2015 Super Rugby Grand Final: Hurricanes vs Highlanders

[Bluemoon]

Wow, that was a great try considering the strength of the canes defence.

They are starting to put a bit of daylight between the them and the hurricanes now. They'll need a buffer if they're going to win!

 

[RoosTah]

Great game so far - good to see the Highlanders taking it to the Canes they way they are. With how much everyone has expected the Canes to win this, I've started going for the Highlanders.

 

[austingtir]

So much for Naholo's **** defence. He's covered Savea everytime.

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Thats a first a pass so **** even BS couldnt fix it!

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Wow luck is with the HL tonight..... I hope. How the hell did the Canes not score there?

 

[Bluemoon]

Either...

Savea was running too flat or

The inside player didn't look and passed it slightly too far behind him.

Either way, 9 times out of 10 that's a try in super rugby.

 

[steblin]

That final pass to Savea... Still should have held on to it

 

[RoosTah]

Massively bombed that try. Huge let off

 

[RoosTah]

Canes are getting a little nervey here with the clock ticking down

 

[steblin]

What a goal line tackle!!

 

[RoosTah]

What a goal line tackle!!

No arms in it - technically could have been a penalty or even a penalty try.

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You'd have to say this is it now. All the canes can hope for is an intercept to hopefully level it

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And that's the ball game and the championship. Canes were the best side all year, but you have to bring it in the big one if you want anyone to remember.

 

[austingtir]

So good Epic match and Epic win in the end.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

And who says no-one does drop goals in NZ rugby?.

 

[austingtir]

And who says no-one does drop goals in NZ rugby?.

Well now we've got Sopoaga we can maybe give you lot and SA a taste of your own medicine?

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Barrett got better as the match went on but Sopoaga was pretty good. Marty Banks aswell great option taking on the drop goals.

 

[Bluemoon]

Fantastic game of rugby. The highlanders showed some outstanding temperament at the end. Experienced and calm against a canes team throwing the kitchen sink.

That Savea non-try really cost the canes today, even with the try saving tackle.

Really exciting stuff!

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Well now we've got Sopoaga we can maybe give you lot and SA a taste of your own medicine?

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Barrett got better as the match went on but Sopoaga was pretty good. Marty Banks aswell great option taking on the drop goals.

Well nice to see you've done a nice u turn after saying in the RWC NZ thread that NZ don't do drop goals and dismissing them.

 

[austingtir]

Credits got to go to Joseph / Tony Brown. The game plan for this week and last was pretty good.

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Well nice to see you've done a nice u turn after saying in the RWC NZ thread that NZ don't do drop goals and dismissing them.

Well you've got to have a player that can kick them consistently and Dan has proven he's average at it. Sopoaga is a better drop goal exponent than Dan Carter. I honestly dont see how anybody can argue any different.

 

[ruggerbugger]

The Highlanders defense was outstanding. Skudder got shut down completely, apart from one awesome movement in the first half. Hurricanes just weren't making the inroads, and it seemed like they didn't have any answers. I think Barrett held them back to be honest. He clearly is a good player, but is struggling with his injury and only having a few games back. He was hesitant, and wasn't kicking very well. Most of the All Blacks stepped up in this game, on both sides.

I feel for the Hurricanes. It was meant to be the fairytale ending, and obviously would have been good to win for Jerry, but he'll still be watching down with pride. Sport is a funny thing sometimes, and even if you were the form team all season - on the day it doesn't count for much. Being a South Island man, I'm happy in one sense. But I feel for the Canes in another sense.

 

[dasNdanger]

Congrats to the Highlanders!! After the Crusaders fizzled out this year I started rooting for the Highlanders, and so I am glad that a team I really wanted to win finally did!

das

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Credits got to go to Joseph / Tony Brown. The game plan for this week and last was pretty good.

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Well you've got to have a player that can kick them consistently and Dan has proven he's average at it. Sopoaga is a better drop goal exponent that Dan Carter. I honestly dont see how anybody can argue any different.

But Marty Banks scored the drop goal, and he's not in the NZ RWC squad. Will Sopoanga even make the final RWC NZ squad? It will between him and Slade and Slade covers more positions.

All about practise at the end of the day. Carter may not be Johnny at drop goals, but it's all about getting the kicker in position in the pocket to make the drop goal. Invaluable weapon in the arsenal, especially in tight RWC matches in the knockout stages.

 

[ruggerbugger]

But Marty Banks scored the drop goal, and he's not in the NZ RWC squad. Will Sopoanga even make the final RWC NZ squad? It will between him and Slade and Slade covers more positions.

Hansen is open minded to it. When they interviewed him after his 40 man squad selection he kept talking about it as being a real possibility.

 

[dasNdanger]

The Highlanders defense was outstanding. Skudder got shut down completely, apart from one awesome movement in the first half. Hurricanes just weren't making the inroads, and it seemed like they didn't have any answers. I think Barrett held them back to be honest. He clearly is a good player, but is struggling with his injury and only having a few games back. He was hesitant, and wasn't kicking very well. Most of the All Blacks stepped up in this game, on both sides.

I feel for the Hurricanes. It was meant to be the fairytale ending, and obviously would have been good to win for Jerry, but he'll still be watching down with pride. Sport is a funny thing sometimes, and even if you were the form team all season - on the day it doesn't count for much. Being a South Island man, I'm happy in one sense. But I feel for the Canes in another sense.

It felt to me that the Highlanders were just on fire the past month or so. I think they not only played well together, but they were having fun doing so. A team that really enjoys what it is doing tends to be more relaxed and that means fewer mistakes.

That said, I do feel bad for the Canes, but then again I always feel a bit sorry for the defeated team just because I realize how hard they played and how gutted they feel.

das