NZ Domestic Rugby 2021

[waiopehu oldboy]

Word is championship/premiership gone next year, they looking at just one division it seems.

Not quite what I'm hearing but God I hope you're right. It's actually very doable within the existing window, just replace Championship & Premiership with Pools (Conferences being a dirty word these days because, you know, that other comp) & regular season crossover matches with a second Pool stage a la Champions League.

Edit: what I'm hearing might be wishful thinking on Mooloos part, hopefully what you're hearing isn't wishful thinking on someone else's part: the whole Championship/ Premiership thing is well past its use-by date.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Geez Hawkes Eyes are fun aren't they?

Was going to say it was about time Jonah Lowe did something. Nek minnit....

 

[Dan54]

Not quite what I'm hearing but God I hope you're right. It's actually very doable within the existing window, just replace Championship & Premiership with Pools (Conferences being a dirty word these days because, you know, that other comp) & regular season crossover matches with a second Pool stage a la Champions League.

Edit: what I'm hearing might be wishful thinking on Mooloos part, hopefully what you're hearing isn't wishful thinking on someone else's part: the whole Championship/ Premiership thing is well past its use-by date.

Yep think the pools thing to help cut down costs is what is being talked about, was seemingly close to happening this year , but I think covid etc put brakes on it a bit. Not sure why, but think they wanted to make sure they knew where they were going. Wouldn't of wanted a regional pool comp this year would we! Hell if you in the Northern pool you would be without 3 teams. Not sure how shield would work either.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ if it's done right (gotta say I'm not entirely confident NZR can do much right wrt the domestic game right now, their entire focus seems to be on the AB side of the business which is dangerous imo) the Shield pretty much takes care of itself: three automatic challenges v the teams in your Pool then 2-3 more v those in your second-round Pool. Would never want the Shield to be on the line in the playoffs phase, though.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Heartland scores are in:

Thames Valley 52-35 Mid Canty
East Coast 50-26 Buller ~ EC's first win in eight years & ends a run of 54 straight losses
North Otago 27-33 South Canty
Poverty Bay 50-26 King Country
Wairarapa Bush 19-18 West Coast
Whanganui 40-15 Horowhenua-Kapiti

 

[Dan54]

I been trying to work out how you could even have promotion/relegation this year, (much as I want the Naki to do it), as who would they play if they won? Auckland are bottom of premiership, and other results are skewed anyway, as some prem tams have had a chance to get 4-5 points playing teams in Aux and some haven't! Whoever wins I think will have asterix against titleanyway wouldn't they?

 

[Dan54]

Maa on a supporter's horse, and yes they do get people arriving and watching on horseback!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

You can't relegate Aux as their position on the Table is beyond their control but whoever finishes sixth could legitimately be relegated having had as much chance as those finishing above them to have earned safety.

Edit: East Coast is one of the few parts of NZ I've never been to, always wanted to go to a game in Ruatoria or Tologa Bay & still hope to one day.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Kirifi really needs to get those late hit cheap shots out of his game. I'd like to say he's better than that but he's doing it so often I think he's getting close to the grub zone.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Almost feel sorry for whoever had to put the highlights package together, was pretty dire at times.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

So that's Week 7 done & dusted: today's game in Nelson is a friendly but I see Tasman have been awarded two points as have North Harbour.

Premiership​

Pos.		P	W	D	L	PF	PA	TF	TA	TB	LB	+/-	BP	Pts	Form
1	Hawkes Bay	6	5	0	1	199	152	27	17	4	0	47	4	26	LWWWWW
2	Waikato	6	3	0	3	183	165	26	20	5	2	18	7	21	WWLWLL
3	Wellington	7	3	0	4	248	192	34	24	5	4	56	9	21	LLLLWW
4	Tasman	6	4	0	2	186	141	23	20	2	0	45	2	20	WWWLWL
5	Canterbury	6	3	0	3	144	172	19	22	3	1	-28	4	18	LWWWLL
6	Bay Of Plenty	5	2	0	3	139	161	20	20	4	1	-22	5	15	LWLLW
7	Auckland	2	1	0	1	46	40	5	4	1	1	6	2	8	WL

Championship​

Pos.		P	W	D	L	PF	PA	TF	TA	TB	LB	+/-	BP	Pts	Form
1	Taranaki	6	6	0	0	231	136	24	18	2	0	95	2	28	WWWWWW
2	Manawatu	6	4	0	2	173	142	17	19	1	1	31	2	20	WLWWWL
3	Otago	5	2	0	3	97	123	10	14	0	1	-26	1	11	WLLLW
4	Northland	6	1	0	5	120	233	18	32	2	0	-113	2	8	LLLLWL
5	North Harbour	2	1	0	1	29	34	3	4	0	0	-5	0	6	LW
6	Southland	5	0	0	5	87	165	8	18	0	2	-78	2	4	LLLLL
7	Counties Manukau	2	0	0	2	27	53	2	4	0	0	-26	0	2	LL

 

[Dan54]

You can't relegate Aux as their position on the Table is beyond their control but whoever finishes sixth could legitimately be relegated having had as much chance as those finishing above them to have earned safety.

Edit: East Coast is one of the few parts of NZ I've never been to, always wanted to go to a game in Ruatoria or Tologa Bay & still hope to one day.

I with you on wanting to go to East Coast WOB, and a game at Ruatoria would be pretty good. Might actually do a practice run up that way over summer.

 

[Dan54]

You can't relegate Aux as their position on the Table is beyond their control but whoever finishes sixth could legitimately be relegated having had as much chance as those finishing above them to have earned safety.

Edit: East Coast is one of the few parts of NZ I've never been to, always wanted to go to a game in Ruatoria or Tologa Bay & still hope to one day.

Yep that's what I thought WOB until it was pointed out that whoever is 6th may of missed a couple of games against CM and NH etc etc, and regardless of who wins anyway there a huge asterix over it. Just maybe CM or NH could of been in playoff for championship,and in one of games etc etc, so really it never going to be fair. Also reading the provinces stopped the proposed one comp idea, NZR tried to bring it in, but a few (I think big boys) jumped on it. As Barnes said Naki boys should actually be in running for premiership this year, and not just championship.
Trying to work out in my head how they will split teams in one comp, seems it will be regional based (costbased), soTaniwha ,Aux, NH, CM, BOP,Waikato and Naki in one and HB,Manawatu,Wlgton,Mako,Cant, Otago and Southland in other? Then crossover matches?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ regional Pools would get stale pretty quickly IMO. I'd have the sides finishing 1, 3, 5 & 7 in the Prem & those finishing 2, 4 & 6 in the Champ in Pool A for season one & thereafter use odds & evens wrt finishing position on the Table. But it's NZR so they'll probably go regional.

Instead of crossover matches per se I'd play a round robin within each Pool, then take the top four from each into the NPC: carry points forward & play the four teams from the other Pool then semis & a GF. Make a new trophy for the bottom six to play for - call it the Fred Allen Cup or some such in keeping with the Meads & Lochore Cups. But it's NZR so they'll probably go for crossovers which kinda undermines the rationale behind having regional Pools.

 

[Dan54]

^ regional Pools would get stale pretty quickly IMO. I'd have the sides finishing 1, 3, 5 & 7 in the Prem & those finishing 2, 4 & 6 in the Champ in Pool A for season one & thereafter use odds & evens wrt finishing position on the Table. But it's NZR so they'll probably go regional.

Instead of crossover matches per se I'd play a round robin within each Pool, then take the top four from each into the NPC: carry points forward & play the four teams from the other Pool then semis & a GF. Make a new trophy for the bottom six to play for - call it the Fred Allen Cup or some such in keeping with the Meads & Lochore Cups. But it's NZR so they'll probably go for crossovers which kinda undermines the rationale behind having regional Pools.

Whole regional thing was to help Provinces cut travel costs from what I had read, where it all started, how to cut travel costs for likes of Southland/Otago and Taniwha were ones I believe there was a lot of worry over, even BOP,HB and Tasman etc struggle as they don't have flights going everywhere when they want. It costs a shit load more to fly from Napier or Whangerei etc to Dunedin than it does from Aux or Wgton etc. There was quite a discussion a in 2019 over how to cut travel costs. I not keen on regional etc, and recall the Shield was a sticking point.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Sunny Nelson not exactly living up to its tagline today. BoP will be needing more than nine points with the wind, I think.

 

[Dan54]

Sunny Nelson not exactly living up to its tagline today. BoP will be needing more than nine points with the wind, I think.

You not kidding WOB, I thought it was rubbish here today. I mainly watching to see how Young Campbell Parata goes as I followed him a bit when he was with Southport School 1st XV. He's kicked his first few points in NZ first class rugby!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Yep, Mako claw back six in not much more than five minutes with the wind.

Edit: was trying to work out where I knew the name Campbell Parada from, was some poaching rumbles out've Qld when he came home IIRC. He'd be 18 or 19 now, I think? Big future if he sticks around & stays healthy.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

You not kidding WOB, I thought it was rubbish here today.

Way back when I lived in the 'naki the locals used to say that if you couldn't see the mountain it was probably raining & if you could see the mountain it was probably gunna rain soon. A very pluvial province is the 'naki, almost as much as Waikato (was not too bad this morning but turned to shite an hour or so ago) .

 

[Dan54]

Yep, Mako claw back six in not much more than five minutes with the wind.

Edit: was trying to work out where I knew the name Campbell Parada from, was some poaching rumbles out've Qld when he came home IIRC. He'd be 18 or 19 now, I think? Big future if he sticks around & stays healthy.

Actually he a kiwi boy who's family moved to Perth, Southport poached him, but he was pretty keen on heading home, so Crusaders got him in their academy. Think he would be about 20-21, was about 18 when I was watching him in 2019.