Super Semis?

[cashead]

Welp, if James Lowe had any chance of being an All Black, this game has definitely set back his claims.

[Spy]

Poor old Chiefs have gone a bit comedy hour.

[cashead]

Doesn't that botched try attempt by Weber jut sum up the Chiefs tonight.

[Spy]

Excellent defensive effort by the Hurricanes tonight. Really got up in the Chiefs faces, made some big hits, won a few maul turnovers, and some tough goal line defence.

[Spy]

FT 25-9.

[morepork]

Excellent defensive effort by the Hurricanes tonight. Really got up in the Chiefs faces, made some big hits, won a few maul turnovers, and some tough goal line defence.

That's a real feature of the win. Just in your face. Nice.

[jared_7]

Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea are astonishing talents.

Does Barrett play entire games at 10?

[rowan]

Wow I am surprised - mostly I'm surprised the Chiefs were so bad. But, yes, Beauden u beauty! Sheer briiliance. Meanwhile, looks like the Lions are cruising in J'burg. Still remains to be seen how crucial that last round loss in Buenos Aires turned out to be. The way they've played at home this season I'm sure they would've take the final there. But travelling to NZ and beating the Canes is a whole different matter. I expect the Wellington outfit to finally clinch a long overdue championship title next week, but after 20 years of disappointment I'll believe it when I see it . . .

[Len]

It'd be good to see the Canes lift it. That would mean every NZ francise has won it. First country to do so, obviously

[rowan]

Indeed. I don't think it'll quite make up for the disappointment of last year for me, however. The very fact they'll be the last Kiwi franchise to win it, if and when they finally do so, is slightly embarrassing itself. Meanwhile, they can just count their blessings the Lions didn't field a full strength team against the Jaguars, because they look extremely tough at home - currently routing the Landers 35-11 going into the final 1/4.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

The Highlanders massively blew that game. Early opportunities to score which they mucked up led to them playing catch up and allowed the Lions to be comfortable throughout.

canes are on some run. Fantastic performance.

Which bright spark decided to have localrefs for the knockout phase? Utterly absurd.

[Spiffy]

Just watched the second semi. Lions v. Highlanders. Lions looking quite sharp but some god-awful passing skills from both teams. You'd think that full time professionals would be able to put the ball in front of the receiver at waist level. Several potential scoring chances fluffed by bad passes.

[Len]

Just watched the second semi. Lions v. Highlanders. Lions looking quite sharp but some god-awful passing skills from both teams. You'd think that full time professionals would be able to put the ball in front of the receiver at waist level. Several potential scoring chances fluffed by bad passes.

Waist level. I'd be pissed if I only ever recieved passes at waist height. Chest height bro, chest height.

[Spiffy]

Just watched the second semi. Lions v. Highlanders. Lions looking quite sharp but some god-awful passing skills from both teams. You'd think that full time professionals would be able to put the ball in front of the receiver at waist level. Several potential scoring chances fluffed by bad passes.

Waist level. I'd be pissed if I only ever recieved passes at waist height. Chest height bro, chest height.

Half these professionals can't hit the chest either much of the time (I still think it's easier to catch on the belly-button). Also very common is the firing of the pass directly at the receiver instead of in front of him, so that he has to check his run to catch it, instead of accelerating on to it. When you see a perfect pass these days, with just the right timing, placement and weight, it looks great because it's fairly rare.

[zer0]

Bloody low skill Europeans coming in here with their low expectations. They're dragging the place down.

[cashead]

Wow I am surprised - mostly I'm surprised the Chiefs were so bad. *snip* The way they've played at home this season I'm sure they would've take the final there. But travelling to NZ and beating the Canes is a whole different matter. I expect the Wellington outfit to finally clinch a long overdue championship title next week, but after 20 years of disappointment I'll believe it when I see it . . .

The Chiefs were actually dominating for most of the first quarter, but once they lost the momentum, that was pretty much it for them. The Hurricanes got lucky in not having anyone sent to the bin after 5 or 6 successive penalties while the Chiefs were banging on the tryline, and once they withstood that, the Chiefs' structure and discipline pretty much just collapsed.

Also, this does feel like it's finally the Hurricanes' year, but I'm prepared for disappointment. That said, the Lions are deserved finalists as well.

[rowan]

Should be the Canes' year. They beat the Lions 17-50 on the road in week 10. But then also beat the Landers last year just a few weeks before choking against them in the final. Actually, I'm really surprised to see the Canes back in the final. They had a horror start to the season, losing 52-10 to the Brumbies way, then also going down by a point to the Landers in Dunedin. But the comeback win against the Blues started to turn things around. Nonetheless, with a few weeks to go in the regular season it was touch-and-go as to whether they would make the playoffs at all. At best it appeared they'd have to hit the road if they did so. But with the other frontrunners suffering unexpected losses, and the Canes winning their last 5 games, suddenly we're set for a final in Wellington again. Who'd have thought . . . ??

[rowan]

Either way, we're set for a new champion. Will it be a royal flush for the Kiwis, or just a 4th title for SA - with the Bulls having won the previous 3?

[Lizard]

You would think that a team firing like the Hurricanes, at home, against a side flying half way round the world, would be a good chance. But there's a little bit (OK, a big bit) of my brain wondering how they will cock it up this time.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Just watched the second semi. Lions v. Highlanders. Lions looking quite sharp but some god-awful passing skills from both teams. You'd think that full time professionals would be able to put the ball in front of the receiver at waist level. Several potential scoring chances fluffed by bad passes.

Waist level. I'd be pissed if I only ever recieved passes at waist height. Chest height bro, chest height.

Half these professionals can't hit the chest either much of the time (I still think it's easier to catch on the belly-button). Also very common is the firing of the pass directly at the receiver instead of in front of him, so that he has to check his run to catch it, instead of accelerating on to it. When you see a perfect pass these days, with just the right timing, placement and weight, it looks great because it's fairly rare.

Im with Len on this, chest height and you can pass off the "wrong foot", waist height the chances are you'd be throwing a fall away pass and heading in the wrong direction. Also you'd be looking down to catch the ball losing all hope of scanning what's in front of you.

[Spiffy]

Waist level. I'd be pissed if I only ever recieved passes at waist height. Chest height bro, chest height.

Half these professionals can't hit the chest either much of the time (I still think it's easier to catch on the belly-button). Also very common is the firing of the pass directly at the receiver instead of in front of him, so that he has to check his run to catch it, instead of accelerating on to it. When you see a perfect pass these days, with just the right timing, placement and weight, it looks great because it's fairly rare.

Im with Len on this, chest height and you can pass off the "wrong foot", waist height the chances are you'd be throwing a fall away pass and heading in the wrong direction. Also you'd be looking down to catch the ball losing all hope of scanning what's in front of you.

OK. Waist/chest, who cares. My point was all about putting the ball where the reciever can catch it. Not behind him, over his head, at his ankles or straight into touch.

[morepork]

Half these professionals can't hit the chest either much of the time (I still think it's easier to catch on the belly-button). Also very common is the firing of the pass directly at the receiver instead of in front of him, so that he has to check his run to catch it, instead of accelerating on to it. When you see a perfect pass these days, with just the right timing, placement and weight, it looks great because it's fairly rare.

Im with Len on this, chest height and you can pass off the "wrong foot", waist height the chances are you'd be throwing a fall away pass and heading in the wrong direction. Also you'd be looking down to catch the ball losing all hope of scanning what's in front of you.

OK. Waist/chest, who cares. My point was all about putting the ball where the reciever can catch it. Not behind him, over his head, at his ankles or straight into touch.

It's all in the details baby. If your arms are down when you receive you will get pinned in the tackle.

[Spiffy]

Im with Len on this, chest height and you can pass off the "wrong foot", waist height the chances are you'd be throwing a fall away pass and heading in the wrong direction. Also you'd be looking down to catch the ball losing all hope of scanning what's in front of you.

OK. Waist/chest, who cares. My point was all about putting the ball where the reciever can catch it. Not behind him, over his head, at his ankles or straight into touch.

It's all in the details baby. If your arms are down when you receive you will get pinned in the tackle.

Maybe. But whether your arms are up or down, you will not catch anything that is thrown behind you, over your head, at your ankles or straight into touch. I stick to my original point that a lot of (too many) professional rugby players can't pass for peanuts.

[Lizard]

You would have to say that the two better teams on the day won.

I kept rewinding the Chiefs game to see if the Canes rush defence was off-side but they never were. Very impressive. The Chiefs didn't match that and didn't take their scoring opportunities in the first half. Barrett was sublime, definitely shading Cruden IMHO. I think we will see Barrett starting with McKenzie covering 1st 5/FB in the upcoming championship.

As for the Highlanders, it turns out that Ben Smith can't carry the whole team on his own.

I just hope that the Hurricanes don't find a way to cock the final up. It would be just like them to ruin NZ's perfect 7-from-7 finals wins at home against foreign opposition.

[Spiffy]

You would have to say that the two better teams on the day won.

I kept rewinding the Chiefs game to see if the Canes rush defence was off-side but they never were. Very impressive. The Chiefs didn't match that and didn't take their scoring opportunities in the first half. Barrett was sublime, definitely shading Cruden IMHO. I think we will see Barrett starting with McKenzie covering 1st 5/FB in the upcoming championship.

As for the Highlanders, it turns out that Ben Smith can't carry the whole team on his own.

I just hope that the Hurricanes don't find a way to cock the final up. It would be just like them to ruin NZ's perfect 7-from-7 finals wins at home against foreign opposition.