Super Rugby 2023 Final - Chiefs v Crusaders

[waiopehu oldboy]

Saturday 24/06 - FMG Stadium, 7:05 local

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

I suspect the Final will more closely resemble SF2 than SF1...

Various Tribe players & staff have stated they're filthy on losing 2 x SF to CruSadists in recent times & this is payback. Similarly CruSadists are on tape & in print as wanting to atone for the R1 result. Plus both teams have players and/ or staff moving on do there's also the "send him off a winner" factor in play.

TLDR: Should be a classic.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Another defensive arm wrestle on the cards? "Test match intensity" is fine but I dont know how much more forceback/one-off hitups I can thrill to.

Chiefs Official Matchday Team GIF:

Cantabs Official Matchday Team GIF:

My latest brilliant idea is that after 200 tackles in the match, both sides have to switch to 10-a-side. For player safety. I will brook no dissent/arguments over this brave new imperative to save the game.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Forecast is for rain from Wednesday night onwards so likely a heavy track. Can't decide if that favours CruSadists who've had back-to-back blowouts so in theory should have plenty left in the tank; or Tribe who've had to grind out back-to-back wins so know how to win ugly & dgaf if people turn their noses up at it. Monday's injury updates & Tuesday's training runs may provide some clarity.

 

[zer0]

The Crusaders full game plan has been leaked online.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ guarantee the guy in the blue trunks staged an astonishing comeback to win the "fight".

 

[RebelYell]

Forecast is for rain from Wednesday night onwards so likely a heavy track.

Mark Zahra likes this.

 

[elementfreak]

Ref - O'Keeffe
ARs- Gardner & Berry
TMO - Pickerill

 

[Dismal Pillock]

With the telly cameras trained on Fozzie in the stands , Chiefs should hold a pre-match minute of silence in memory of Shaun Stevenson not getting selected for the All Blacks. Awkward.

 

[Dan54]

Or just replay the number ofr 50/22s got in QF when Stevenson was out of position?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni-Taukei'aho, 3-George Dyer, 4-Brodie Retallick, 5-Tupou Vaa'i, 6-Pita Gus Sowakula, 7-Sam Cane, 8-Luke Jacobson, 9-Brad Weber, 10-Damian McKenzie, 11-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Anton Lienert-Brown, 13-Alex Nankivell, 14-Emoni Narawa, 15-Shaun Stevenson. Reserves: 16-Tyrone Thompson, 17-Ollie Norris, 18-John Ryan, 19-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20-Samipeni Finau, 21-Cortez Ratima, 22-Josh Ioane, 23-Rameka Poihipi.

Crusaders: 1-Tamaiti Williams, 2-Codie Taylor, 3-Oli Jager, 4-Scott Barrett, 5-Sam Whitelock, 6-Sioni Talitui, 7-Tom Christie, 8-Christian Lio-Willie, 9-Mitch Drummond, 10-Richie Mo'unga, 11-Leicester Fainga'anuku, 12-Jack Goodhue, 13-Braydon Ennor, 14-Dallas McLeod, 15-Will Jordan. Reserves: 16-George Bell, 17-Kershawl Sykes-Martin, 18-Reuben O'Neill, 19-Quinten Strange, 20-Dominic Gardner, 21-Willi Heinz, 22-Fergus Burke, 23-Chay Finaki.

 

[Dan54]

Couple of fairly handy teams I think WOB, bring on game!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Can't remember ever being less confident going into a Final but I'm still rocking up to work tomorrow in my 2014-vintage CruSadists shirt.

 

[LeCheese]

Can't remember ever being less confident going into a Final but I'm still rocking up to work tomorrow in my 2014-vintage CruSadists shirt.

Is that the full red one with 'chainmail' pattern that makes the wearer look like sadist Elmo?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ indeed 'tis.

Edit: tab paying $1.92 either way but to my mind Tribe are favourites, say $1.70-odd to ~$2.05

Edit: I can also report that the Chiefs' website crashed when members tickets went on sale on Tuesday & general tix sold out in ~90 minutes of being released this morning.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Once again* the truly awful weather has tracked East & the forecast is now for showers & 14C so it may not devolve into outright trench warefare. Or at least not as much.

* there hasn't been a major weather event around here in either of my residencies (2005-09 & 2017-present) but one day it'll make landfall out West & the locals in these parts will be like "Why weren't we warned this could happen?".

 

[Dan54]

Yep likewise WOB, and we were going to head for Hawkes Bay when we came back, better weather? The world is getting turned upside down I think!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

tab still paying $1.92 either way so clearly the punters have no more clue as to what's gunna happen tonight than I do. Which is a good thing: all but the most one-eyed Cantab tribe known to science want a contest, not a coronation.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Was half expecting SamW to be a late withdrawal but he's out there warming up. Hopefully that "grumpy" Achilles goes the distance.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

YC AL-B. Can't see it being upgraded on review. DM should be going for HIA, surely?