RugbyRebels

Somewhat amazed that the journeyman Havili is still consistently starting ahead of him. But if the Crusaders want to keep hobbling themselves, I'm not going to complain.

Can't really be described as a form player at this point, but I hope Nonu gets a consistent run at second five for the Blues. He really stepped it up late in the match against the Highlanders, and still has that ugly, yet effective, kicking game.

Nonu has been fine and Havili is a good player, and the stats that he's recording speak for themselves. The "journeyman" label some people are so eager to ascribe is
1. factually incorrect, especially in this instance*
2. bullshit anyway, and anyone actually looking closer would recognise it as such.


*Like seriously, do you even know what a fucking "journeyman" is? Bro, do you even grammar? The clue is in the name. Journey - as in travelling, not the rock band. Marty Banks. He's a journeyman - dude went and played in Russia for a while, ffs. Tim Bateman, he's a bit of a journeyman - Canes, Crusaders, Fukuoka. James Marshall - Tasman, the Naki, Italy, the Canes, England, Japan - journeyman if I ever saw one. Marty McKenzie - Southland, Blues, the Naki, the Crusaders, the Chiefs - journeyman through and through. And guess what they all have in common? They are MEN who JOURNEY.

Havili was born in Nelson, raised in Nelson, except for a brief period of his life where he was in Motueka - and like anyone with more than two braincells to rub together, he got the fuck out of that shithole - has played for Tasman and the Crusaders, of which Tasman is part of the catchment area. Either you tell me how in the fuck that makes him a journeyman, or you stop using that term, which you clearly don't know the meaning of, so that you stop looking like a fucking moron. Same goes to the rest of you who try to use it as a pejorative and a supposed commentary on the quality of the player in question. You inerudite fucks.

I'm aware of the etymology. I'm also aware this isn't 1453. The Romans don't own Constantinople, everyone expects the Spanish Inquisition, and "journeyman" has more than one meaning. Particularly in the context of sport. Take your pick of references.

That escalated quickly.

I bet the kids in Cas's class are super well behaved.

J Dory wrote:I bet the kids in Cas's class are super well behaved.

Yes they are. Why?

zer0 wrote:I'm aware of the etymology. I'm also aware this isn't 1453. The Romans don't own Constantinople, everyone expects the Spanish Inquisition, and "journeyman" has more than one meaning. Particularly in the context of sport. Take your pick of references.

We must have standards, damnit. What, do you use “decimated” as a synonym for “destroyed” as well?

Sunwolves do it again. Seems a shame to drop that obviously positive environment from the comp. Japan will be well fired up for the cup.

cashead wrote:

zer0 wrote:I'm aware of the etymology. I'm also aware this isn't 1453. The Romans don't own Constantinople, everyone expects the Spanish Inquisition, and "journeyman" has more than one meaning. Particularly in the context of sport. Take your pick of references.

We must have standards, damnit. What, do you use “decimated” as a synonym for “destroyed” as well?

I'm with you on that one - you've got annihilated or devastated as perfectly good words for that; why abuse one that means nearly the opposite?

Puja

morepork wrote:Sunwolves do it again. Seems a shame to drop that obviously positive environment from the comp. Japan will be well fired up for the cup.

Kind of like how the Force had a bit of a hot streak after they were maybe kinda sorta told they were being chucked out.

cashead wrote:

J Dory wrote:I bet the kids in Cas's class are super well behaved.

Yes they are. Why?

No reason

3 on the trot for the Blues now.

So some interesting stats in the last round re: a certain journeyman

David Havili vs Will Jordan
The Hav-ster put in 85m from 12 carries, with 4 defenders beaten and 3 clean breaks, along with 5 passes, 2 offloads and 4 kicks from hand, contributing 2 tires. He also made 6 tackles, none missed.

Will-bo Baggins scored 1 try, but with 18m from 3 carries, 2 defenders beaten, 2 clean breaks and 3 passes - 0 offloads or kicks, with 6 tackles, 2 missed.

Both did the full 80.

If you're going to big up a player at the expense of another, and going out of your way to try to denigrate the latter, it helps for your boy to actually play better than the one being denigrated. It's a common habit by various people on this board, but it's almost as if it's stupid fanboying bullshit. Yeah, everyone gets that certain people have their boys (I was, for example, absolutely open about my admiration for Charlie Ngatai as a player, and I do like Matt Duffie's defensive work and Bryn Gatland's reliability as a kicker, for example) but seriously, don't do shit like "oh such and such should start every game and should be made captain and king of the universe, and the person that's starting ahead of him is a stupid butt and is a shit journeyman and a garbage man."

It was a load of shit when Sione Lauaki was the subject of this shit, and it's a load of shit now.

So Blues-watch 2019

1. Tom Robinson is seriously the find of the season. He put in a monster shift of 23 tackles, 0 missed in his 65 minutes, and while his attacking stats weren't super-amazing, he has recorded numbers all over the place, showing what an industrious night he had.

2. Akira Ioane is finally playing to the level he should. Until last year, he had a tendency to go missing for stretches in games, only to pop up on attack. He's been far more involved in the grunt-work now, and while he made the fewest tackles out of the starting loose forwards (Gibson made 1 more tackle) he effected 2 turnovers and still put in a respectable number of 16. At 68 metres from 13 carries, he made the most distance with ball in hand, and with 5 clean breaks, it puts him second overall behind Rieko, who had 8.

3. Ma'a Nonu actually had a very good game and delivered solid numbers in 50 minutes. 12 carries, 6 defenders beaten, 2 clean breaks and 6 passes, with 8 tackles is not a bad effort in the time he had on the field.

4. The Stormers were not "lose by a bonus point" worse than the Blues, BUT the Blues were able to smother their attack and pressure the Stormers into making errors. Josh Stander's inexplicable miss from right out in front of the posts tells the night's story for them - they're in a good position to score, but it just goes pear-shaped. The Blues, on the other hand, did leave some points out on the pitch, but were able to make the most of the chances that came their way and convert them into tries.

Chiefs are back, baby.

Israel Folau charming it up on social media again.

What a cock.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/a ... d=12221200


dude needs help.

morepork wrote:Israel Folau charming it up on social media again.

What a cock.

Screen Shot 2019-04-10 at 8.36.23 AM.png

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/a ... d=12221200


dude needs help.

BBC article says it's a year and a day since he was pulled in by the ARU about his last bigoted post and agreed to limit his social media use. Suggests that he's been saving this up for the end of a year's ban. Dickhead.

Puja

There is very little appetite for social media hate down there in light of recent events. I hope he is more than sternly reprimanded.

What's wrong with drunks?

Joe Marler's tweeting images of dudes making out and tagging Folau.

cashead wrote:Joe Marler's tweeting images of dudes making out and tagging Folau.

Ahahaha! Superb.

Could we all chip in a few roubles and hire some Russian hackers to flood Folau's social media with as much hardcore gay porn as PornHub has to offer? Like the departed Bob, we all know he secretly loves the cock.

cashead wrote:Joe Marler's tweeting images of dudes making out and tagging Folau.

The hero we need.

Puja

I'm seemingly going to hell for any number of reasons. Congrats to Israel for finding a way back to league which I suspect was the aim in all this

Guardian reporting Folou's been sacked. Serves the div right.