[2018 Super Rugby] Round 3: Blues vs. Chiefs (02/03/2018)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: Eden Park​

Time: 08:35 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[The Jones Boy]

Oh dear...

 

[Larksea]

blah, chiefs have a new coach and injury issues. Missing Key front liners like Hames and now Ngatai (knee). plus 3 players going through head knock processes this week after the crusaders game.
Ngatai is so critical, just watch the Crusaders game he and DMac are the key players in the chiefs backline.
Blues are favorites IMO.
Chiefs have also lost TNW for the season...
I wonder if that means now that Faauli is the main option for the cheifs at 12 now. If that is the case I can see the chiefs being the bottom 2 in the NZ conference this season

 

[Radsy]

I think Levi Aumua will emerge at 12

 

[Radsy]

Or Nankivell

 

[Zero]

Potentially a wooden spoon match for the NZ conference and a 8th WC playoff spot, early days, but games like these count big time in the run in!

I think the Blues will edge this one personally. Gatlin looks the goods this season and they would have learned some lessons from the Highlanders loss.

Should be another great game!

 

[Icemn]

looking forward to an exciting game

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Should be an exciting game, probably 50/50 in my opinion - though that could change depending on Cooper's selections. Chiefs teams should be announced in the next couple of hours.

 

[Larksea]

Or Nankivell

yip, at this stage I think Nankivell would be a better option than Faauli depending on fitness/form...

 

[Zero]

Word in Kaino is leaving for France now too.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Chiefs team named:

1. Aidan Ross
2. Nathan Harris
3. Nepo Laulala
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Michael Allardice
6. Liam Messam
7. Sam Cane
8. Taleni Seu
9. Brad Weber
10. Damian McKenzie
11. Solomon Alaimalo
12. Johnny Faauli
13. Anton Lienert-Brown
14. Sean Wainui
15. Shaun Stevenson

RESERVES:

16. Liam Polwart
17. Karl Tu'inukuafe
18. Angus Ta'avao
19. Mitchell Brown*/Luke Jacobson
20. Lachlan Boshier
21. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
22. Tiaan Falcon
23. Bailyn Sullivan/Declan O'Donnell

The injury list is nice and lengthy too: Dominic Bird, Tim Nanai-Williams, Charlie Ngatai, Toni Pulu, Fin Hoeata, Alex Nankivell, Tyler Ardron, Regan Verney, Mitchell Graham, Sosefo Kautai, Sam McNicol, Atu Moli, Kane Hames, Marty McKenzie, Levi Aumua

 

[Larksea]

despite still having ~8 big name players this is a severely weakened chiefs side. Its going to take a special effort I cant see the chiefs winning this. Blues looked pretty good last weekend and probably would have beaten the highlanders if not for a yellow card...

 

[Larksea]

Retalick out from an eye poke in training and Stephenson out during the warmup for the game. Pretty much any chance the chiefs have has slipped away.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Blues again playing catch up to a Kiwi franchise

 

[Larksea]

I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.
Was good to see some new chiefs players play well.
Cane has been a giant.
Messam was excellent, he is still in great physical condition and he makes use of his experience when he plays mixing both powerful runs and hits with smart distribution and good scrambling.
Seu and Brown were strong.
Webber has been very good, pulu won some big contacts between the two but over the whole game Webber was clearly the better overall and won the war.
McKenzie had a mixed bag but critically he is still producing critical plays at critical times despite having a massive target on his back. The Blues clearly targeting him.
Alaimalo and Wainui were top class, Alaimalo is All Black material. Falcon looked good, he was relaxed and had good vision.

When you think surely the blues are going to be better this happens.
This is the best chance the blues will get in a long time to beat another NZ team and they completely blow it. The blues simply should have won... Zero excuses.
Pulu is so powerful but I still seriously question his ability to run the show at 9.
Did the big blues forwards run out of steam? Rieko Ioane has been very quiet...

Yes credit does need to go to the chiefs who were better than expected. They recognized the compromised situation they were in and lifted their game. over the years many teams have struggled through some really bad injury crisis situations but this current situation the chiefs are in is dire... and it looks like they have lost Laulala now as well.
I have no problem with Cooper proving me wrong.
That said despite having a bye now the chiefs are sure to lose a game or two with this injury crisis.

 

[The Jones Boy]

The handling errors from the Blues are simply unacceptable. They knocked on so much ball it's a wonder they managed to score any points.
The Mackenzie show rolls on and the Blues are on their way to the cellar again.

 

[Zero]

The Blues once again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

[Zero]

What I love about McKenzie is if you knock him down, he just gets back up laughing, he's tough as nails, massive heart and drive, which will continue to turn him into a world class player

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

After 2+ years waiting for Umaga's Blues to live up to their potential its becoming hard to believe it will ever happen. It doesn't reflect well on him as a coach to be losing to the Chiefs and Highlanders after they have lost their elite coaches.

At least with the format this year 5th in their conference won't necessarily eliminate them.

 

[Zero]

I really do question the player's commitment at times though, there's at least a mental block there.