ITM Cup Final - Canterbury v Waikato

[smartcooky]

I wonder who the Waikato kicking coach is, seems to be a common theme emerging amongst Waikato players. He needs to be dropped or atleast kept away from Wellington.

The kick that was picked up by Slade who went for the last try was just plain incompetence. Who is teaching them this stuff?

 

[Nate Dizzle]

Yeah I just saw the 'highlight' of that, shocking. The chip kick needs to be banned outright. I can't remember the last time I saw a successful one that led to a try but can remember a whole lot that ended up in either a turnover or a try at the other end of the field.

 

[Muzzy]

not counting the other useless kicks two of them directly led to tries to the opposition, the one just before halftime from barlow and the kick in the second half from leonard

 

[Amobokoboko]

Completely gutted by this result. Leonard made one stupid mistake and there went the opportunity to win the ***le.

 

[Sam Owen]

OK final not that good.

 

[smartcooky]

OK final not that good.

Sam, I presume from that comment that you did see it.

Conditions didn't really allow for a "great" game, as a weather bomb hit Christchurch about the time of the final. All three Canterbury tries came from Waikato kicks, the last one being an absolute howler.

On balance, Canterbury probably deserved to win, but it ought to have been a lot closer. Waikato didn't play like a team what lost by 20 points. My man of the match was Isaac Ross.

So the Cantabs get the Shield/Cup double for 2010, and overall, probably deserved it.

 

[cyRil]

What happened to Isaac Ross? Has he gone backwards? Coming back from an injury? Slept with Henry's mother?

 

[smartcooky]

What happened to Isaac Ross? Has he gone backwards? Coming back from an injury? Slept with Henry's mother?

The AB selectors saw Isaac Ross as a backup and eventual replacement for Brad Thorn, but he spends too much time out in the back-line doing the "Ali Williams" role.

They sent him back to domestic rugby to "bulk up" and "build strength". There is no doubt that Ross had (at that time) immense physical strength in his arms, but not the body to go with it; a similar sort of physique to that of Norm Maxwell if you remember him.

Its the type of physique that can have you becoming injury prone in the long run, as the weaker parts of your body break because they cannot cope with what you are doing with the stronger parts.

 

[Shaggy]

What happened to Isaac Ross? Has he gone backwards? Coming back from an injury? Slept with Henry's mother?

Well basically Sam Whitelock has leap frogged him in the Canterbury/Crusaders/All Black setups ... The All black selectors/coaches have said he needs to acquire greater strength and the ability to shift bodies out of contact situations if he is to be successful at international level.

He should get a chance to push for All Black selection by getting more game time in the super rugby next year, having moved to the Chiefs

With regard to the game, I thought it was a pretty good match played in difficult conditions, but the Canterbury backs adapted to the conditions better than their Waikato counterparts ... particularly impressed with Slade, Crotty, Veainu, and Maitland. I thought the Waikato forwards didn't go too badly, and de Malmanche had a good game despite the wind and rain

 

[Sam Owen]

Sam, I presume from that comment that you did see it.

To be honest I actually caught it at half time. I thought it was building up to be a goodie when I was listening to the commentators low-down of the first half but watching the second half is pretty much how you put it Cook.

Like most have said and I agree, the real breakaway point for the Cantabs was that charged down Leonard kick. After that I could feel Canterbury slowly slipping away. Then I watched Waikato to see them repeat the fight they had last week against Auckland but no, Waikato played into like a foregone conclusion that they were to lose after Leonards charged down kick and the final went okaish.

I tipped Canterbury to win (somewhere earlier in this thread) and they deserve it. Good on em.