuku?
Who knew !

@majorpom I agree, I'm not sure I get the Leicester hate, I don't hold Razors shenanigans against him and I'm happy to see him back. He has one of the most powerful running games in the world, if we can work out how to use that while minimising his weaknesses he can be a real weapon. Getting him closer in is a good idea, whether that be at 12 or in the loose. Could become one hell of a weapon on the bench if he can cover the loose, midfield and wing with that running game.

Nice words Matt Philip. Class act.

@Bones said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

@MajorPom I mean if we're looking for a replacement for Savea, he's doing a good debut job.

That is actually a good comparison. He had a decent game running around doing lots of stuff, but not really doing a 7’s job. More of a roaming 12/13. Funny that.

Still a weird call to make when they had Lee on the bench who has looked decent, even if he did give away a marginal penalty for the Havili non try.

@bones Yep, I sure every other super team is absolutely terrified of facing Leicester f#$@ all at 7

Yeah - I thought Leicester went well - influential.

Though Dom Gardiner had a really good game as well.

Newell, Shalfoon, Kemara and McLeod the others who caught my eye.

Kemara's goal-kicking last year was so awful it kind of blinded me to his other merits. Goal-kicking is much improved and he's got some game in general play.

Generally liked the resolve shown - plenty of determination not to lose this first game in the new house.

Leicester F at 7 makes more sense under the roof as opposed to a wet windy bog of a ground.

We saw the value of Meg as an expert commentator when he talked up Bell winning that breakdown penalty. It was so obvious in real time that both of Bell's hands went pass the ball and touched the ground. Silence when a replay was shown.

Stadium reminds me a bit of Aviva with the glass at the ends

No seats at the ends?

@canefan said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

No seats at the ends?

Temporary stand can go in there for a test match much like Forsyth Barr

@KiwiMurph said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

@canefan said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

No seats at the ends?

Temporary stand can go in there for a test match much like Forsyth Barr

The top tier looks supported by steel as opposed to concrete. Looks pretty good though, the stands sitting close to the field

I wonder what Oli Mathis is thinking of Leicester’s switch…

@canefan said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

No seats at the ends?

At on end there is a stand at the other end
The other end has cooperate stands etc,
Another 5000 seats go in there for test matches etc.

I saw absoute fucking nothing to show LF can play 7. To the loosies in the squad, get out!
My comments about LF included, giving away the first penalty, while looking completely clueless at the interpretation. Not hitting rucks. No noticeable kick chases. Some carries, nothing of note. A try off a ruck pick up, lots would do that anyway.
Is Corey Kellow unwanted?

@MajorPom said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

@jimmyb said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

@Bones said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

Also just realised he doesn't have his legs strapped for the lineout.

And he smashes over for a try

Marshall “overwhelming success”. Fuck me

Although I agree this rhetoric is slightly OTT, I'm going to go against the grain and think he's played really well.

The thing is that once this was was called, he was always going to be watched like a hawk with folks only looking for actions for confirm their pre conceived bias.

Has he been an amazing 7? No. Has he been a decent enough 7 to play there at Super Rugby level? Definitely. He's been heavily involved, I think Marshall said he''s had 6 more carries than the next best player. Thus, he's unquestionably been much more involved than he would have been at 12. He's always been a strong runner, with huge drive, so playing at 7 does give him more time to get his hands on the ball & he's literally grabbed it with both hands.

Overall, he's been brilliant

Brilliant. Fuck off. He's been as involved as a winger looking for work. As a flanker he's been a non-entity.

Just watched the highlights and hard to see from it but can someone please explain the lead up to the first Tahs YC please?

Looked like the bringing down of the maul was legal because it was a tackle

Then the ref blows for a penalty ????

And as the penalised player is talking with the ref the Crusaders player takes a quick tap, runs into a defender and the defender gets a YC

Can someone make sense of it all please?

@MiketheSnow said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

Just watched the highlights and hard to see from it but can someone please explain the lead up to the first Tahs YC please?

Looked like the bringing down of the maul was legal because it was a tackle

Then the ref blows for a penalty ????

And as the penalised player is talking with the ref the Crusaders player takes a quick tap, runs into a defender and the defender gets a YC

Can someone make sense of it all please?

You can certainly make a case whether there should've been a penalty or not in the first place, but the yellow card was spot on. Miles Amatosero tackles the Crusaders player who takes the quick tap without retreating back 10 metres - pretty blatant.

@MiketheSnow said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

Just watched the highlights and hard to see from it but can someone please explain the lead up to the first Tahs YC please?

Looked like the bringing down of the maul was legal because it was a tackle

Then the ref blows for a penalty ????

And as the penalised player is talking with the ref the Crusaders player takes a quick tap, runs into a defender and the defender gets a YC

Can someone make sense of it all please?

The first player is entirely permitted to be where he is because the ball hasn't been transferred, so it's open play. Once the original tackler goes in and the ball doesn't go to ground it's a maul. In which case the second Tahs player joins offside. That's a clear penalty.

Hotham tries to take a quick tap and the Tahs lock grabs him within the 10m. Deliberate and YC worthy.

Dom Gardiner says, don't forget about me as an AB contender. That was as fine a No.6 game as I have seen at Super Level.

Thanks guys

Guess it was a timing issue for the second Tahs player

After that it all makes sense

Most important aspect of this game was the packed crowd. Time to take a sledgehammer to the cake tin and the cemetery with chips

The new stadium looks great and fantastic to see it a sell-out on opening night.

Take a bow, Christchurch.

@Yeetyaah
Yes.

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Crusaders Vs Waratahs:

Dom Gardiner says, don't forget about me as an AB contender. That was as fine a No.6 game as I have seen at Super Level.

Agree, he has been playing pretty well all season and has flown under the radar bit around here. He has played to this standard briefly in the past and has either gotten injured or had some brain farts, so I am still a bit cautious with him.

But as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, he has shown some real classy moments, and I suspect he will be catching the eye of the selectors.

At any rate, it's good to see him get a consistent run at 6, and the Saders seem to be trusting him enough now to keep him on for much of the game.

Gardiner was great, very much improved from the start of the season.

I thought Leicester was exactly what we needed in the forwards.. Gave us a consistent ball runner which means we didn't have to start Hannah (weak) or Bell (good ball runner but his lineout throwing consistently costs us)

I used to think the term 'looks like tarzan, plays like jane' was appropriate for Gardiner, but every time I've seen him this year, he's looked decent. Not saying he's the next ABs 6 or anything, but he has improved.

@SammyC Gardiner showed some pace when he put the foot down for a big body
He’s was physical around the fringes
Might be just a case of a slow burner starting to find his feet

I might as well be the one to say it, even Jerome Kaino took a long time to find his feet.