100,000 miles to nowhere
Well - the SuperXV champions - sadly are the Reds (Reds 18 - Crusaders 13). Who, in their defense, played a mistake-dominating game. Or atleast that's all I can sum the game up to. The Crusaders, regardless of actually being offside in the breakdowns - were not called on it and really took over that part of the game. All of us who have played rugby know that it's a game of inches and you play to the ref. So if the ref is not calling yo
u on encroaching on the offside line or coming through the rucks then what do you do? You encroach on the offside line and come through the ruck to disrupt the other team's scrum-half.
I said in my prediction post earlier this week that I thought Will Genia was going to be a deciding factor in the game. Was I right or was I right? He had a pretty frustrating half - getting mauled by the questionably offside Crusaders. Their scrums were weak (not surprising though...I think we pretty much decided that the Crusaders had the best pack in the world) and Genia just transferred pressure from his position to Quade Cooper. I thought it was brilliant. In the first 10 minutes of the second half - Genia was caught making some bad decisions as far as kicking went - the Crusaders just pushed and pushed. There seemed to be some nerves as the Reds started the second half. I thought that this was the point that the Crusaders would start pulling away...or this is where they would normally start pulling away.
But there were some key knock ons by the Crusaders...normally happening right after a building of the forwards. I think there was a point in the first half where the Crusaders did 12 forward pick and drives. Systematically drawing in Red players. What would then happen? Knock on...garbage. Their hands just weren't there. Even under the high ball - there just wasn't the hands.
Brad Thorn made a crucial mistake in his held up try - what we normally like to call Try-Line Fever. He had numbers and he kept it when he should have given it. That could have been the game right there especially considering that Digby Ioane scored only moments later. Or it could have been somewhere in between Meathead's THREE missed line out throws (not straight). I can't say it enough. There is no reason whatsoever for a hooker to submit their line out throws as "not straight". That's an individual skill...just as kicking is for any kicker. You miss it - you start scratching black marks on your resume.
Match ups? Well - Quade Cooper gets a big two thumbs down from me. I'm not a huge fan of his style - whatever that means...kicking, running, effort, existing. He talented - I get it. But he shifts blame and I don't believe him to be a team-player. When Carter did his magic and broke the line at the end of the first half - it was inevitable that he was going to score but in a game where every point counts - Cooper was obligated to make that tackle and literally he pulled up and watched Carter cross the line. He kicked points. He was there but not the better of the 10s. For all the who-ha before the match up about the battle of the 10s...it was pretty clear. Even the praises from the commentators - it was clear who the better man was.
I can't choose between Meathead and Stupid (Saia Faingaa) - they're both lost causes. How on earth does Meathead think he's going to make All Blacks? Genia vs. Andy Ellis/Fotoali'i? Genia - considering the man got harassed all game long and still went the 65 yard distance to win the game (huge reffing mistake - there was an obstruction that created the hole...50/50 call in my opinion). Beyond that? I'm not too inclined to name any other people. Man of the match - Will Genia.
There's your SuperXV season - fitting that the team with the best record through the season finished first. I'm disinclined to agree with the Reds being underdogs - they weren't. If they were - they would have not come in first in regular season play. Underdogs would have been the Sharks winning the whole competition. My position about the whole game today was that the Reds were able to take advantage of more mistakes than the Crusaders. Tomorrow, if they played, might have been a different result. The Crusaders never played at home this season because of the earthquake in Christchurch in April. Their home field still remains unplayable. They logged 100,000miles on the road this season - almost double than that of other teams. They fought for their city and I think finished well - not as well as hoped but certainly not in a passive position.
Now we look to the Tri-Nations. I look forward to seeing all the combinations of players on all three sides (SA, NZ, AUS) in hopes of creating the championship team. Until then - I guess we'll just have to deal with seeing Red.
u on encroaching on the offside line or coming through the rucks then what do you do? You encroach on the offside line and come through the ruck to disrupt the other team's scrum-half.I said in my prediction post earlier this week that I thought Will Genia was going to be a deciding factor in the game. Was I right or was I right? He had a pretty frustrating half - getting mauled by the questionably offside Crusaders. Their scrums were weak (not surprising though...I think we pretty much decided that the Crusaders had the best pack in the world) and Genia just transferred pressure from his position to Quade Cooper. I thought it was brilliant. In the first 10 minutes of the second half - Genia was caught making some bad decisions as far as kicking went - the Crusaders just pushed and pushed. There seemed to be some nerves as the Reds started the second half. I thought that this was the point that the Crusaders would start pulling away...or this is where they would normally start pulling away.
But there were some key knock ons by the Crusaders...normally happening right after a building of the forwards. I think there was a point in the first half where the Crusaders did 12 forward pick and drives. Systematically drawing in Red players. What would then happen? Knock on...garbage. Their hands just weren't there. Even under the high ball - there just wasn't the hands.
Brad Thorn made a crucial mistake in his held up try - what we normally like to call Try-Line Fever. He had numbers and he kept it when he should have given it. That could have been the game right there especially considering that Digby Ioane scored only moments later. Or it could have been somewhere in between Meathead's THREE missed line out throws (not straight). I can't say it enough. There is no reason whatsoever for a hooker to submit their line out throws as "not straight". That's an individual skill...just as kicking is for any kicker. You miss it - you start scratching black marks on your resume.
Match ups? Well - Quade Cooper gets a big two thumbs down from me. I'm not a huge fan of his style - whatever that means...kicking, running, effort, existing. He talented - I get it. But he shifts blame and I don't believe him to be a team-player. When Carter did his magic and broke the line at the end of the first half - it was inevitable that he was going to score but in a game where every point counts - Cooper was obligated to make that tackle and literally he pulled up and watched Carter cross the line. He kicked points. He was there but not the better of the 10s. For all the who-ha before the match up about the battle of the 10s...it was pretty clear. Even the praises from the commentators - it was clear who the better man was.
I can't choose between Meathead and Stupid (Saia Faingaa) - they're both lost causes. How on earth does Meathead think he's going to make All Blacks? Genia vs. Andy Ellis/Fotoali'i? Genia - considering the man got harassed all game long and still went the 65 yard distance to win the game (huge reffing mistake - there was an obstruction that created the hole...50/50 call in my opinion). Beyond that? I'm not too inclined to name any other people. Man of the match - Will Genia.
There's your SuperXV season - fitting that the team with the best record through the season finished first. I'm disinclined to agree with the Reds being underdogs - they weren't. If they were - they would have not come in first in regular season play. Underdogs would have been the Sharks winning the whole competition. My position about the whole game today was that the Reds were able to take advantage of more mistakes than the Crusaders. Tomorrow, if they played, might have been a different result. The Crusaders never played at home this season because of the earthquake in Christchurch in April. Their home field still remains unplayable. They logged 100,000miles on the road this season - almost double than that of other teams. They fought for their city and I think finished well - not as well as hoped but certainly not in a passive position.
Now we look to the Tri-Nations. I look forward to seeing all the combinations of players on all three sides (SA, NZ, AUS) in hopes of creating the championship team. Until then - I guess we'll just have to deal with seeing Red.
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