2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa - Round 6

[Oliver Madden]

Friday 2nd April

Venue: Orangetheory Stadium
Time: 7.05pm (NZ)


Saturday 3rd April

Venue: Eden Park
Time: 7.05pm (NZ)

 

[Oliver Madden]

Predictions:
Crusaders v Highlanders - if the Crusaders are going to lose once this season it won't be this game. Close for 60 and then the champs to pull away. Predicted Score: Crusaders 37 Highlanders 20.
Blues v Hurricanes - Canes are back. Just give us the next 4 matches now. We are a confidence team and we will have it after the Highlanders game. It will be last season albeit we have started our run one game later. Good time to face the Blues I think after two straight defeats, their confidence will have been dented. Canes will win it in the last 10 minutes. Predicted Score: Blues 24 Hurricanes 28.

 

[mania]

yeah looking forward to this. cmon Canes

 

[The Seeker]

My Picks -

Crusaders
Blues

 

[The Seeker]

 

[Kiwiwomble]

jesus, we havent played the same fullback two games in a row, Sio finally gets dropped though. im assuming Ioane has a ****le as Makene on the bench

https://www.forum.thesilverfern.com...fa661ac-604c-48d1-aa5a-e716fd64e469-image.png

damn...that backline

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Are you guys watching this? Holy crap.

 

[mania]

Are you guys watching this? Holy crap.

No ones safe

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Very entertaining game. Very. The saders were a tad inaccurate here and there but played very good. I can honestly blame it on the crusaders. The highlanders had a fantastic game.
Crusaders threw everything but the sink and the landers held firm. Outstanding stuff.

 

[Oliver Madden]

What a performance from the Highlanders!. They bullied the Crusaders for the full 80 minutes. It's almost unheard of for the Crusaders to get beaten at home by more than 20 points. The scoreline didn't flatter the Highlanders though, they completely dominated the game. Don't know why but I take extra satisfaction from the Saders losing at home, whoever does it.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Holy hell I enjoyed that

let's not forget we stood six players down for breach of team protocol, three of which have started every game this year

this will do wonders for the team...and we might not have to watch Tomkinson start again!

hunt pretty much went Super Saiyan

 

[Oliver Madden]

Holy hell I enjoyed that

let's not forget we stood six players down for breach of team protocol, three of which have started every game this year

this will do wonders for the team...and we might not have to watch Tomkinson start again!

hunt pretty much went Super Saiyan

The Highlanders were fantastic in that game today, they really were. It was worth the early start in the UK!. That was a humiliation for the Crusaders, they got outplayed for the full 80 minutes. The much vaunted, All Black-laden pack got a good going over on their own patch. Every one of the Highlanders players was brilliant today but I'd have to single out the loose-forwards. Himeno, Harmon and Frizell were immense all night and consistently spoilt the Crusaders' ball. The Saders got a taste of their own medicine big time. Forced to play with slow ball they looked as poor as everyone else. I'll hold my hands up: before the game I feared that the Highlanders would get a beating but they proved me wrong. I thought they would be flat after all the off-field drama but it actually galvanised them. Actually was it that or the sight of those red shirts?!.

 

[The Seeker]

Congratulations to the Highlanders on their big upset win over the Crusaders in Christchurch. I enjoy watching the Crusaders lose because it rarely happens. And I'm pretty sure this loss will just tick them off and they'll go on to win another ***le. They lost one game last season as well if I remember correctly. Kudos again to the Highlanders!

 

[Oliver Madden]

Today's result: Blues 27 Hurricanes 17. Sad to say this but the Hurricanes will finish bottom this year, just not good enough. That's what happens when you don't replace players that have left adequately. The whole squad has gone stale over the last couple of years and it needs a shake-up. Good win for the Blues, it keeps them on track for the final.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Today's result: Blues 27 Hurricanes 17. Sad to say this but the Hurricanes will finish bottom this year, just not good enough. That's what happens when you don't replace players that have left adequately. The whole squad has gone stale over the last couple of years and it needs a shake-up. Good win for the Blues, it keeps them on track for the final.

Pretty much. But they've been unlucky with injuries in those positions where they've lost players - 9 and 10 in particular. Campbell and leger just haven't been up to the level. I'd seriously consider playing Jordie at ten despite him being way better at 15. And here's why: rayasi could do with some more room to move by Playing fullback, and laumape needs someone at ten causing doubt in the defence otherwise hes just
a sitting duck

was some pretty poor reffing though, that didn't help.

well done highlanders. Showed the rest how to do it - a fast game with slick passing without knocking the ball on ( because crusaders will win a scrum penalty nearly every time they feed a scrum), and not giving away penalties. So, yeah showed everyone else but let's face it, no one else will be able to do that.

the crusaders were pretty poor too. Not taking anything away from the highlanders, they thrashed them after all, but given how well the highlanders played and how poorly the crusaders played I don't see the crusaders losing another game unless some other team seriously improves.

 

[Oliver Madden]

After thinking to myself over the weekend "it's not very often that the Crusaders lose at home by 13+". I decided to do a bit of research on it. The Highlanders have actually joined a very small club because in 25 years of Super Rugby the Crusaders have only lost by 13 or more at home on 8 occasions:

1996 v Blues (Lost 18-49)
1996 v Northern Transvaal (now the Bulls) - Lost 18-34
1996 v Brumbies (Lost 7-29)
1999 v Reds (Lost 23-36)
2004 v Waratahs (Lost 19-43)
2015 v Chiefs (Lost 9-26)
2016 v Hurricanes (Lost 10-35)
2021 v Highlanders (Lost 12-33)

that shows you two things. Firstly, how ridiculously good the Crusaders have been for years and secondly what a brilliant performance it was by the Highlanders on Friday.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

After thinking to myself over the weekend "it's not very often that the Crusaders lose at home by 13+". I decided to do a bit of research on it. The Highlanders have actually joined a very small club because in 25 years of Super Rugby the Crusaders have only lost by 13 or more at home on 8 occasions:

1996 v Blues (Lost 18-49)
1996 v Northern Transvaal (now the Bulls) - Lost 18-34
1996 v Brumbies (Lost 7-29)
1999 v Reds (Lost 23-36)
2004 v Waratahs (Lost 19-43)
2015 v Chiefs (Lost 9-26)
2016 v Hurricanes (Lost 10-35)
2021 v Highlanders (Lost 12-33)

that shows you two things. Firstly, how ridiculously good the Crusaders have been for years and secondly what a brilliant performance it was by the Highlanders on Friday.

Yep, and three of those were in 1996 when the crusaders weren't really the crusaders yet. Wayne smith changed the franchise forever in 1997.

 

[Oliver Madden]

Yep, and three of those were in 1996 when the crusaders weren't really the crusaders yet. Wayne smith changed the franchise forever in 1997.

Forgot to mention that speaking of margins, that was the biggest ever win for the Highlanders against the Crusaders. Finally, it was only the 4th time ever that they have won in Christchurch and only the 5th time that they have beaten the Crusaders away from Dunedin.

Highlanders away wins against the Crusaders:
1996 - Won 29-27
2008 - Won 26-14
2011 - Won 26-18*
2015 - Won 25-20
2021 - Won 33-12

The game in 2011 was actually played in Nelson because of the dreadful earthquake in Christchurch, the Crusaders had to play all of their games that season away from home, and they still made the final.