Rugbology June 20 2023 - Pass it on !
Quick Taps : Dallas the genuine bolter - What more does Stevenson have to do? - Blues blew it - Where's Christchurchs new stadium? - Onewheros first All Black !!!!
Super Rugby.
After 2 semifinals of opposed quality, we have the 2 top teams in the final. The Crusaders thrashed a Blues side that left its bottle back in Auckland. The Rangitoto Yanks for some reason just didn’t seem up for the game which was a real shame as it had all the ingredients for a decent scrap but pretty much from minute 1 Razors boys got stuck in and simply ran away with it. A very disappointing ending for Leon and a return to frustration for Blues supporters.
The Chiefs Brumbies match was the opposite. An edge of the seat battle in the rain between 2 sides that were determined to not lose so kept it tight and where long kicks coupled with huge defence was the order of the day. The goal line defence by the Brumbies in particular was magnificent and with the Chiefs only up 9-6 with 10 to go the locals were nervous but a stunning 50metre penalty from wee DMac seemed to lift the Chiefs and with probably the most expansive rugby of the game, Guzzler scored next to the posts to seal it. Although the Chiefs on balance had slightly the better of the game, the Brumbies refused to yield and one mistake could’ve produced a boil over.
Now we get to see if the Saders are really that good and if the Chiefs can find a way to beat them 3 times in a season. Its really a battle between the Saders superb finals record infused with Razors last stand and the Chiefs resilience at home. Bloody hard to pick but as a Chiefs fan, I hope its the latter and will be there !
All Blacks Squad.
Mostly predictable but with 5 newbies including a genuine bolter. Good to see Super rugby form was rewarded in the form of Williams, Roigard, Finau and Narawa but somehow, possibly the season long form-horse, Stevenson missed out. Fuzzy seemed to indicate his defence needed a bit more work but all season long team after team struggled to score tries against the Chiefs plus if its a bit of a shortfall, get him in the ABs and apply your wonderful coaching skills !
Clearly Jason Ryan looking for more from the loosies and the Blues semi failure likely cost Sotutu but I’m not sure Akira was a serious contender anyway. The hookers, props and locks pretty much picked themselves although Lord is a real punt and Coles probably picked because he’d rather piss blood than lose a game in an AB jersey.
As for Dallas McLeod, good on him but possibly the biggest bolter since Bryce Robins and clearly Fuzzy and the boys see something that the rest of us missed. Hope it works but he’s raw, a positional bitser and utilities we have already. Anyway, I’m pleased ALB and Ennor are back to put a bit of pressure on Reiko Ioane-Foster and Caleb Clarke probably a bit lucky.
Also checked out the AB XV squad which whilst full of the appropriate next 30, no Sotutu here either nor Tom Christie who must wonder what he’s done wrong !? A couple of games in Japan is a nice junket but will it provide a decent opportunity for any of this squad to play their way upwards or be ready if needed come Sept? Perhaps a few additional games in Aust would’ve helped to keep these prospects warm.
U20 World Champs
First game for NZ U20s this Sunday in SA against Wales so hopefully a firm, fast track in some sunshine - Wales not flash in the 6 nations U20 but our next outing against the Frogs who are top dogs along with the Paddys. Interesting how the U20 world rankings same as top level - is there a a worrying trend here ?? Hard to predict winners at this level as too many of the sides play so little but the 6 nations games probably worth more as tune ups than what NZ or SA arranged. I’m expecting NZ to struggle to make the semis unless they do well against the French.
That’s it for now - let me know what you think and as always …. Pass it On !!