Super Rugby: Brumbies vs. Crusaders in Canberra (05/05/2013)

[Darwin]

Canberra Stadium, Canberra

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[cyclone101]

Here's to hoping the saders win and regain form of old.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Here's to hoping the Brumbies to win and make the Saders path to the play-offs more difficult cause if they gain form later on we all know they have BMT

 

[easy2288]

Unless the team and coaching team step up and comes with a new game plan. I cannot see Crusaders winning this game. Brumbies is the form team now and I cant find any weakness in any of the positions. They has been last year too but losing our steam in the last few rounds.

 

[Darwin]

Unless the team and coaching team step up and comes with a new game plan. I cannot see Crusaders winning this game. Brumbies is the form team now and I cant find any weakness in any of the positions. They has been last year too but losing our steam in the last few rounds.

The Crusaders don't have to change their game-plan. The just need to execute it correctly.

The Crusaders are expecting Read and Carter to return to the starting lineup - they could be a very different side with these two involved. I think the Brumbies will start as favourites, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Crusaders manage to win. It should be a good game!

 

[dasNdanger]

For the Saders this is going to be a true test of their mettle. I don't see them winning unless they get their heads in the right place and tighten up their game a bit.


das

 

[Smithy the man]

The Crusaders are terrible this year, their centres are really rubbish, Fruean should be leading by example but he's just a flat track bully. How many hospital passes did I see Crotty make when playing against the Force, it was terrible. The whole team seemed to lack courage, focus and willingness, no-one would stand up and get stuck in, we wont see much more from them this year.

Keiran Reid is a magnificent no 8 and all round rugby player so he will add some starch but IMO it's too late for them!!

 

[admartian]

I don't see any NZ team beating any good SANZAR teams this year. At least without fl;uking it out or regaining some form.

Brumbies by 5+.

 

[Darwin]

The Crusaders are terrible this year, their centres are really rubbish, Fruean should be leading by example but he's just a flat track bully. How many hospital passes did I see Crotty make when playing against the Force, it was terrible. The whole team seemed to lack courage, focus and willingness, no-one would stand up and get stuck in, we wont see much more from them this year.

Keiran Reid is a magnificent no 8 and all round rugby player so he will add some starch but IMO it's too late for them!!

One of the major problems the Crusaders are having this season is that their backs aren't running straight. You can see what they are trying to achieve in terms of creating an overlap out wide, but because the backs aren't running straight enough and committing players the opposition is simply able to drift. Fruean is at his best when he is running straight and hard at the opposition -when he is drifting across field he is an easy target. The inclusion of Carter should hopefully help the way the backline function, as it all really starts with the man in the 10 jersey....

 

[easy2288]

The Crusaders don't have to change their game-plan. The just need to execute it correctly.

The Crusaders are expecting Read and Carter to return to the starting lineup - they could be a very different side with these two involved. I think the Brumbies will start as favourites, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Crusaders manage to win. It should be a good game!

I am not sure on that. Crusaders has been so inconsistent this year. DC played in the first 2 matches (Blues and Hurricanes) but they lost the game too. In the Stormers game, DC did not play but the team played with more determination. Looks like they always over-confident when they played with weaker teams (based on their assumption). The results in Force and Rebels game demonstrate that.

 

[Darwin]

I am not sure on that. Crusaders has been so inconsistent this year. DC played in the first 2 matches (Blues and Hurricanes) but they lost the game too. In the Stormers game, DC did not play but the team played with more determination. Looks like they always over-confident when they played with weaker teams (based on their assumption). The results in Force and Rebels game demonstrate that.

The Crusaders started the season slowly as they often do, and it took them a few games to adapt to their new game-plan. They then hammered the Bulls and the Kings, before losing Carter and Read for their overseas trip (where they only won 1/3 games). Read and Carter may only be two players, but they are two of the premier players in world rugby - I don't think you can underestimate the impact their return will have. I'm not saying the Crusaders will win, just I that I expect they have a very good chance of pulling off the win if Carter and Read are back (where-as without those two I would have thought their chances would have been pretty slim).

 

[dasNdanger]

The Crusaders started the season slowly as they often do, and it took them a few games to adapt to their new game-plan. They then hammered the Bulls and the Kings, before losing Carter and Read for their overseas trip (where they only won 1/3 games). Read and Carter may only be two players, but they are two of the premier players in world rugby - I don't think you can underestimate the impact their return will have. I'm not saying the Crusaders will win, just I that I expect they have a very good chance of pulling off the win if Carter and Read are back (where-as without those two I would have thought their chances would have been pretty slim).

Here's my problem with that. Though I know it happens all the time in sports, it's never good when a team HAS to rely on a couple players to carry the game. Lose those players and the team falls apart. A truly great team has players who can step up when the top players are hurt.

I think it has a lot to do with mental conditioning. If a team has the mentality of 'we're good because we have Player A and Player B on our side, and because of that we can do anything!' then their spirit and their confidence will be broken when Player A and B end up on the bench. A team has to have the mentality of 'we're good because WE are on the team, and because of that we can do anything!'. It should never be about one or two greats. It should be about every player, and it should be that way not just in the coach's head but in every player's head, too. I think right now that, perhaps, the Crusaders are struggling to come to terms with their new-found mediocrity. They need to shake that sh**e right out of their heads and get on with playing the game.

Yes, skill is necessary, but in sports sometimes the mind is the most powerful weapon of all.


das

 

[tenpm]

Here's my problem with that. Though I know it happens all the time in sports, it's never good when a team HAS to rely on a couple players to carry the game. Lose those players and the team falls apart. A truly great team has players who can step up when the top players are hurt.

I think it has a lot to do with mental conditioning. If a team has the mentality of 'we're good because we have Player A and Player B on our side, and because of that we can do anything!' then their spirit and their confidence will be broken when Player A and B end up on the bench. A team has to have the mentality of 'we're good because WE are on the team, and because of that we can do anything!'. It should never be about one or two greats. It should be about every player, and it should be that way not just in the coach's head but in every player's head, too. I think right now that, perhaps, the Crusaders are struggling to come to terms with their new-found mediocrity. They need to shake that sh**e right out of their heads and get on with playing the game.

Yes, skill is necessary, but in sports sometimes the mind is the most powerful weapon of all.


das

I agree, and the Crusaders are capable of that mentality - the game against the Stormers was the proof. Would they be able to do it again this weekend? I personally don't think so, even with Carter and Read, but my predictions are rather terrible.

 

[dasNdanger]

I agree, and the Crusaders are capable of that mentality - the game against the Stormers was the proof. Would they be able to do it again this weekend? I personally don't think so, even with Carter and Read, but my predictions are rather terrible.

A loss to the Force and a close one to the Rebs, and I think maybe the Saders will be doing their best to psych themselves up for this game. There is also the possibility that the Brumbies will be looking at this as an easy win, based on both teams' overall performances this year. But if so, the Brumbies just might want to double check the stats - they only have two wins more than the Saders, and though the Saders have 4 losses to the Brumbies 1 loss and 2 draws, there's only a 10 point difference between the two (albeit the Saders have the 4-point bye boost in there). What I'm saying is that, statistically, there is certainly a chance that the Saders will surprise the shorts off of the Brumbies. One can only hope, even this negative nelly.


das

 

[Gena_ZA]

I agree, and the Crusaders are capable of that mentality - the game against the Stormers was the proof. Would they be able to do it again this weekend? I personally don't think so, even with Carter and Read, but my predictions are rather terrible.

Strongly disagree - by pointing out that one game that xxxxx did or have happened - every team can say that, these are professional outfits (Kings also proof that against the Brumbies) but that sucks for an argument right?
Need a more holistic approach - how are they doing at home, are the smashing the teams they "should be" and so on

They need more than Read,Carter and McCaw - they need what Kirwan brought to the Blues, it is time for that change end of season I believe

 

[Darwin]

Strongly disagree - by pointing out that one game that xxxxx did or have happened - every team can say that, these are professional outfits (Kings also proof that against the Brumbies) but that sucks for an argument right?
Need a more holistic approach - how are they doing at home, are the smashing the teams they "should be" and so on

They need more than Read,Carter and McCaw - they need what Kirwan brought to the Blues, it is time for that change end of season I believe

I will say it again: I think people need to wait until the end of the season before writing off the Crusaders. After a poor start they were starting to look pretty ominous (including smashing the Bulls 41-19), but lost their way again after losing Read and Carter (+ his main back-up Tom Taylor). Almost every season the Crusaders have played their best rugby later in the season, so sitting in 7th place after round 11 (despite not playing that well!) isn't that bad. If the Crusaders so fail to make the playoffs this year I certainly agree a change at the top may be warranted, but until that happens I don't think it is wise to write them off. Remember the last time the Crusaders failed to make the playoffs was 2001!

 

[Gena_ZA]

This is not writing them off - this is saying they are underperforming
Maybe we got to used to a well oiled Saders machine over the years

 

[Smithy the man]

I don't see any NZ team beating any good SANZAR teams this year. At least without fl;uking it out or regaining some form.

Brumbies by 5+.

This sounds a little like sour grapes and arrogance to me, but could be accurate, however we shall see, this weekend we have the Blues against the Stormers who I personally rate quite highly but struggled against the Hurricanes. So your contention that all Kiwi teams are weaker than all other GOOD SANZR teams can be tested early.

I have a nice fat bet on the Blues taking this one but consider the Stormers to be a very good team.

 

[Gena_ZA]

This sounds a little like sour grapes and arrogance to me, but could be accurate, however we shall see, this weekend we have the Blues against the Stormers who I personally rate quite highly but struggled against the Hurricanes. So your contention that all Kiwi teams are weaker than all other GOOD SANZR teams can be tested early.

I have a nice fat bet on the Blues taking this one but consider the Stormers to be a very good team.

Betting against the Stormers, brave...

 

[nickdnz]

This sounds a little like sour grapes and arrogance to me, but could be accurate, however we shall see, this weekend we have the Blues against the Stormers who I personally rate quite highly but struggled against the Hurricanes. So your contention that all Kiwi teams are weaker than all other GOOD SANZR teams can be tested early.

I have a nice fat bet on the Blues taking this one but consider the Stormers to be a very good team.

admartian has been royally butt hurt this season. He's in a very dark place of doom and gloom.