Super Rugby: Crusaders vs. Highlanders in Christchurch (20/04/2013)

[austingtir]

What do you mean by style? Aaron Smith's style is a halfback who has an incredibly quick pass. What is wrong with that sort of style? Do you think fast passing from the back of a ruck is a disadvantage? I actually don't care if all my halfback does is pass well because that's what a halfback is meant to do. I think a team will do pretty well if its props only do well in scrums and your locks only do well in the lineouts. Obviously you need to do the basics as well. Smith does not deserve to start right now. However, you just seem to take everything Smith does bad and use it as a reason not to pick him. Everyone looks bad if you just analyse their worst games.

The other half's are passing fine aswell this season so to me its even more reason not to select him. If he's contributed anything to NZ rugby it will be the passing from 9's has improved as he's put pressure on the rest of them last year. The others just have better skill sets and bring more advantages than what smith might have. Peranara made it look like Tenaka was out there when welly played the landers for christ sakes. And weepu has the best kicking game going around and his passing imo is spot on this year.

I was a Smith fan at the start of last season but i honestly dont think he's that great now.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

At least ensor did better than I thought, great tackle on fruen in the first half to shut down a break

 

[admartian]

Hoeata is a thug/******** (always thought this - opinion is not limited to this game alone). Such a **** stirrer (and not in that good number 9/halfback kind of way).

That is all.

 

[Patchey]

If you were picking a test side 'on-form' I agree he wouldn't make the side. Luckily that is not how the selector work, as we would probably have a different side starting each week I think the AB's have plenty of good halfback options - they just need to be decide which suits there style of play best...

And they'd probably still win, how depressing for the rest of the world...

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Hoeata is a thug/******** (always thought this - opinion is not limited to this game alone). Such a **** stirrer (and not in that good number 9/halfback kind of way).

That is all.

Agreed

 

[admartian]

Also, are we still trying to defend Aaron Smith? I think it's pretty universal that he's having not as good a season (read: not terrible, but just not the same) as last year. Why is it that he's suddenly now rubbish and the Stephen Donald of NZ halfbacks???

 

[Darwin]

At least ensor did better than I thought, great tackle on fruen in the first half to shut down a break

Perhaps you have a lower expectation of him than me I thought his defense was very poor really - he did manage to make a couple of tackles, but missed far more tackles than he made. To be fair though he was no worse than Guildford, who had a(nother) shocker....

The other half's are passing fine aswell this season so to me its even more reason not to select him. If he's contributed anything to NZ rugby it will be the passing from 9's has improved as he's put pressure on the rest of them last year. The others just have better skill sets and bring more advantages than what smith might have. Peranara made it look like Tenaka was out there when welly played the landers for christ sakes. And weepu has the best kicking game going around and his passing imo is spot on this year.

I was a Smith fan at the start of last season but i honestly dont think he's that great now.

Perenara, Weepu, and Kerr-Barlow have been passing ok this season, but Aaron Smith is at a completely different level than those three. I don't know of any other halfback in world rugby that has the length and accuracy of passing that Aaron Smith possesses. That alone doesn't necessarily guarantee him an AB's jersey, but it is a pretty clear advantage he has over the other contenders.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Perhaps you have a lower expectation of him than me I thought his defense was very poor really - he did manage to make a couple of tackles, but missed far more tackles than he made. To be fair though he was no worse than Guildford, who had a(nother) shocker....

I did say he was too small and i thought he might make a fool of himself, he gets away with the kind of "ghosting" fullback kind of roll but different story on the wing

Hoeata is a thug/******** (always thought this - opinion is not limited to this game alone). Such a **** stirrer (and not in that good number 9/halfback kind of way).

That is all.

no one has said he hasn't got some ****le in his game but it does annoy me when everyone is quite happy to have a go but not one mention the cheap shots he recieves, yellow card ring a bell, i would have though punching someone in the side of the head...from behind...whilst on the ground should have been a red card

I though smith played much better on sat, keeping in mind he was behind a scrum that got pushed off the ball by 7 men there is only so much he could do

 

[admartian]

I did say he was too small and i thought he might make a fool of himself, he gets away with the kind of "ghosting" fullback kind of roll but different story on the wing



no one has said he hasn't got some ****le in his game but it does annoy me when everyone is quite happy to have a go but not one mention the cheap shots he recieves, yellow card ring a bell, i would have though punching someone in the side of the head...from behind...whilst on the ground should have been a red card

Like I said, my opinion is not limited to this game alone. IN fact, this is probably the first game that the nation has seen. But as someone who considers themselves a an above average fan (certainly not as astute as some on here) I have noticed his antics over the years of trying to just dick around guys (read: not just limited to playing rough or playing mind games - which would be acceptable/expected i.e. someone like Brad Thorn or a Springbok loosie or lock) but genuinely just trying to pick fights and cheap shot.

I'm not excusing the Owen Franks hit either - not at all. But as I've mentioned, he's probably done or said something to deserve it. If not in that game, over the course of playing with/against him. Again, even if that were the case, Franks' actions would/should still be upheld.

Perenara, Weepu, and Kerr-Barlow have been passing ok this season, but Aaron Smith is at a completely different level than those three. I don't know of any other halfback in world rugby that has the length and accuracy of passing that Aaron Smith possesses. That alone doesn't necessarily guarantee him an AB's jersey, but it is a pretty clear advantage he has over the other contenders.

Agreed.

Case in point his bullet to Jason Emery.

 

[donmcdazzle]

I just dont think his style of play is good at test level simple as that. And i honestly think NZ will be found out pretty badly if we continue with the same style of play as last year. Ultimately that style worked for one season. I just cant see it working again and again.

I dont rate his kicking at the start of the match he threw an absolute hospital pass to the young first five that nearly got him killed when he should of been the one taking ownership of kicking that ball out. That sort of play at test level wont go well for us just like in the England game. Nothings changed with him since that game and i bet nothing will change in the future he's a one trick poney.

I can't work out if you are joking or serious. How is his style not good at test rugby if we won 13/14 last year? And you're happy to ignore the 13 other games the AB's won last year and highlight the one loss and then blame Aaron Smith primarily for that one loss without giving him any credit for the 13 wins? Do you actually think the coaches structured the entire gameplan around a rookie in his first year of international rugby? He has played in a few different teams (MAnawatu/Highlanders/AB's) and they haven't all played the same way, so it is weird you think he is only able to play in one kind of 'style'.

Don't let your personal dislike of a certain player cloud your objectiveness. It makes you sound petty and your opinions sound ridiculous.

Here are some relatively objective statements: his pass is the best in the country by some margin, his kicking is about average, his defence is below average, his running game is above average, his decision making is usually sound but can sometimes waver.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Like I said, my opinion is not limited to this game alone. IN fact, this is probably the first game that the nation has seen. But as someone who considers themselves a an above average fan (certainly not as astute as some on here) I have noticed his antics over the years of trying to just dick around guys (read: not just limited to playing rough or playing mind games - which would be acceptable/expected i.e. someone like Brad Thorn or a Springbok loosie or lock) but genuinely just trying to pick fights and cheap shot.

I'm not excusing the Owen Franks hit either - not at all. But as I've mentioned, he's probably done or said something to deserve it. If not in that game, over the course of playing with/against him. Again, even if that were the case, Franks' actions would/should still be upheld.

that's the point though, he did very little in this game and got a lot worse than he gave and still gets blamed for it, not really sure for what reason, its not like we won because too took someone out. We got our butt handed to us AGAIN and people still want to put the boot in

and as for the he probably said something to deserve it....why don't we just say that for every cheap shot, we'd save loads in judiciary costs</SPAN>

 

[admartian]

that's the point though, he did very little in this game and got a lot worse than he gave and still gets blamed for it, not really sure for what reason, its not like we won because too took someone out. We got our butt handed to us AGAIN and people still want to put the boot in

and as for the he probably said something to deserve it....why don't we just say that for every cheap shot, we'd save loads in judiciary costs

It's got nothing to do with Otago or the Highlanders- not sure why you're phrasing it like that. As per that last bit, I wouldn't really say that for every other player. Like I said, Hoeata is that special case.

Not a crusade against anything to do with the Highlanders. So not really sure what the deal is. I'm just stating what I've observed, over the years, over one player. There's no underlying issue here. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

it come across like that because you have dropped it into a match thread which by definiation aligns your comments with the match and the team involved