What Chester said, minus the last sentence.
@chester-draws what’s worse is the incredible lack of accountability from the administration that they are big part of the problem.
@chester-draws said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
But even I have now had enough. It's no longer fun.
It's going to be O.K. because I have been informed that next year is our year!
@snowy said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@chester-draws said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
But even I have now had enough. It's no longer fun.
It's going to be O.K. because I have been informed that next year is our year!
NO THIS IS OUR YEAR
oh. wait. yeah, ok Next Year it is. The mythical year that never comes.
to be fair, an ounce of luck and less injuries early on - or some decent coaching- and we might not go into the Lam Death Spiral that we have been in for ever.
@nzzp said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@snowy said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@chester-draws said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
But even I have now had enough. It's no longer fun.
It's going to be O.K. because I have been informed that next year is our year!
NO THIS IS OUR YEAR
oh. wait. yeah, ok Next Year it is. The mythical year that never comes.
to be fair, an ounce of luck and less injuries early on - or some decent coaching- and we might not go into the Lam Death Spiral that we have been in for ever.
Actually they extended Tana for another year - SO 2020 IS OUR YEAR! Or maybe a year sometime after that. It has already been forever, as mentioned,
@nzzp said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
to be fair, an ounce of luck and less injuries early on - or some decent coaching- and we might not go into the Lam Death Spiral that we have been in for ever.
quoting myself, but fark it
I remember the start of this shit. We were leading the Canes at home, and just dropped our bundle, kicked it back to them instead of clearing, and just stopped tackling. That was the start of losing a whole shed load on the bounce with Lam, which led to him getting the boot, and the start of our Celebrity Coach Era.
FML.
@nzzp confidence plays a huge part, and if you get down early on it is tough to get out of, especially if you are trying different systems you start questioning them, falling back to old habits and it just keeps getting worSe.
I always wonder how teams like Scotland, Argentina, Samoa etc go about preparing for a game against the ABs...you surely go into every game wanting to win, but knowing this is highly unlikely, how do you approach it?
@taniwharugby said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
I always wonder how teams like Scotland, Argentina, Samoa etc go about preparing for a game against the ABs...you surely go into every game wanting to win, but knowing this is highly unlikely, how do you approach it?
the way the Irish did in Chicago - stay aggressive, just stay upbeat and put a shedload of pressure on, hope the opposition is slightly off their game.
but yeah, it's tough. Hence my comment earlier - a bit of luck early in the season, and fewer injuries in key positions certainly helps out. Also, picking the worlds' best wing on the wing could be a good idea 
@nzzp and the opposition playing people out of position...but yeah, tapping into what Schmidt did differently or how he got them to believe (especially after that overtime escape the ABs had made when Ireland shoulda won) they could achieve something so many before hadn't.
I also think our RWC failures were in part due to our top 2 inches, think of all the greats of our game that had failed to win a RWC, and then you have these other teams preparing to win with that legacy of failure weighing on them.
That Adidas slogan soon after they picked up the AB sponsorship: The Legacy you face is more intimidating than any opposition
And that works both ways!
The pigheadedness around Ioane at 12 has been incredible. In the last 2 matches the Blues have conceded ~40points through basic defensive errors in that channel. 40 points from one retarded selection.
@chris-b said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
But, if SBW and Moala are injured and Leger has dropped from sight - who else is an option at 12 now?
Tumua Manu, who incidentally has been playing 12 in Auckland club rugby after dropping from sight. In his few opportunities this year (on the wing) he didn't put a foot wrong.
@chris-b Tumua Manu, Tamati Tua, Faiane, and Collins.
The dropping of Leger was really weird.
@kiwimurph Scored two tries this weekend at 12.
Also I wonder is the NZ U20 second five Tanielu Tele'a injured as I haven't seen him in the Auckland club teams? If he was fit I would have been tempted to give him a crack. He's signed for next year's squad. He's a 12. Could have been useful experience.
@taniwharugby Few minutes at the end.
4 months later
@duluth said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
20 matches for Umaga’s Blues - 1 win
5%
One last bump of this thread
Umaga finishes on 5%
@duluth said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@duluth said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
20 matches for Umaga’s Blues - 1 win
5%
One last bump of this thread
Umaga finishes on 5%
THIS IS OUR YEAR
6 months later
Worth pointing out with Leon currently running at 33% in this metric, compared to Kirwan's 29% and Lam's 37%, kind of puts Tana's 5% in perspective.
@Kirwan said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
Worth pointing out with Leon currently running at 33% in this metric, compared to Kirwan's 29% and Lam's 37%, kind of puts Tana's 5% in perspective.
Not only that, but a lot of the games we lost were super tight - Crusaders at home was either some good goal kicking, or a refs calls away; Chiefs away just played really really well and burgled it. Canes at home we've done to death...
I guess what I"m saying is that we're solidly lower table, but we're very very close to being towards the upper end. It's been a year we've definitely progressed.
@African-Monkey said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@Bones Yes most of them would have been. We weren't that bad in 2016-2017, last year however was just a complete disaster. This year's side would barely be on par with the sides of Umaga's first 2 years.
You say that, but we're running 1 in 3 against NZ sides. Previously we were 1 in 20. So - while we're not great, I can see improvements.
Some of the rugby the blues played on Saturday was great - running great lines, throwing balls into space, dragging defenders around -- it was at a level I haven't seen for a long long time. So I'm happy we're both better than the last few years, and building.
Next year is our year!!!
@African-Monkey said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@Bones Yes most of them would have been. We weren't that bad in 2016-2017, last year however was just a complete disaster. This year's side would barely be on par with the sides of Umaga's first 2 years.
I'm being dumb for a change and not sure I get what you're saying. You mean you think this year's team isn't as good as those teams?
Quality of teams in Super rugby is pretty low this (bar the crusaders). Not sure if the drain is finally having an impact or its just because it's WC year. Bit of a worry though.
Blues look to be playing better but not by much.
Instability around the 9/10 selections and players has IMO been a massive factor in the inconsistent performance.
If you just look at the Blues playing at Eden Park this year vs last year you can see a huge improvement in the NZ derbies.
Remember last year at Eden Park Blues got destroyed by both Canes (by 21 points) and Highlanders (by 18 points) and lost to a weakened Chiefs team.
This year at Eden Park Blues beat Highlanders, got a bonus point win over a weakened Chiefs team and despite losing to the Canes certainly didn't get destroyed - in fact had enough ball and field position to win.
Big improvement.
@Bones I'd say that it's very close between this years side and the sides of Umaga's first 2 years with Umaga's 2016/17 sides maybe JUST having a slight edge. The NZ sides of those years were also a hell of a lot stronger than they are now (apart from the Crusaders who keep getting stronger). Regardless, MacDonald virtually has a free pass this year where he can't really fail as he's cleaning up the mess of 2018 so he'll be judged more on what happens next year. It would be nice however if he could steal some players (decent ones) from his old franchise for next season and beyond.
@African-Monkey said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
It would be nice however if he could steal some players (decent ones) from his old franchise for next season and beyond.
Yep, it would be nice, but do the Crusaders actually have any players diagnosed as clinically insane?
(Yes, the scars are still there for this Blues supporter - I have downgraded myself from "fan" over the last few years).
@Snowy said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@nzzp I don't cut out eye holes when I put on my bag to "watch" the Blues.
Some on here also think that my paper bag is made of human skin (and it may be - that is what the Blues have done to me).
crikey, that changed course quickly 
@nzzp said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@Snowy said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@nzzp I don't cut out eye holes when I put on my bag to "watch" the Blues.
Some on here also think that my paper bag is made of human skin (and it may be - that is what the Blues have done to me).
crikey, that changed course quickly
Not really. It has been mentioned on here before. I was possibly a little overly upset about another loss, and there was a murder about 50k from me, my alibi was weak...
as I said - the Blues.
@Snowy said in Blues win percentage against NZ teams:
@nzzp I don't cut out eye holes when I put on my bag to "watch" the Blues.
Some on here also think that my paper bag is made of human skin (and it may be - that is what the Blues have done to me).
Snowy Targaryen is that you?
@Machpants Not saying anymore than that "they" will be watching (but surely no one on game of GoT would support the Blues?)