Crusaders versus Hurricanes....these are the games English fans should be watching

Pace pace pace.......with lots of power....a real honest contest with less of the looser SXV play than normal.

England will struggle to live with this pace/power/accuracy especially when we're knackered at the end of a very long season.

You have to love Kiwi rugby.

The english back row in the first test will be crucial, having said that it could yet be the same as started against Italy (with Saints current form) though Wood is looking very tired. If Bath players are available then I would really like to see a big 6 like Garvey.

Wonderful game of rugby.

I think the Hurricanes are going to run out of puff in the second half, hey started very quick and shocked the Crusaders, but it seems the Crusaders have recovered now and taken the lead.

Crusaders 18 Hurricanes 17 ht

The contrast between English and Kiwi, Northern and Southern rugby is still as stark as ever.

At least England is trying, it won't come overnight, Lancaster has shown he realises there is more to rugby than just forward power and structure.

Five tries (2-3) in the 1st 42'. http://www.espn.co.uk/super-rugby-2014/rugby/match/201315.html

What are the defences like?

Defence has been good, but tackles can't be made when players offload into space.

Watched the last 30 minutes, from above comments have to assume first 50 were much better.

Yeah, first half was end to end stuff, some aimless kicking and sloppy play in the second half.

ESPN wrote:
Crusaders 26 Hurricanes 29
Tries McNicholl (24, 32), Slade (56) Tries Levave (8), Perenara (19), SJ Savea (42), Leiua (73)
Cons TJ Taylor (25) Cons Barrett (9, 20, 43)
Pens TJ Taylor (17, 39, 64) Pens Barrett (5)

Just for completeness.

Biltong wrote:Yeah, first half was end to end stuff, some aimless kicking and sloppy play in the second half.

So, a game of two halves then?

Pretty much, game unraveled in the second half

Jesus wept. Crusaders look like genuine cellar dwellers this year. Good to see Savea in good form. An exciting game and well done to the Hurricanes but the calls for Blackadder to go will grow louder with this kind of start to the season. Still too early to say but a few more of these kinds of results and patience will wear out. The Crusaders got on the score sheet with a few tries but their attack is lacking and their defence is as poor as the team that faced them tonight. Not yet panic stations but certainly a horror start to the Crusaders' (and let's not forget Hurricanes) season.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/9879548/Fumbling-Crusaders-downed-by-Canes

Highlights package if you want to see the tries.

Actually Steve Walsh would be an excellant referee appointment for the first test at Eden park, he did a magnificent job of the Blues Highlanders game there tonight.

Final score 30 - 12.

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:Five tries (2-3) in the 1st 42'. http://www.espn.co.uk/super-rugby-2014/rugby/match/201315.html

What are the defences like?

While the match was top class and exciting, defences were noticeably weaker than NH rugby. The winning try was great but you would rarely see it in the top euro competitions.

Suggesting defences in Super arugby is weaker than in Europe is a misnomer.

Compare missed tackles, ineffective tackles and tackle count, I bet you the ratio's will be similar.

Then compare attacking play, space created, speed of attack and breakdown, and you will find your answer.

There is some shocking defence in the Super rugby tournament. The Hurricanes, Cheetahs and Crusaders have been guilty of that at times this year. But there's also some incredible defence and incredible attack. This notion that Super rugby is basketball, turnstile defence in general and NH rugby is defensively tighter than Tupperware is fanciful. You've got to take each game as it comes and take into account the conditions in which the game is played.

I think teams are more concerned about attack than defense in super rugby while in Europe more emphasis is placed on defense, generally speaking. South African teams tend to be more European like, again, generally speaking.


Personally I prefer watching super rugby. The speed and skill is higher and players are allowed to express themselves. I wonder how much of it is to do with the heineken cup being a knock out competition while super rugby is 90% a league.


The Reds Stormers match was the opposite to the Crusaders Hurricanes. Defenses on top and a slow start stop kind of match. I'm sure the Leinster Munster game this evening will be played at a higher, more intense pace.

profitius wrote:I think teams are more concerned about attack than defense in super rugby while in Europe more emphasis is placed on defense, generally speaking. South African teams tend to be more European like, again, generally speaking.


Personally I prefer watching super rugby. The speed and skill is higher and players are allowed to express themselves. I wonder how much of it is to do with the heineken cup being a knock out competition while super rugby is 90% a league.


The Reds Stormers match was the opposite to the Crusaders Hurricanes. Defenses on top and a slow start stop kind of match. I'm sure the Leinster Munster game this evening will be played at a higher, more intense pace.  

I think weather is the biggest factor. When we have continued good weather we see some great games in the NH.

nathan wrote:

profitius wrote:I think teams are more concerned about attack than defense in super rugby while in Europe more emphasis is placed on defense, generally speaking. South African teams tend to be more European like, again, generally speaking.


Personally I prefer watching super rugby. The speed and skill is higher and players are allowed to express themselves. I wonder how much of it is to do with the heineken cup being a knock out competition while super rugby is 90% a league.


The Reds Stormers match was the opposite to the Crusaders Hurricanes. Defenses on top and a slow start stop kind of match. I'm sure the Leinster Munster game this evening will be played at a higher, more intense pace.  

I think weather is the biggest factor. When we have continued good weather we see some great games in the NH.

I think the players is the biggest factor, and what is expected of them by their coaches, supporters and even themselves.

The weather is certainly a huge factor. The standard of rugby always improves at around this time of year and we usualy see some very high scoring games across the 3 NH leagues.

I know what you mean LF4l, its the players being able to get up on their toes and really perform on a dry surface.

aucklandlaurie wrote:

Actually Steve Walsh would be an excellant referee appointment for the first test at Eden park, he did a magnificent job of the Blues Highlanders game there tonight.

Final score 30 - 12.

i hope that's a joke. after suffering his scrum refereeing last year against Wales at the Millenium Stadium i think every englishman hopes never again to have steve walsh as referee. linesman no problem. but interpreting the scrums, yikes.

he does do well and consistently in open play i tend to agree, but scrums notsomuch.

quinsforever wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:

Actually Steve Walsh would be an excellant referee appointment for the first test at Eden park, he did a magnificent job of the Blues Highlanders game there tonight.

Final score 30 - 12.

i hope that's a joke. after suffering his scrum refereeing last year against Wales at the Millenium Stadium i think every englishman hopes never again to have steve walsh as referee. linesman no problem. but interpreting the scrums, yikes.

he does do well and consistently in open play i tend to agree, but scrums notsomuch.

Two things Quins:

1. There is more to Rugby than scrums.

2. I guess you didnt see the game.

aucklandlaurie wrote:

quinsforever wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:

Actually Steve Walsh would be an excellant referee appointment for the first test at Eden park, he did a magnificent job of the Blues Highlanders game there tonight.

Final score 30 - 12.

i hope that's a joke. after suffering his scrum refereeing last year against Wales at the Millenium Stadium i think every englishman hopes never again to have steve walsh as referee. linesman no problem. but interpreting the scrums, yikes.

he does do well and consistently in open play i tend to agree, but scrums notsomuch.

Two things Quins:

1. There is more to Rugby than scrums.

2. I guess you didnt see the game.

i saw the wales v england game which i was referring to. yes there is much more to rugby than scrums, but if one is unfortunate enough to play against a team whose main tactic is to win penalties at scrum that 1/2P can kick from the halfway line, for a grandslam decider in the 6N, then i think you'll agree it's pretty important.

obviously NZ do not rely on their scrum this way. But i feel so scarred from the experience that i dont ever want to see that walking ego arbitrating an england game again.

quinsforever wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:

quinsforever wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:

Actually Steve Walsh would be an excellant referee appointment for the first test at Eden park, he did a magnificent job of the Blues Highlanders game there tonight.

Final score 30 - 12.

i hope that's a joke. after suffering his scrum refereeing last year against Wales at the Millenium Stadium i think every englishman hopes never again to have steve walsh as referee. linesman no problem. but interpreting the scrums, yikes.

he does do well and consistently in open play i tend to agree, but scrums notsomuch.

Two things Quins:

1. There is more to Rugby than scrums.

2. I guess you didnt see the game.

i saw the wales v england game which i was referring to. yes there is much more to rugby than scrums, but if one is unfortunate enough to play against a team whose main tactic is to win penalties at scrum that 1/2P can kick from the halfway line, for a grandslam decider in the 6N, then i think you'll agree it's pretty important.

obviously NZ do not rely on their scrum this way. But i feel so scarred from the experience that i dont ever want to see that walking ego arbitrating an england game again.

really? gosh...if we ever have to rely on that please shoot me...

Actually JK was suggesting a couple of weeks ago that he wouyld rather his team got penalised for a forward pass or a knock on, rather than get awarded a scrum.

I would be happy if I never had to watch Walsh referee England ever again. Also the idea of a man who is a New Zealander in all respects bar his refereeing "nationality", where he was a New Zealander but had to change, is utter ludicrous. Especially a man with so much background regarding refereeing England. May as well give NZ the win and skip the match playing the other two matches with a 1-0 handicap