Western Force vs Crusaders @ NIB Stadium - 2011R11

[Shiggins]

I was at the game. Wtf was with flyns try. It looked like what we got penalized for.


Go the force!!!!

 

[barbarian]

Come on Shigg mate, don't want to harp on but you have just witnessed a cracker of a game in which the best side won, and you start with a whinge about the ref?

I thought the JOC (James O'Connor) vs SBW battle was immense, and only surpassed by the Pocock vs Richie battle. Awesome stuff!

 

[ChargerWA]

Just got back, despite losing, it might be the best game of Super Rugby i've ever been to. First class Rugby all round.

The Saders draw a huge support base, they were as loud as the Force fans in patches, though the loudest cheer was easily when Ritchie got the card, closely followed by Shep's try.

The Saders backs were unbelievable, SBW, Fruean, Dagg, Maitland and Guildford are just so dynamic in broken field play.

Credit to Vinny Mounroe, he let the game flow.

 

[Shiggins]

Come on Shigg mate, don't want to harp on but you have just witnessed a cracker of a game in which the best side won, and you start with a whinge about the ref?

I thought the JOC (James O'Connor) vs SBW battle was immense, and only surpassed by the Pocock vs Richie battle. Awesome stuff!

Yeah mate. Awesome game. Just did not see what happened where I was. Vinnie had a great game. Great game too be at. Good effort from the boys and thought they were unlucky not too get a point.

It's just that if looked like the same sort of penalty that we had against us and it let the saders back in front.
I'm happy for the boys too play so well against the saders.

1 more thing though. Did richey deserve a yellow??
3 in a row would have been so good.

Go the force!!!!

 

[ChargerWA]

And David Pocock is a freak, his speed to the breakdown is something to behold. He was barely able to walk when he did the lap at the end throwing out the balls into the crowd. He is indeed worthy of much man love.

 

[Shiggins]

Poey Is unlike rocky because pocock could not play all year through injury and would still be undoubtably the best guy for 7 in the tests and world cup.

He is indeed a freAk. !!!!!


Go the force!!!!

 

[Skippy]

Its quite clear from tonights game that if the All Blacks have similar personnel to the Crusaders and try and play that style... the best thing to do is always put the ball out when you kick.... and don't kick when you don't have too (as a last resort). The Crusaders are brilliant from turnover ball and broken field, their back 3 were exceptional. SBW causes havoc when the defensive line is not set and on the back foot.
For me, watching the Super 15 this year the biggest area of weakness in the Wallaby game compared to the NZ sides is the lack of awareness/ability etc to counter ruck. We as a nation are appaling at this and the NZ sides continually demonstrate the correct decision making, timing and execution week in and week out at Super 15 level that demonstrates time and time again how important this area of the game is now. If you get it right.

 

[Scotty]

I also think Munro had a good game but he played two different interpretations to what is a tackle. Cummins got penalized for not releasing despite Williams falling off the tackle but both Flynn and Williams did the same in the lead up to flynns try but weren't penalized. He didn't get consistent rulings in this area.

 

[Scotty]

Its quite clear from tonights game that if the All Blacks have similar personnel to the Crusaders and try and play that style... the best thing to do is always put the ball out when you kick.... and don't kick when you don't have too (as a last resort). The Crusaders are brilliant from turnover ball and broken field, their back 3 were exceptional. SBW causes havoc when the defensive line is not set and on the back foot.
For me, watching the Super 15 this year the biggest area of weakness in the Wallaby game compared to the NZ sides is the lack of awareness/ability etc to counter ruck. We as a nation are appaling at this and the NZ sides continually demonstrate the correct decision making, timing and execution week in and week out at Super 15 level that demonstrates time and time again how important this area of the game is now. If you get it right.

Saders whole team play like opensides over the ball. It is something that nz teams have always done better.

 

[Ali's Choice]

I find it disappointing that despite this being a wonderful game of rugby with so many wonderful skills on display, many posters seem determined to criticise the referee's performance. I thought Munro was overall very good. Sure, he might have made some errors, but that happens in every game of rugby. Flynn's try, IMO, was legitimate. He was not actually tackled when he went to ground. He broke the tackle before going to ground. Never held, he was fully entitled to get up again. When Cummins was penalised in the 54th minute, he was clearly tackled to the ground by SBW in a sliding tackle then released. Therefore Cummins had to release the ball and was deservedly penalised for not doing so.

Overall I thought the Crusaders made more of the play and deserved the win. Five tries to two is a fair reflection of the game. In the end I thought the Force pack did much better than I expected. They largely cancelled out the vaunted Crusaders pack, and even at scrum time held there own until the last 10-15 minutes. The difference between the two teams was in the outside backs. The Crusaders backline was simply more potent, and ultimately this won them the match.

Special mention goes to Nathan Sharpe, whose lineout prowess was a level above any other player on the field. And JOC (James O'Connor)'s goal kicking was brilliant. Just brilliant. His composure and accuracy when kicking for goal kept the Force in the game.

 

[Ali's Choice]

Very good game to watch. Both teams came to play, and the referee facilitated an open, expansive match.

I was very worried about this match. The Force has been a bogey team for the Crusaders since their inception, always lifting when they play us. Last night was no different, and despite the Crusaders scoring 5 tries to two, the Force were well and truly in this game until late in the match.

I thought there were some genuine positive for the Crusaders. The play of their outside backs was scintillating at times. Dagg was in devastating form early, and despite a couple of lste errors Guildford was excellent and continues his good form since returning from injury. SBW showed a degree of maturity that I haven't seen from him. His defensive work was first class and he looked very dangerous at times with ball in hand. The Crusaders scrum took longer han I expected to gain a level of dominance, but the late win against the Force feed was very important. I was also very impressed with Todd, whose linking and ball running late in the game helped the Crusaders score their two late tries. IMO Todd was the standout loose forward on display, which is a testament to him as he was the only uncapped loosie who played.

There were some worrying aspects about the Crusaders play as well. Their kickoff reception was dire, turning over possession multiple times when recieving kickoffs. And I'm still worried about the direction and composure of Berquist and Fotuali'i. Kahn in particular seems to have only one speed at which he can play, manic. At times he and Berquist needed to slow the match down and play for territory rather than look to fling the ball wide from deep within their own half. I'm not sure if the Crusaders halves were playing to instruction, or playing to instruction. But the Crusaders historical success has been built on playing smart, structured rugby, not headless chickens footy. Berquist has a good kicking game, and should use it more often to take pressure off his team.

 

[Ali's Choice]

For all his talent, SBW is still just a mungo dog.

Classy mate. SBW is one of the best rugby players in the world, and his defensive and offensive work last night was first class.

 

[GC]

Highlight for me was Pocock massively outplaying both McCaw & Todd. Thought he migt ease back into form after injury, but it was like he never left.

Top game from the Saders' outside backs. Wonder if any will make the ABs run on side? Scary that the mightn't.

 

[Ali's Choice]

Top game from the Saders' outside backs. Wonder if any will make the ABs run on side? Scary that the mightn't.

There's plenty of depth in NZ's outside backs. And players like Hosea Gear, Toeava and Muliaina are playing well too. I think post RWC, when some of the more experienced ABs take the easy money in Europe and Japan, Dagg, Guildford and Maitland will be hard to keep out of the ABs.

 

[Victorian Reds Fan]

Its quite clear from tonights game that if the All Blacks have similar personnel to the Crusaders and try and play that style... the best thing to do is always put the ball out when you kick.... and don't kick when you don't have too (as a last resort). The Crusaders are brilliant from turnover ball and broken field, their back 3 were exceptional. SBW causes havoc when the defensive line is not set and on the back foot.
For me, watching the Super 15 this year the biggest area of weakness in the Wallaby game compared to the NZ sides is the lack of awareness/ability etc to counter ruck. We as a nation are appaling at this and the NZ sides continually demonstrate the correct decision making, timing and execution week in and week out at Super 15 level that demonstrates time and time again how important this area of the game is now. If you get it right.

I mentioned this last week and got shouted down for it. This is basically their whole game plan.

 

[Victorian Reds Fan]

Just watched the highlights; as far as I can tell only one of their tries can from more than 3 phases. This suggests that deny them ball in broken/open play and they are beatable. The last thing you want to do is not kick the ball out. Force them into set pieces.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I wasn't able to be at the game last night, but I am interested in one match up in particular: JOC (James O'Connor) v. SBW. How did that play out? Was JOC (James O'Connor)'s defence up to the job?

 

[ChargerWA]

They were playing JOC (James O'Connor) at fullback for some of the set defence. But JOC (James O'Connor) was as willing as ever when they did meet. I don't recall the two meeting in a one on one (if you exclude SBW's late armless bump on Oconnor after he had kicked the ball). Having Pocock two paces behind him couldn't do anything to hurt his confidence.

Just watching the replay, if TPN keeps hurting himself, how would Nathan Charles go as a Smokie for the RWC bench/squad spot? His rugby instincts are brilliant. He was instrumental in the Force's first try, if he hadn't had the nous to hang onto the ball long enough to beat Robbie Fruean and then draw the defender, Shepard wouldn't have had an overlap at the end. Maybe the only question would be his scrummaging, he has a habit of missing the strike sometimes, but that's usually in a Force scrum going backwards. His lineout throwing would be as good as TPN's.

 

[DPK]

Definite smokey. Plays a bit heavier than Fainga'a, who is also playing well. Hooking spots aren't looking abysmal.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Thanks Charger. The one thing that JOC (James O'Connor) has got above all else is plenty of ticker. I love that about him.

Agree on the Charles call too. I've liked this bloke from the first microsecond I saw him out on the paddock. Future Wallaby written all over him I think.