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Pacific Cup 2024

Messages
10,074
Just home from the game. A loss, but I come home happy, I was expecting much worse than that

A few simple little lapses on D, and their star power the difference, case in point the Tom break for the try (little odd the ground DJ played Eagle Rock for a few mins after that)

Pre match watching them warm up, alarm bells ringing as Shaun and his side were running through their plays, and it looked like they had just met. A few mins in it looked the same as Crossland threw a perfect ball from dummy half and for some reason SJ was looking away.

We kept turning up on D and putting the effort in which is all you can ask. Attack was pretty dour for the majority but they sparked to life a bit and threw it round near the end.

Interesting reading the takes on kini, live at the ground he looked really dangerous and always involved through the middle trying to create, he was struggling to keep his feet though. Amazes me how in a professional game that looks at every minute detail, we are happy to send player onto slippery surfaces with small moulded blades rather than the old school studs

When they were going through the teams pre match, if amazed me how popular CNK is, 2nd biggest roar of the day for him.

My young fella came home with a couple of flags and won a kiwis ball so he is absolutely stoked. Full marks to Papalii and Whyte as well, plenty of people stayed around on the fences to see players afterwards and they were the only 2 that came around
 
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Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
17,221
Disappointing but promising. Even our understrength side physically dominated Australia for most of the game. Our cohesion on attack once we went more than 1-out was hopeless though.

Every chance with a few tweaks we can win a final. What’s scary though is that the performance was very 2024 Warriors-esque, with 2024 SJ running the show to boot. There’s also every chance we lose next week or in the final after dominating territory and possession and scoring 8 points.
 

Blair

Coach
Messages
11,204
Just home from the game. A loss, but I come home happy, I was expecting much worse than that

A few simple little lapses on D, and their star power the difference, case in point the Tom break for the try (little odd the ground DJ played Eagle Rock for a few mins after that)

Pre match watching them warm up, alarm bells ringing as Shaun and his side were running through their plays, and it looked like they had just me. A few mins in it looked the same as Crossland threw a perfect ball from dummy half and for some reason SJ was looking away.

We kept turning up on D and putting the effort in which is all you can ask. Attack was pretty dour for the majority but they sparked to life a bit and threw it round near the end.

Interesting reading the takes on kini, live at the ground he looked really dangerous and always involved through the middle trying to create, he was struggling to keep his feet though. Amazes me how in a professional game that looks at every minute detail, we are happy to send player onto slippery surfaces with small moulded blades rather than the old school studs

When they were going through the teams pre match, if amazed me how popular CNK is, 2nd biggest roar of the day for him.

My young fella came home with a couple of flags and won a kiwis ball so he is absolutely stoked. Full marks to Papalii and Whyte as well, plenty of people stayed around on the fences to see players afterwards and they were the only 2 that came around
Glad you came away happy too, and the Breakers beat Sydney as well! (But I can't remember if you're a big Breakers fan? I know R & S on here is).
 
Messages
10,074
Glad you came away happy too, and the Breakers beat Sydney as well! (But I can't remember if you're a big Breakers fan? I know R & S on here is).
Nice, hadn’t caught that result ! I’m a supporter of them and going to all their Chch games this season. Worried about a couple of their imports but a nice bounce back tonight because they were awful a few days back
 
Messages
17,768
Just home from the game. A loss, but I come home happy, I was expecting much worse than that

A few simple little lapses on D, and their star power the difference, case in point the Tom break for the try (little odd the ground DJ played Eagle Rock for a few mins after that)

Pre match watching them warm up, alarm bells ringing as Shaun and his side were running through their plays, and it looked like they had just met. A few mins in it looked the same as Crossland threw a perfect ball from dummy half and for some reason SJ was looking away.

We kept turning up on D and putting the effort in which is all you can ask. Attack was pretty dour for the majority but they sparked to life a bit and threw it round near the end.

Interesting reading the takes on kini, live at the ground he looked really dangerous and always involved through the middle trying to create, he was struggling to keep his feet though. Amazes me how in a professional game that looks at every minute detail, we are happy to send player onto slippery surfaces with small moulded blades rather than the old school studs

When they were going through the teams pre match, if amazed me how popular CNK is, 2nd biggest roar of the day for him.

My young fella came home with a couple of flags and won a kiwis ball so he is absolutely stoked. Full marks to Papalii and Whyte as well, plenty of people stayed around on the fences to see players afterwards and they were the only 2 that came around
Kini was losing his feet a lot!
Didnt feel he was running off anyone hip or looking for offloads or threating from dummy half in behind the ruck.
Didnt do anything wrong, but didn't do much special.

Glad to hear they got the kids involved, it really is the secret to success.
 
Messages
17,768
Disappointing but promising. Even our understrength side physically dominated Australia for most of the game. Our cohesion on attack once we went more than 1-out was hopeless though.

Every chance with a few tweaks we can win a final. What’s scary though is that the performance was very 2024 Warriors-esque, with 2024 SJ running the show to boot. There’s also every chance we lose next week or in the final after dominating territory and possession and scoring 8 points.
Tweaks are a threat to the line, offload threats, angle runners, threats from dummy half, I just don't think we have the talent to do it.
CNK was a passenger. Nikorima has to start.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
32,598
Could be very interesting, on paper I’d think they should win… but of course the game isn’t on paper
 
Messages
794
Feel like Tonga have us covered in most areas

Back 5 even
Halves on 2024 form probably even
Starting front row we get them
Backrow they smash us
Bench they look stronger too

Going to be a very tough game
Very tough. Katoa's kicking game v Roos was terrible and IMO played a key part in them dropping that game.

He's a classy player though so I'd be surprised if he isnt much much better this week. Which will make our boys' jobs even tougher.
 

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
17,221
I don't really see them as stronger on paper. Seems extremely even to me. I think our bench is stronger. We have 4 very solid first graders, apart from Paseka for mine their bench is made up of emerging (Wong, Luke) or past their best (Tupouniua) fringe-to-average first graders.

Surprisingly I also think we have quite a marked advantage with our middle forwards. Kaufusi and Taumalolo are more impressive on paper than on the field these days and we are stacked with middle options now that Thompson has come in.

Of course these sort of man-for-man career comparisons won't tell us what will happen in a one-off game.
 
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