QF2 2012 - Crusaders vs Bulls

[FrankLind]

The Bulls are a one-dimensional team.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

How long do you reckon before a 'should Steyn have been carded' thread is started?

I give it about 5min. In the meantime, Carter deliberately hits the post to try & get a try on the rebound - obviously.

Damn, Bulls are in. Very good maul though.

 

[Bardon]

Hasn't looked like the Bulls players have much belief they can come back in the 2nd half and that missed pen there from Carter probably would have sealed it. Bulls need to score in the next few minutes to generate some momentum or this game is just gonna be a no contest for 20 minutes.

 

[Bardon]

Officials get a lot of stick so I'd just like to say that was great work between the Ref and the AF there on that Bulls try to ensure they had good views of that one.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Very impressed with Dagg's taking of the high ball. Not impressed with the kicking.

 

[Bardon]

Kicking has been poor but also no organised chase makes them even worse. Been left up to the kicker very often to chase his own kick and a lot of the time it's been at a jog.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Donnelly is on! Go man go!

True regarding the kicking Bardon. The worst from the Saders tonight was from Dagg but both sides have been pretty poor in this area. The Bulls have been worse, Morne has shown some signs of his past kicking form but he's been too off. That being said I'm not putting it all on Morne, the whole Bulls team has been a bit off. TBH, I think my boys can play much better than this.

McCaw just gave the Bulls the claw! hehehe, but pinged for holding on I believe.

 

[FrankLind]

McCaw playing extremely well at 8.

 

[Blue]

Horrible. Just horrible.

Travel all the way and dish up this shit.

Morne Steyn. Thanks for the memories. Off you go. Time to sign that overseas deal.

Absolutely fucking disgraceful account of themselves. I feel sick.

 

[Bardon]

Yes I get the feeling Crusaders are playing within themselves and just doing enough to close out the game. Bulls never really applied much pressure apart from the first 10 minutes or so.

For most of the game the Bulls have looked flat and Steyn having such a bad first half probably had a lot to do with that. To have any chance in a QF away from home you need your best players playing to the best and leading from the front.

Sometimes teams can have a poor first half in knock out Rugby and get really fired up for the 2nd half. Never happened for the Bulls, they looked a beaten team after about 25 minutes of the first half and nothing has changed in the 2nd 40.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Bulls over, Whitelock rushed up. Not real good from the Crusaders there. Come on!

 

[Bardon]

Feel sorry for you Blue, nothing worse than to go through a whole season of effort to make the knock out stages and the ups and downs that means for the fans. Then have your team just not perform. At the very least we can accept it if our team goes down fighting, but performances like the Bulls tonight just leaves us hollow.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Horrible. Just horrible.

Travel all the way and dish up this shit.

Morne Steyn. Thanks for the memories. Off you go. Time to sign that overseas deal.

Absolutely fucking disgraceful account of themselves. I feel sick.

Hard to argue with your account Blue. They really did not turn up at all tonight. It was nothing like the game against the Saders earlier in the year. Commiserations.

 

[Blue]

The only silver lining is that now I don't need to listen to Nisbo and his fucking sidekick sideline Smitty any longer.

There is a fine line between criticizing an opposing team and being condescending. Smitty doesn't know from that line.

Oh fuck I am pissed we didn't even make the Crusaders work for it.

"It was another big battle tonight". No Richie, it was not. You could have won this running backwards. We would still have missed tackles and kicked it back like shit.

 

[Blue]

Feel sorry for you Blue, nothing worse than to go through a whole season of effort to make the knock out stages and the ups and downs that means for the fans. Then have your team just not perform. At the very least we can accept it if our team goes down fighting, but performances like the Bulls tonight just leaves us hollow.

Thanks. Should I drink or go to bed? Or drink and then go to bed?

 

[FrankLind]

Crusaders look great in the forwards and out to 10, but their outside backs lack penetration - IMO

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Crusaders look great in the forwards and out to 10, but their outside backs lack penetration - IMO

Sounded like the commentators were saying the Bulls were using the umbrella defence & coming in to cut the outside backs off? That may have had something to do with it but I tend to agree - I though Robbie Fruean was a bit quiet tonight too aside from a couple of good runs from broken play.

 

[Bardon]

Thanks. Should I drink or go to bed? Or drink and then go to bed?

If I were you I'd drink and watch the other Quarter Final. Performances like that can put you off watching Rugby for a while if you let it fester. The phrases "get back on the horse" and "don't sleep on an argument" seem appropriate.

Whatever you do don't drink in bed that's a whole world of hurt there.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

I have a drinking game. Take a drink every time the Oz commentary mention Quade Cooper. A few minutes in & I'm positively smashed .

 

[ACR]

The only silver lining is that now I don't need to listen to Nisbo and his fucking sidekick sideline Smitty any longer.

There is a fine line between criticizing an opposing team and being condescending. Smitty doesn't know from that line.

I second this, god they are cringe worthy. Especially Smithy, but especially Nisbo, but more importantly, especially Smithy. The thing is that there are quite a few decent commentators around NZ but they pick these same muppets all the time. I might have to listen to Jed Thian via Alternative Rugby Commentary for the Rugby Championship.