Qualifying Final: 2.Crusaders v 5.Reds 6/06

[fatprop]

I just watching a replay now fp, and noticed that in general Crusaders are placing the ball an arms length back and perhaps the Reds have it close to their bodies. Making it easy for Hotham to clear it I think.

Yeh, they straggled them

The Reds want quick clean ball to run their lines, no quick ball as they got rushed on the next phase = kick away static ball

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Do I hear GAGR wedding bells?

So Pfitzy is getting married to LeCheese?

Again?

tbh I'm surprised they're trying again so soon after it all went so quickly to hell last time.

 

[Ignoto]

Stats tell the tale and the Reds had the second best scrum success rate this Super Rugby season, second only to the Canes - and Zane and Sef started in the majority of them, and not by chance, specifically in those games against incumbent AB and Wallabies LHP and THP

We had a 35 year old TH as the reserve loose head and a 19/20 year old with less than 40 minutes of professional rugby as the reserve TH. Going up against All Blacks who would illegally bind or over extend and fall on their bellies.

Newell won penalties where he never moved his feet after the chase and would just go down lack a sack.

 

[LeCheese]

Man can only be so strong in the face of raw, undeniable passion

 

[TSR]

Honestly my biggest disappointment this year has been the Reds playing all bar one game in the rain - and generally belting down, followed closely by the injury toll.

Super rugby is a bloody tough comp to win and, whilst I definitely hoped for better it is what it is. A lot of discussion about the scrum - but when we had Hodgman, De Lutiis & Gibbon all missing it makes a difference. Around the field Uru has been one of our best the last two years but wasn’t there either. 12 months ago Wright was starting 6 for the Wallabies. And Lynagh’s head knock, no HMP. Teams cop injuries - that’s life, but it definitely makes a difference.

On the plus side Pakeho has looked good, De Lutiis looked comfortable at this level, Thomas really improved and signing for 2 more years is really good news & Brial and Asiata came along leaps and bounds.

Last nights game was disappointing but the sun still came up this morning and, IMO, the Reds are continuing to improve. Looking forward to seeing them play the Lions in a couple of weeks.

 

[TSR]

Also well done to young Nick Bloomfield’.

Thrown in the deep end and whilst he was rightly shielded a fair bit he has now got a taste. A good endorsement that we are doing better with our pathways development IMO.

 

[molman]

I would have loved to have seen a closer to full strength Reds have a crack at this, I think it would have still been a tight contest but at least a closer one, but there was just too much stacked against them with their depth just not being good enough (which is pretty common for all the Aussie teams as we saw with the Tahs forward issues last year).

I thought Tate was generally outstanding (contray to some other comments on here and in the context of what he was working with). Some of the young talent coming through is continuing to get better.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Yeah, the weather was certainly a factor for the Reds this year, but with the Qld coast climate generally seeming to be getting wetter with cyclones moving further southwards towards the major population centres it just might continue to be an issue.

Pakeho and De Lutiis both show tremendous promise, and Brial and Asiata will both be close to Wallaby squad this year. Really expect Richie A to be in the 23 at some stage.

 

[PhilClinton]

For the first 20mins of the game, I was quite optimistic.

Whilst the Reds never looked dominant, I thought we had some decent cattle to throw some punches in a slugfest.

The Crusaders did a good job at turning the screws though and the reality is we didn’t have enough firepower to make the big plays needed to overcome the growing deficit.

 

[molman]

We had a 35 year old TH as the reserve loose head and a 19/20 year old with less than 40 minutes of professional rugby as the reserve TH. Going up against All Blacks who would illegally bind or over extend and fall on their bellies.

You know this is one area I'd love to see both broadcast and referees improve on. Give us a proper split screen multi view shot of scrums and improve this mini contest by having the whole team reviewing it in concert with the referee/TMO/AR. I'm no scrum expert but the variances of what teams get away with is all over the shop game to game.

 

[Wilson]

The Jordan non-release was a shocker. The only other player in the near vicinity was Fraser McReight who would otherwise have secured possession. IMO the most obvious missed penalty in the game.

I don't want to comment on the ref too much because it's not remotely why we lost, but this passage of play was insane - Jordon looks to start offside by about half a step, doesn't give a clear release before he starts competing for the ball, then tries and puts puts his hands on the ground (not supporting his body weight) and finally the chasing crusaders players that join the ruck both go off their feet. Just a mind boggling absence of refereeing from the entire officiating unit to not take a moment to consider any of the ~4 other penalties in the play.

 

[Adam84]

100% it’s not why we lost, and arguably wouldn’t have changed the scoreline at all…

But officiating in Super Rugby this season has been widely inconsistent, between games, officials and even how they’re applied during the game, it’s a hard watch at times and one area that Super Rugby needs to invest/improve in.

anyway, ref didn’t change the result, just changed how much I swore at the tv during the game.

 

[Adam84]

On a personal note, Damon Murphy is one of my least enjoyable officials to watch. He demeanour, tone, officiating style, hip-thrusting walking style, the way he engages players and the way he the cuts line at coffee shops is dam annoying….

 

[Wilson]

It's the lack of consistency and wild variation in styles that kills me. I just want them to bring it all into the umbrella of super rugby and really invest in it. None of this Australian refs boss for the Aussies, NZ refs boss for the Kiwis and no one actually responsible for the whole show. The whole structure still feels decidedly amateur, decades after we professionalized.

 

[Adam84]

Yeah they need to improve the professionalism of the officials, they’re human and prone to mistakes, like players you want to put them in an environment and system to reduce those mistakes and become more consistent across their styles. Costs money though I suppose.

 

[LeCheese]

As you say, to err is human and variability (incl. in decision making) is a normal part of human performance - there need to be systems in place to reduce the likelihood of gross error.

The issue for me is that, in theory, these systems are in place (AR, TMO, post-match reviews), but they are not working. It's probably a discussion for the refereeing thread, but it increasingly seems as though: a) ARs are not empowered to make calls; and b) the TMO role has been given greater power, but also told to be cautious in how they apply it and given a somewhat unclear scope.

 

[Major Tom]

That’s a pointless stat considering it includes how many different coaches and players

The loss itself isn’t the disappointment, it’s the poor performance. Just like last year in the QF

I’m the opposite. I’m disappointed with the loss and our season is done. But the effort was there. The score line was 20 points but it was closer than that. Felt like it was 12 - 0 for ages. Game was over when lynagh went off at the 35min mark, with our 2nd flyhalf injured and our 3rd guy medically retired.
The season was a disappointment in that we should have finished at least top 4.
You’re having a crack at Les for not winning a QF but he is taking this team forward, injuries and having the bye in the first week took us backwards.

 

[PhilClinton]

What’s the go with the crowd last night? Concerning?

 

[Major Tom]

Yeah look I don’t like the “changed momentum” when a ref does or doesn’t do something. But the retreating player impeding Tate’s snipe when we were hot in attack depressed me the most. That should have been adv and we probably would have been at least going for a lineout maul drive at their line. Instead they turned the ball over with a knock on and there scum gets them out of trouble. One of the great mysteries is how kiwi players get away with being offside.

 

[Aussie D]

Tate may struggle to make the match day XXIII with Louis Werchon waiting in the wings.