Blues v Force Eden Park 26 March 2023

[shasta]

Please look at the stats to see the hard work some of the players you mention are passengers:

Wells see my post above.

Williams: 13 Tackles 3 missed, 2 Turnovers won, made 12 metres with 6 carries, line outs won 5.

Faingaa: 2 carries for 2 Metres, 15 Tackles 1 missed, and 1 turn over won.

I would not classify those stats as passeneger stats.

You don't stay in the game with the Blues, even in losing, unless the forwards are working hard in the contests. Sometimes I wonder whether some of our mob are incapable of seeing the depth of our squad compared to what the major franchises have available when managing expectations. I'm talking both player numbers and ARU contracting shenanigans.

Maybe a little squad equalisation could be made for us, along the lines of the millions invested in directing Tupou to Melbourne by directing Sua'ali'i to Perth?.......Yeh right!!

McLennan will move from cutting deals to cutting cheques. He has stated more than once that major investment in the women’s and community games will be the priority, but it will also flow through to the Super Rugby franchises and RA’s new national contracting framework.

Essentially, the RA chairman will silence the Suaalii dissenters with money. A rising tide lifts all boats, and funds more Super Rugby contracts. No one needs to miss out. That’s the pitch, anyway. -Geerob

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/rug...26-p5cvdd.html

[boof1050]

Please look at the stats to see the hard work some of the players you mention are passengers:

Wells see my post above.

Williams: 13 Tackles 3 missed, 2 Turnovers won, made 12 metres with 6 carries, line outs won 5.

Faingaa: 2 carries for 2 Metres, 15 Tackles 1 missed, and 1 turn over won.

I would not classify those stats as passenger stats.

Get me the numbers of the other forwards in the same positions from other teams and lets compare.
Tazz i noticed a multitude of times we were getting cleaned in the rucks and plenty of times it was the 2 front rowers, kuenzle backs etc trying to do the work some of the big boppers should have been doing. On a positive note though is it's good to see some of the backs react and put themselves in there.
Those blokes were blowing hard in the first half and struggling to make any impact.
As for Wells again another week where he hasn't said a word to the ref hell he barely acknowledges a word to the team at breaks in the game. I as a few others are struggling to see what he brings compared to Pugh etc.

[Tazzmania]

Progress is being made, that was by far our best performance this season. We are still far off were we need to be at this level especially against NZ opposition. The green shoots are starting to sprout and we need to be patient, however difficult that is.

The first time we have put together a consistent 80 minute team performance.

All the guys put in a huge shift and they need to keep doing that.

Do not like to single out players, however some deserve a honourable mention:

Medrano was a beast and close to the best game he has had for us.

Spink lifted to another level, 94 metres, 15 Carries, 13 Tackles 3 missed.

Fines 22 metres, 4 carries, 30 passes, no kicks.

Stewart 29 metres, 7 carries 26 passes, 5 kicks, 13 tackles 1 missed.

Pulu, Tiatia and Kibiridge forming a decent back three.

Tim Anstee close to being back to his best 25 metres 8 carries 17 tackles 2 missed 1 turnover won 2 lineouts won

Since posting on the NPC matches last year, I have been singing the praises of Kalapu and again he was immense, he has grit, determination and heart. 7 metres 6 carries 4 passes 2 offloads 16 tackles 0 missed 1 turn over won 1 line out won

It would be amiss without making a special mention of young Marley Pearce, from U19 last year to Super rugby debut at Eden Park as a stand in prop. The young man stood up. 10 metres, 8 Carries 2 tackles no misses.

[GIGS20]

I dont get Poolman. He just seems like a bunny caught in the headlights whenever he is on the field.

What am I missing?

I was prepared to defend him after his brain fade yellow last week, but to do it again with a dumb, unnecessary pass this week.....i started criticising Stitchy for two big mistakes in a row, so I have to be consistent.

If he doesn't show some serious upside next time he takes the field he might become a little surplus to needs. Strachan was a much safer option than Poolman.

[Tazzmania]

Get me the numbers of the other forwards in the same positions from other teams and lets compare.
Tazz i noticed a multitude of times we were getting cleaned in the rucks and plenty of times it was the 2 front rowers, kuenzle backs etc.
Those blokes were blowing hard in the first half and struggling to make any impact.
As for Wells again another week where he hasn't said a word to the ref hell he barely acknowledges a word to the team at breaks in the game. I as a few others are struggling to see what he brings compared to Pugh etc.

I am a Force tragic and I do not have time to analyse other games, I would love to, however I do watch every match every weekend either live or streamed later to get a feel for where we are.

Please bear in mind that as countless blogs and posts over seveteen years have outlined we are and always will be Australian Rugby's poorer cousin and have to fight harder with less just to stay afloat and thats unlikely to ever change.

You wanted some stats so here are the Blues loose forwards and locks to give you a comparison:

Sotutu: 12 metres, 10 carries, 7 tackles 2 missed
Choat: 6 metres, 2 carries, 11 tackles 0 missed
Segner: 43 metres, 10 carries, 12 tackles no misses.
Tucker: 20 metres, 11 carries, 14 tackles no misses 2 lineouts won
Suafoa: 11 metres, 6 Carries 7 tackles, 1 line out won

Hope that helps your comparisons

[.X.]

Progress is being made, that was by far our best performance this season. We are still far off were we need to be at this level especially against NZ opposition. The green shoots are starting to sprout and we need to be patient, however difficult that is.

The first time we have put together a consistent 80 minute team performance.

All the guys put in a huge shift and they need to keep doing that.

Do not like to single out players, however some deserve a honourable mention:

Medrano was a beast and close to the best game he has had for us.

Spink lifted to another level, 94 metres, 15 Carries, 13 Tackles 3 missed.

Fines 22 metres, 4 carries, 30 passes, no kicks.

Stewart 29 metres, 7 carries 26 passes, 5 kicks, 13 tackles 1 missed.

Pulu, Tiatia and Kibiridge forming a decent back three.

Tim Anstee close to being back to his best 25 metres 8 carries 17 tackles 2 missed 1 turnover won 2 lineouts won

Since posting on the NPC matches last year, I have been singing the praises of Kalapu and again he was immense, he has grit, determination and heart. 7 metres 6 carries 4 passes 2 offloads 16 tackles 0 missed 1 turn over won 1 line out won

It would be amiss without making a special mention of young Marley Pearce, from U19 last year to Super rugby debut at Eden Park as a stand in prop. The young man stood up. 10 metres, 8 Carries 2 tackles no misses.

Excellent assessment Tazz.

Thank you.

[GIGS20]

My whinge from the game - The Blues constantly took us past the ruck, and held on past the ruck, or brought them to ground, past the ruck. It is all on the edge of legal, but never quite over it. would have loved this to been brought to the refs attention, as it could have been managed better. I saw a comment above where we always seemed a man short, i think this is part of the reason.

I think I said this before, and I definitely pointed it out after the Highlanders game, the players need to get better at seeing what grey areas the Ref is allowing and test the boundaries of it. The Kiwi sides are masters at this skill and the Aussie sides are generally pretty crap at it.

Even worse, the Highlanders were doing exactly the same thing and, after a week of review of the last game and video prep for this game NOBODY HAS FOUND A SOLUTION. they haven't even gone out there with a mindset of "we might see this, if we do, let's try doing the same thing ourselves and see if we get pinged"

I frustrated the heck out of me to have it happen two weeks in a row and they bloody better get it sorted for next week or the coaching/analysis team are the problem.

[GIGS20]

Please look at the stats to see the hard work some of the players you mention are passengers:

Wells see my post above.

Williams: 13 Tackles 3 missed, 2 Turnovers won, made 12 metres with 6 carries, line outs won 5.

Faingaa: 2 carries for 2 Metres, 15 Tackles 1 missed, and 1 turn over won.

I would not classify those stats as passeneger stats.

FFS that's a bunch of tackles from a hooker.

He didn't look to be absent from the ruck much either, so not swanning around in midfield picking off charge ball.

1 miss out of 15 in the trenches, decent shift.

[WFDom]

Not sure what you want from Wells, he played 40 Minutes, scored 1 Try, made 11 Tackles missed 1, won 1 lineout and conceded 1 penalty. For 40 minutes that is a huge amount of tackles.

Taz mate, I think you may have misinterpreted my wording. I was a few deep by the time i wrote it, so

When I said Wells was quiet, I was referring to his non existent communication with the referee. Not his work rate. I do not have a problem with his work rate. He's a grafter. But, what I do have a problem with is he is "a quiet grafter" as Palitu also mentioned.

A captain needs to have a good rapport with the officials. He / she needs to be in the ear of the official even if there is nothing to discuss. A good captain can influence the course of a game. Well is mute in this department!

He could put in 30 takles, carry for 100mtrs and score a hat trick. Stats are great mate but they are one dimensional when you have a multi faceted role. But he is not fulfilling the full duty of his position by rolling over on contestable, borderline decisions. At least let Sir know you are on the pitch. Thrush said more to the ref in one game as captain than Wells has all year!

If he didn't have the armband on, the casual observer would struggle to know who the Captain is.

[Garry Owen]

Please look at the stats to see the hard work some of the players you mention are passengers:

Wells see my post above.

Williams: 13 Tackles 3 missed, 2 Turnovers won, made 12 metres with 6 carries, line outs won 5.

Faingaa: 2 carries for 2 Metres, 15 Tackles 1 missed, and 1 turn over won.

I would not classify those stats as passeneger stats.

Do you have Warren-Vosayaco stats? I feel like he has gone quiet since the first game but could be wrong

[.X.]

Do you have Warren-Vosayaco stats? I feel like he has gone quiet since the first game but could be wrong

R Vosayaco (Attack) Pass 2 Runs 4 Metres 0 Clean Breaks 0 Defenders Beaten 0 Offloads 1
(Defense) Turnovers Conceded 2 Tackels 12 Missed Tackles 3 Lineouts Won 0
(Discipline) Penalties Conceded 0 Yellow Cards 0 Red Cards 0

IMHO I thought he had a good game.

[Tazzmania]

IMHO I thought he had a good game.

Agreed, we also need to bear in mind the stregnth of the opposition has also increased each week and he was working a day job before joining us, and in three weeks travelled from Sydney, to Perth, to Invercargal and finally Auckland.

[.X.]

A quick question for those that are smarter then me.

If the Western Force wanted to sign Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco for a playing contract rather then Injury Cover, does the Force need to de-list someone?
Are we limited to a number of players on the Force Roster or is it just a Salary Cap problem?

[Tazzmania]

Never seen anything in writing but I think there is a salary cap that increased from $4 million to $4.8m, however the teams have to come up with the additional $800,000 themselves as that is not funded by ARU. I seem to recall the squad size is limited to 40 or less. So to answer the question depends on were we are. The two constraints would determine if we could offer him anything. I suspect that it was injury cover, as was Gareth Simpkins, so more than likley we received excemptions as we were probably already at the limits.

[GIGS20]

Never seen anything in writing but I think there is a salary cap that increased from $4 million to $4.8m, however the teams have to come up with the additional $800,000 themselves as that is not funded by ARU. I seem to recall the squad size is limited to 40 or less. So to answer the question depends on were we are. The two constraints would determine if we could offer him anything. I suspect that it was injury cover, as was Gareth Simpkins, so more than likley we received excemptions as we were probably already at the limits.

I totally read that as depends on who we are.I remember Cron saying in the coaches team call that we can only have Simpson until the guy he's replacing is cleared to play again.I'd assume Warren/voyasco will be the same, however with the number of forwards we have our weight be able to switch his injury contract to somebody else. (It might be a total number thing tho, he's ours until any of the long term injured is fit.)