[2018 Super Rugby] Round 11: Blues vs. Jaguares (28/04/2018)

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

As others say above, Ledesma has changed the play of the side so much that bad weather actually now favours the Jaguares. If they can start picking up occasional BPs and hold this sort of form they are very likely to enter the playoffs.

I can't wait to see what Hourcade can do with players who are confident and on form. The last two seasons he has had to spend his time trying to correct the poor coaching the Jaguares were getting.

The only downside is the stupid commentators who speak of the historically strong Puma scrum will be right again!

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got, or as Albert Einstein said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results".

Firing the coach has been an utter failure for the Blues, and that is because this team's sub-par performances have nothing to do with the coach... none of this is Tana's fault. The Blues have had plenty of very good coaches over the last few years (Pam Lam, John Kirwan, David Nucifora) yet they have gone nowhere (their last Championship was under Peter Sloan in 2003)

The fault lies with a crappy Auckland rugby setup. Many Rugby players in the region (Northland, Auckland, North Harbour) simply aren't interested in playing for the franchise, evident by the number of players that go to other teams. There are nine current, contracted Blues Region players in the other four NZ franchises (plus Nicky Little and Robbie Robinson at the Sunwolves). There are also another 19 players at those other franchises who came through the Auckland 1A school competition. Add to that, the number of kids that come through that 1A system and who end up with NRL contracts, and you have what should be the strongest franchise in NZ being the weakest.

None of this is the coaches fault... he can only work with what he's got.

I know nothing of the Blues behind the scenes so will defer to Kiwi posters on that. But do you honestly think Umaga would have kept his job this long if he wasn't a big name player?

And I'd argue that there is plenty talent in that Blues squad for them to have been more competitive in the last two seasons in particular. A guy like Hammet needs a crack at a starting job. His last high level job saw him come very close to beating Scotland twice with Japan.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

I have to say i am impressed... and ecstatic, course.

We could have scored a try or two more. I see what appears to be a congruent plan/style. The change is huge and it's been done in a very, very short time. Kudos to Ledesma.