Blues 2018

[rowan]

The Blues biggest problem is that they're, quite clearly, a big game team. Best South African side in Johannesburg? Bring on your biggest homer of a home town ref. Best Australian side in Sydney? Will do it with a collective hand tied behind their collective back, and one collective eye closed. Such a big game temperament results in the Blues winning 73% of their postseason matches. For comparisons sake, the Chiefs have an unmanly postseason record of 54%. The Hurricanes a contemptible 43%. The Crusaders a respectable 70%. The Highlanders an appalling 42%. Such a dominant -- intimidating, even -- postseason record has returned three titles, bettered only by one side in the entire southern half of the planet.

Of course, this big game temperament does have a downside, and there has been many a slight hiccup in matches of lesser importance. Such as the Rebels, for instance.

Yes, the Blues post-season record against the likes of Natal and Northern Transvaal is very impressive!

No wins against Rhodesia?

[Spy]

The Blues biggest problem is that they're, quite clearly, a big game team. Best South African side in Johannesburg? Bring on your biggest homer of a home town ref. Best Australian side in Sydney? Will do it with a collective hand tied behind their collective back, and one collective eye closed. Such a big game temperament results in the Blues winning 73% of their postseason matches. For comparisons sake, the Chiefs have an unmanly postseason record of 54%. The Hurricanes a contemptible 43%. The Crusaders a respectable 70%. The Highlanders an appalling 42%. Such a dominant -- intimidating, even -- postseason record has returned three titles, bettered only by one side in the entire southern half of the planet.

Of course, this big game temperament does have a downside, and there has been many a slight hiccup in matches of lesser importance. Such as the Rebels, for instance.

Outstanding stattage, zer0.

[rowan]

How many Blues rugby players does it take to change a light bulb?

Makes no difference. They can't climb a ladder!

Boom! Boom!

[morepork]

Get with the warriors boys. Shan Johnson is back strutting is stuff.Surely you can get a pie and a flat white in Penrose?

[Spy]

I can hardly tell you how good it was to watch a game in which the team we're supporting both played well and won. We were all buzzing with the novelty of it.

[morepork]

Crikey.

[Spy]

Umaga resigned. Not re-signed. Still in the coaching team, though. Probably for the best. He's not been able to sort the Blues myriad issues, many of which are probably out of his control, but that's the nature of the beast.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/a ... d=12160628

[Lizard]

Probably for the best.

[cashead]

MacDonald's success with the Tasman Makos would suggest he'd be a good fit for the head coach role, but provincial success may not mean much. But then again, with no specific allegiances to any of the Blues provincial feeders, things may go considerably better than when Pat Lam had the reins. For all the success he's had in Ireland, it was clear that at that point in his career, he couldn't see beyond the Blue-and-White of Auckland, and ended up making key selections (namely Taniela Moa at halfback, and Tasesa Lavea at first-five) in the same way that Homer Simpson did when he was coaching the Springfield Wildcats - "but but but I need to play Bart at quarterback!"

I'm pretty annoyed that they were so caught up in the Perofeta hype train, despite the fact that he's done diddly-fucking-doo, that they've run Gatland - a much more reliable, safe option - out of the team. I'll laugh my dick off if Gats Jr. makes the All Blacks next year from the Highlanders in the Sopoaga spot.

[zer0]

Honestly, they need to reduce Auckland's influence on the province. It's clear that they can't hack it any more, and that the talent in the region is north of the bridge.

Build the 2019 squad around North Harbour, with a decent addition of Northland and a smattering of Auckland boys. Northland punched above their weight, turning their patch in Whangarei into a fortress, and while they lost their share on the road, at least their opponents knew that they had to earn their wins.

North Harbour were the leading lights in the Auckland region, absolutely clowning Auckland at Eden Park, and making Canterbury earn their wins over them during the season. In fact, the only teams that were able to beat Harbour were the two finalists (Canterbury and Tasman), and the fact that the Naki ended their round robin with a 60-point beat down in a match where the Shield wasn't on the line does have a bit of a "what if?" about it.

Auckland, by contrast, were a fucking joke.

Any update on this position? Surely if we're going off NPC form then we should've just be transplanting the entire Auckland side into the Blues, right? I mean they did win the thing by beating Tasman, Canterbury (twice), Northland and Harbour. It's quite clear that the talent in the region is south of the bridge...