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Super Rugby - Trans Tasman (Round 1)

Oliver Madden

Academy Player
Joined
Jun 20, 2018
Messages
339
Friday 14th May:
1620813473204.png VS 1620813515743.png
Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium
KO: 7.05pm (NZ)
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)

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Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
KO: 7.45pm (Sydney Time)
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)

Saturday 15th May:
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Venue: Orangetheory Stadium
KO: 7.05pm (NZ)
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

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Venue: AAMI Park
KO: 7.45pm (Melbourne Time)
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)

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Venue: HBF Park (Perth)
KO: 7.55pm (Perth Time), 9.55pm (Sydney, Melbourne)
Referee: Damon Murphy (Australia)
 
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notice that all the referees are from the home country apart from in the Blues game.... interesting.

Predictions:
Highlanders
Hurricanes
Crusaders
Blues
Chiefs


Round 1 looks a whitewash weekend to me. If the Reds were at home I'd tip them but in Dunedin I don't think they'll have enough to beat the Highlanders. Crusaders v Brumbies should also be a good game. I think the Canes, Blues and Chiefs will win very easily against 3 very poor sides. You do worry that the Aussie teams may struggle to cope early on with the greater quality of the NZ teams. The Reds and Brumbies looked good in Super Rugby AU but this is a whole new ball game. Will they have the stamina and skill to go for 80 minutes against the Kiwi teams?. Not sure. So for me 5 NZ wins but the Reds have the best chance of causing a surprise.
 
notice that all the referees are from the home country apart from in the Blues game.... interesting.

Predictions:
Highlanders
Hurricanes
Crusaders
Blues
Chiefs


Round 1 looks a whitewash weekend to me. If the Reds were at home I'd tip them but in Dunedin I don't think they'll have enough to beat the Highlanders. Crusaders v Brumbies should also be a good game. I think the Canes, Blues and Chiefs will win very easily against 3 very poor sides. You do worry that the Aussie teams may struggle to cope early on with the greater quality of the NZ teams. The Reds and Brumbies looked good in Super Rugby AU but this is a whole new ball game. Will they have the stamina and skill to go for 80 minutes against the Kiwi teams?. Not sure. So for me 5 NZ wins but the Reds have the best chance of causing a surprise.
Yeah, and the betting odds would think so too. I was a bit surprised, had thought that the reds might be favourites so I could make some money betting against them. Not the case, highlanders are heavy favourites. All the NZ teams are.

reds getting up from a final though, will be hard. Will be interesting to see the scrum though.

edit: just heard brown isn't their coach for the test for the season as he's gone to prepare Japan for the lions game. Interesting that himeno has still been named in the highlanders then.
 
Yeah, and the betting odds would think so too. I was a bit surprised, had thought that the reds might be favourites so I could make some money betting against them. Not the case, highlanders are heavy favourites. All the NZ teams are.

reds getting up from a final though, will be hard. Will be interesting to see the scrum though.

edit: just heard brown isn't their coach for the test for the season as he's gone to prepare Japan for the lions game. Interesting that himeno has still been named in the highlanders then.
Yep Hinemo is going straight to England when he finished with Highlanders, Brownie reckons he was better playing than spending time in quarantine.
 
Highlanders comfortably defeat the Reds by 40 to 19. I know the Reds had some big players missing but so did the Highlanders, Landers were pretty dominant. If that's the best team in Australia then I worry for the Aussie sides in this competition, the Reds were outclassed.
 
Highlanders
Hurricanes
Crusaders
Blues
Chiefs

Sorry Aussie teams. Maybe next weekend? ;)
 
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...surprised with that, I know reds are coming off a big final but this wasn't our top team, Gilbert was our sixth fullback in nine games, similar number for our centres and right wing

obviously had a game plan and stuck too it for a fair chunk of the first half and I think that set us up, reds didn't exit well and we had them pinned in their 22 for about 30mins

1620983651239.png
 
Reds missing
Alex Mafi
Harry Wilson
Tate McDermott
Hunter Paisami
Jordan Petaia

we were never going to win.

Losing James O'Connor at the end of the 1st half compounded that. Josh Flook was Mr Invisible tonight further cementing my calls for brad to put Tongan Thor to Centre and watch the magic happen. Next will will only be worse. Unless Hunter Paisami is back it'll be a slaughter house. For the first time in decades the Reds have fantastic depth in the forwards, but our backs don't have any good replacements for guys like Paisami and Petaia and potentially JOC for next week.
 
Tahs currently up over the canes at a very empty SCG

edit: canes nose ahead 19-17
 
Canes win 64-48!. Madness. to give up 48 points against that Waratahs team is not great.
To be fair the Canes are down to what their third choice fly half? and he got broken 10 mins into the game. Can't wait to see who they find for their 4th choice fly half.
 
To be fair the Canes are down to what their third choice fly half? and he got broken 10 mins into the game. Can't wait to see who they find for their 4th choice fly half.
...and still scored 64 points with the fourth choice flyhalf
 
Canes win 64-48!. Madness. to give up 48 points against that Waratahs team is not great.


Try fest, but where is the defence?

The hurricanes are typically a strong defensive side, although their standards have dropped a bit this year.

I think the waratahs put a lot of work into working out how to counter the hurricanes rush defence and they executed their plan with a close to contact, multiple option, short passing game very very well. Well done to them I say

but their defence was awful.
 
The hurricanes are typically a strong defensive side, although their standards have dropped a bit this year.

I think the waratahs put a lot of work into working out how to counter the hurricanes rush defence and they executed their plan with a close to contact, multiple option, short passing game very very well. Well done to them I say

but their defence was awful.
You guys were missing Ardie though and I feel like he coordinates your defence quite a bit.
 
Crusaders just scrape past the Brumbies 31-29. The Brumbies get 2 losing bonus points. Outstanding effort by them.
 
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