Blues v Highlanders Round 1

[waiopehu oldboy]

Having seen France-Ireland from couple weeks back, i dont think i can be more disappointed ever again.

Yeah, fair call, I was lucky enough to see the reports & thus pre warned managed to avoid having to actually watch it...........

 

[saulityvi]

Luatua is the one you forgot, was very invisible today i think, also missed the last tackle when highlanders 12 scored.

 

[ACR]

Great game, really enjoyed it. I suspect that Blake Gibson is going to make an impact in a few games, he looked bloody good as a yound fella laswt year and sure continues to show promise!!

And ACR, c'mon man first game of year, lets pack the "I don't like this ref" on the head huh?? Be nice to actually enjoy the game without losers supporters having a moan about the ref!

I know your stance on referees, mine is the other one, where I like to moan. It's mainly that Jackson particularly perturbs me. Besides, I actually enjoy the games as well as having a moan. Win-win (sort of).

Agreed on Gibson, he looked brutal. Highlanders did well to shut down most of the other threats (Ioane and Ranger) when they came on. Rush defense looked good despite being offside multiple times (cough cough) which Jackson didn't watch.

 

[boyo]

The Blues are a mystery bag, especially since they have a new coach.

 

[zer0]

Someone on here coined the phrase "Loose Forwards Of The Apocolypse" in reference to Kaino, Gibson, Ioane & another who's name I can't recall. Based on tonight Gibson is definately one & we all know how good JK can be but I thought Ioane looked rather ineffectual when he came on, possibly lost too much bulk in transitioning to 7's.

The original trio is the Kaino/Gibson/Ioane raep train. Luatua, Latimer and Edwards form the backup carriages of said train.

If we were the Christchurch kleptomaniacs, then we'd also hoard away Mitch Kaprick and Taleni Seu in Auckland. But as we're generous folk up here, we let the bell ringers from the Tron have them for a bit. We'll have more where they came from soon enough, anyway.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^ looks like they'll be returning Karpik under warranty "hasn't done much work & look at the state of it" (I'm in the frontline of the ongoing reseller v tradies who don't look after their gear conflict, BTW)

 

[galumay]

Cracker of a game to open the season, happy to see the Blues get up, how can you not love a team Tana Umuga is coaching!

Maybe they will finally live up to the sum of their parts having promised so much and delivered so little over the years!?

 

[Dan54]

Apart from Blake Gibson, who impressed the hell out of me, did anyone else think that Tuipolutu had a fairly solid game? Blues may go a little better than expected I think perhaps because the Hall/West combo at 9-10 maybe a little better than we suspected, and this pack may give them a reasonable amount of front foot ball.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Blues: 33
Highlanders: 31

Been up all night watching replays.

Just starting to calm down now.

I dont even give a shit that Luatua wandered back on D for the 2nd try like he was still at the fuckin beach. Or that Visinia was also lost in the midday sun at night positionally a couple of times and looked injured to hell at the end

Lineout was a hydra-headed stallion. Couple of arrythmical flits once the subs came on but oh yes

Ofa has come on in leaps and bounds. Maybe cutting off the dreads alleviated the cranial pressure that was causing him his brainlock moments.

Blake Gibson rampaging directly towards Ben Smith?

Blues win first game? Won't be needing this anymore:

By the way, having defeated the reigning champs, that now makes the Blues the reigning Ranfurly Gunston Shield holders. Goes on the line vs the dreaded cantabs next week. KAINO TO RETURN.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^^ multi-talented is our @Dismal, seen above either taking up or abandoning his train driver gig

 

[Dismal Pillock]

@Dismal, seen above either taking up or abandoning his train driver gig

ps, Blues by Week 4:

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Naholo re-fractured his leg & could be out for eight weeks:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...-for-up-to-eight-weeks-after-breaking-his-leg

Magic leaves maybe not so magic?