[2017 Super Rugby] SF2: Lions vs. Hurricanes (29/07/2017)

[nero]

It's really not that surprising that the Canes lost.
As soon as they started throwing the ball around like 12 year olds at a touch tournament I knew it was over.
The problem is they never seem to have a back up plan, they are very rarely able to adjust when relentless running stops working.
The All Blacks sometimes suffer from a similar ideology. This is what worries me about Perenara and Barrett. When an opposition has a disorganised defence they can run rampant, but once their attack is nullified they go into panic mode and start playing more and more loosely.
Also, that the Canes lack a calming leader presence is clear. Who is their Crotty or Ben Smith in the backs telling everyone to calm the f down and play simple footy? it's not Perenara who is too busy screeching at the ref.
It is very frustrating because they have so much talent, but at times throughout this season (and previous ones) they look like chooks running around with their heads cut off.
Great work by the Lions who changed their gameplan and really outflanked the Canes.

 

[nero]

It's really not that surprising that the Canes lost.
As soon as they started throwing the ball around like 12 year olds at a touch tournament I knew it was over.
The problem is they never seem to have a back up plan, they are very rarely able to adjust when relentless running stops working.
The All Blacks sometimes suffer from a similar ideology. This is what worries me about Perenara and Barrett. When an opposition has a disorganised defence they can run rampant, but once their attack is nullified they go into panic mode and start playing more and more loosely.
Also, that the Canes lack a calming leader presence is clear. Who is their Crotty or Ben Smith in the backs telling everyone to calm the f down and play simple footy? it's not Perenara who is too busy screeching at the ref.
It is very frustrating because they have so much talent, but at times throughout this season (and previous ones) they look like chooks running around with their heads cut off.
Great work by the Lions who changed their game plan and really outflanked the Canes.

 

[Penne Rara]

just like to say that i'm one of benMays biggest detractors but have to admit that his past 3 games is the best i've seen him play

Can't say the same about Chris Eves...

 

[Nubiwan]

It's really not that surprising that the Canes lost.
As soon as they started throwing the ball around like 12 year olds at a touch tournament I knew it was over.
The problem is they never seem to have a back up plan, they are very rarely able to adjust when relentless running stops working.
The All Blacks sometimes suffer from a similar ideology. This is what worries me about Perenara and Barrett. When an opposition has a disorganised defence they can run rampant, but once their attack is nullified they go into panic mode and start playing more and more loosely.
Also, that the Canes lack a calming leader presence is clear. Who is their Crotty or Ben Smith in the backs telling everyone to calm the f down and play simple footy? it's not Perenara who is too busy screeching at the ref.
It is very frustrating because they have so much talent, but at times throughout this season (and previous ones) they look like chooks running around with their heads cut off.
Great work by the Lions who changed their game plan and really outflanked the Canes.

That's a pretty good assessment of the Canes. They really seemed to have become more of an opportunistic side these past few games I have watched. Exposing the oppositions mistakes, rather than being able to manufacture much of their own possession / pressure. Thought their 3rd (Savea) try today was poor refereeing and that the Canes were blatantly offside at the ruck. Whoever knocked the ball out of the 9's hand was never ever behind the last foot. Also thought that was the game done and dusted at that point, so what do I know? Occurs to me that the Canes might have felt the same. It was also surprising to see many of the canes sucking big ones around the 20 minute mark. A lot of them were bent over trying to get the O2 back.

Credit to the Lions who just kept going at them. Thought the Canes poor in the 2nd half. Only one team in it. Too much buggering around on planes in the last week, and altitude, might have something to do with that.

After watching the BI Lions tour in NZ, its not the first time i feel I have to mention just how poor both sides tactical kicking was today. Just aimless, and a lot of the relief or exit kicking, was needlessly put in to touch, without perhaps trying to pressure the box near halfway. Just possession given up. Perhaps not a critical component off southern hem rugby, and it is arguably the foundation of much of the BI Lions game, which clearly helped them in their series in NZ.

 

[Nubiwan]

This whole competition is pathetic, South African officials are allowed to cheat and get away with murder, meanwhile, the whole format is designed to get a home final for a South African team.

Time to cut the crap and bring some integrity back to this awful competition.

A bunch of biased officials and competition rigging all around, this is pathetic in the professional era.

SH rugby is going to regress with this junk competition and terrible officiating, we have already see a huge dip in quality in our national teams.


In come the safe space diplomatic posts disagreeing with me. Man up and face the truth, it's blatantly obvious.

In fairness to your post, I thought the ref was poor overall, butt am not partisan enough to suggest he favoured either side.

For instance, the Canes 3rd try was diabolical mate. Clearly - CLEARLY - man standing offside at the ruck (not bound, and never behind the last foot) just flaps the ball from the halfbacks hands. Savea runs in untouched from 50 meters. Where was Jaco "the cheat" for that?

The Canes folded up the tent after that, and were never ever in it. Most of the damage was done at even strength anyway. Yeah it was perhaps harsh on Barrett, but it wont be the first time a NZ player has looked totally innocent at the base of a ruck on their own goal line. If barrett does not play that ball with his feet, then the Lions are really pressing for a try, and he made that impossible by his action.

Ah-ritchie-mccaw you!!!! Bless me!

 

[Nubiwan]

Had to laugh how the TMO was just silent. "Those were the angles"

That was a knock on for all money.

Hmm - mot sure where you saw it. The angle were all from behind, so nothing was clearly, and that's what he has to determine.

The definite grounding try awarded by the "local" touch judge was dubious. Looked short. I am betting there wasn't conclusive evidence of that try either. I swear the touchy jumped for joy as they went over - check it out. No TMO - Those pesky South Africans.

 

[Nubiwan]

He put himself in that position.

regardless if it was deliberate or not he still did it.

Yup, his action, whether he meant to or not, stopped a possible / probably try. Was almost on his own goal line FFS.

I personally might have awarded a pen, but its getting a bit like football with the cards in rugby.

Perhaps they should award a penalty try and stay at even strength in these situations. Give the defending team the option maybe. Try was definitely on...... Harsh, but correct.

 

[Nubiwan]

I don't mind seeing a team losing fairly, but I'm sick of watching games in South Africa where the officials are blatantly cheating and being biased, it makes the whole experience of watching this crappy formatted competition even worse.

We all know the SA officials when you go to SA are ridiculously bias and we all know this stupid competition just caters to SA and getting them play off spots and a home final/champion.. You have to be purposefully blind to not acknowledge those truths..

AND? I mean, so what? We all know the tournament has basically catered to the Lions in 2017. Even last year they were within a trip to Argentina for another home final.

I can see the Lions beating the Crusaders next week. They wouldn't have a hope in hell down in NZ (IMHO), so that, in itself, is good for the comp.

 

[Nubiwan]

All 50/50 at best.

Thats pretty contentious then if you have a " so called " biased local ref........

I think the grounding for the LIONS try that the touchy gave was dubious..... no TMO even considered.

I thought the Canes 3rd try was offside at the ruck....

I thought the officiating poor. The Lions were the better side, either way. Canes looked spent in the 2nd half.

 

[Nubiwan]

Can I just ask this - how many of us would fancy the Lions if they had to go to NZ to play the final.

Now, how many of us would bet against the Crusaders winning in SA?

That is the telling part of this entire competition, from where I sit. The Lions, at home, levels the playing field for a closer final. The physical odds are clearly stacked against the team having to travel.

 

[WaterboySA]

Nubiwan you having a conversation with yourself.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Nubiwan you having a conversation with yourself.

He got a warning.

Please don't triple post. It's actually a bannable offence

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Can I just ask this - how many of us would fancy the Lions if they had to go to NZ to play the final.

Now, how many of us would bet against the Crusaders winning in SA?

That is the telling part of this entire competition, from where I sit. The Lions, at home, levels the playing field for a closer final. The physical odds are clearly stacked against the team having to travel.

Travel is and always will be a factor in SR. Especially since it is now played across 4 continents rather than just the 2. From 1993 to 2015 SA sides had the short end of the stick. Semingly that was fair. In general we still do IMO. Stormers vs Blues I went and literally counted the travel Kms for each team and Stormers have just about double the traveling Kms each years in relation to the Blues. Remember we have to play both Sunwolves AND Jaguares whereas NZ and Aussie sides only play either/or. I see the conference system as annoying but it is not an SA invention. Its the format everyone had agreed to and if any nation pushed for it it was the Aussies. No one cares to take into account the additional amount of travel SA sides put in in the regular season and its lasting affects and just harp on about how the format and travel factor 'screws' the NZ sides.

The format is changing in 2018 and we (SA sides) are probably again gonna lose out on the format if we have conferences and derbies still rather than an all-in-one league home-or-away. NZ will have it nice and pretty if the conference system stays; 5 NZ sides in a conference whereas SA will probably end up with Argentina and Aussie with Japan. I can just about garuantee you we will not see one poster complaining about fairness just as you don't see posters complaining about the extra travel SA sides have had t put in over 2 decades of SR and additional miles we still put in during the regular season.

 

[Nubiwan]

He got a warning.

Please don't triple post. It's actually a bannable offence

Apologies. Not sure I really know how to embed mutliple posts in one reply. I was simply running through the thread and responded to several other posted comments. Therefore, I had 5 replies in a row. Plus this one.

Was not aware that it is against rules.

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

Apologies. Not sure I really know how to embed mutliple posts in one reply. I was simply running through the thread and responded to several other posted comments. Therefore, I had 5 replies in a row. Plus this one.

Was not aware that it is against rules.

You highlight the text you wanna reply to and simply press reply (a 'reply' prompt should come up.) Just keep doing this with every comment you want to reply to and it'll keep it all in the same post

 

[Ground We Won]

Dogshit competition. Feels cheap and tacky these days. It's turning our national teams into softies. Aussie are beyond lost now and S.A. need to cheat and rig the competition to get results.

These are facts. I hope more fans protest the **** they are expecting us to watch.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Dogshit competition. Feels cheap and tacky these days. It's turning our national teams into softies. Aussie are beyond lost now and S.A. need to cheat and rig the competition to get results.

These are facts. I hope more fans protest the **** they are expecting us to watch.

I am lost for words.

 

[Ground We Won]

It's really not that surprising that the Canes lost.
As soon as they started throwing the ball around like 12 year olds at a touch tournament I knew it was over.
The problem is they never seem to have a back up plan, they are very rarely able to adjust when relentless running stops working.
The All Blacks sometimes suffer from a similar ideology. This is what worries me about Perenara and Barrett. When an opposition has a disorganised defence they can run rampant, but once their attack is nullified they go into panic mode and start playing more and more loosely.
Also, that the Canes lack a calming leader presence is clear. Who is their Crotty or Ben Smith in the backs telling everyone to calm the f down and play simple footy? it's not Perenara who is too busy screeching at the ref.
It is very frustrating because they have so much talent, but at times throughout this season (and previous ones) they look like chooks running around with their heads cut off.
Great work by the Lions who changed their gameplan and really outflanked the Canes.

NZ teams have been guilty of doing this (throwing the ball around like 10 year olds) because of the crap quality of opposition we have been facing. We are losing the ability to execute clinically because of it too. We have seen it's now affecting the All Blacks.

It's definitely a concern.

 

[WaterboySA]

This was our plan all along. We play badly for two years so the NZ sides can get worse, after which we play good for a year, and win some games against NZ sides.

Somehow that does not make sense.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I am lost for words.

This was our plan all along. We play badly for two years so the NZ sides can get worse, after which we play good for a year, and win some games against NZ sides.

Somehow that does not make sense.

Don't feed the troll