Blues Thread

[Len]

Dickheads

[Spy]

Keep your dirty midget hands off my thread.

[Len]

Blues poos

[Spy]

Another loss, but a good contest and an enjoyable game to be at. An inability to turn early territory into points cost us in the washup. Ihaia West can be a sparky runner from broken play, but his goalkicking is not up to standard. I'm not suggesting there's a better option,though. Barrett was poor from the tee too, come to think of it.

The pack looked better with Faumuina starting, and Tuipolotu had a good game off the bench. I couldn't figure out how the Perenara try was awarded - seemed like a clear knock-on in the lead-up - but so it goes.

They look a much better team with much more direction than last year, which is an admittedly low bar.

[cashead]

West has actually had some impressive performances with the boot, so hopefully it was just an off-day. The Blues definitely had more teeth with Hall an West at 9/10.

Moala and Ranger definitely looked the better midfield, and Tevita Li is turning out to be something worth fighting to hold on to.

[Spy]

Another woulda/shoulda/coulda game for the Blues. Scrum was a big problem - not sure if they got hard done by on some calls, but they came badly second. Looking at the front row and locks, I wouldn't expect them to be getting beaten up so badly, but the Crusaders just took them apart and the Reds also did a number on them.

Overall though, I thought the Blues had the winning of that. Their lineout and breakdown work was better, they just dropped the ball. Sometimes with the line literally open. I think they've extended their away record to about 24 matches without a win. That takes some doing.

[zer0]

The Shambles rolls on I see. Never going to get far when the coach chops and changes the team but still always picks a wobble bottom with a bad haircut at loosehead and a high school flat track bully on the wing.

Kaino is out for a month and Luatua hasn't done enough to retain a starting spot so drop him for Tuipulotu and give Edwards a go at blindisde. Akira Ioane probably should've stuck with one of Sevens or SR instead of choping and changing between the two.

And drop that diving prima donna McGahan.

[cashead]

That's a win over the Jaguares, despite the ref's best efforts.

[rowan]

The Jaguars are 1 - 4 now, after winning their first game. A bit disappointing. They've been competitive in all their games, but now comes a couple of very tough games against the Canes and Saders in NZ, and I'd be surprised if they won either. After that they're off to Tokyo, where they ought to break their losing streak against the hapless Sunwolves.

[cashead]

Gus Pulu's just signed to play with the Blues next season, which is a huge plus for them. Bryn Hall's fallen off the pace after a year ruined by injury and non-selection, and with three All Black halfbacks fighting for 2 spots in the match-day team at the Chiefs, something was always going to give. In this case, the one already living in Auckland obviously opted to stay within the city limits.

[Spy]

Nice to get a win, but it was unattractive stuff. Dropped balls, wild passes, stupid aimless kicks. A lot of side-to-side, without much up-the-guts. Sharks coped with most of it pretty well, and swooped on our frequent mistakes. Clearly the worst team in the NZ conference.

Ranger out for the season with a torn ACL. He'd been working hard, but not wreaking the tackle-busting havoc he was creating before going to France. Nonetheless, he's a significant loss.

[Lizard]

An interesting thing to note about the Blues, is that they have played other NZ teams 4 times (for 1 win). The other NZ teams have played only 2 "derbies" each (each with a 1:1 record except the unbeaten Chiefs).

They might not be as bad we think.

[cashead]

The last two wins have also shown a degree of grit that was lacking in the Blues prior to this. The Sharks getting that try at the start of the second half was one of those moments where you'd be able to point to after the fact and say "yep, that's where they broke." Never happened though.

[Lizard]

The Blues in fact have an unbeaten record against foreign teams (2 wins - albeit close ones, 1 draw). This is better than all other NZ teams bar the Crusaders.

[Len]

The Blues in fact have an unbeaten record against foreign teams (2 wins - albeit close ones, 1 draw). This is better than all other NZ teams bar the Crusaders.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Nice to get a win, but it was unattractive stuff. Dropped balls, wild passes, stupid aimless kicks. A lot of side-to-side, without much up-the-guts. Sharks coped with most of it pretty well, and swooped on our frequent mistakes. Clearly the worst team in the NZ conference.

Ranger out for the season with a torn ACL. He'd been working hard, but not wreaking the tackle-busting havoc he was creating before going to France. Nonetheless, he's a significant loss.

Aw ballix. He's been improving game on game for me. Love watching him play.

Blues look much imporved, if less than brilliant.

[cashead]

Piers Francis has been one of the best-performing backs for the Blues, and I think having another playmaker outside him is helping Ihaia West a huge deal as well. Not bad for an Englishman.

[Lizard]

Piers Francis is a terrible name for a rugby player. Nearly as bad as Percival Montgomery.

[cashead]

Lolagi Visinia, IMO, has been one of the unsung heroes of the Blues this season.

[Spy]

The Blues attack looked really crisp against the Rebels. Much better catch-pass, and looked threatening every time we had the ball. Damned near gave it away, mind you.

The lads from Iron Maiden were sitting just behind us, in a room that usually seems to be used for coaching staff, or at least Blues insiders. Didn't know they were rugby fans. You could tell it was Iron Maiden, because not only was it actually Iron Maiden, but also half of them were wearing Iron Maiden T shirts.

[morepork]

Bloos 24-0 down 5 into the second half.


They can't buy points.

[morepork]

31-0.

[Len]

Anal prolapse

[cashead]

Anal prolapse

Sorry to hear about your medical condition.

[Len]

Anal prolapse

Sorry to hear about your medical condition.

The Lions prolapsed the Blues anus.