Here's a public service post especially for our regular commenter pdm who is currently a long way from his beloved McLean Park in Napier. Hawke's Bay has given Auckland a comprehensive spanking in the Air New Zealand Cup match.
In front of over 10,000 fans at the new-look McLean Park, the Magpies have run out the winners by 47-13 , clocking up a four-try bonus point in the process. Hawkes Bay is sending out an early signal that it will be one of the teams to beat this season. It's Hawkes Bay's first win over Auckland in 35 years, and we reckon that the Bay will be going off tonight!
And what a pleasure to see rugby being played on a fine Saturday afternoon. There's a message there for the NZRU, wethinks! After last night's stirring Ranfurly Shield match and today's fixture, we reckon that there could be some very good rugby played in the Air NZ Cup this season. Bring it on! And a huge ups to all those involved in the redevelopment of McLean Park and the construction of the Graham Lowe Stand - it's a fantastic facility of which the local community can be immensely proud.
7 comments:
Pity about the Otago challenge. 2 defensive lapses.
But the "mighty Auks". What a rabble. How they have fallen.
That is indeed a huge margin.
Sweet Sweet Sweet - especially as my son in law with whom we are based in London is a Jafa and in Virtual Rugby goes under Blues4eva.
As you say INV2 daytime rugby provides a spectacle and there is no better place to watch it than at a sunny McLean Park.
GO THE MIGHTY MAGPIES!!!!!
Is there a `test match' post today INV2?
No, I'm All Blacked out pdm! Feel free to discuss it on this thread.
You'll be interested to hear that North Harbour has just this minute beaten Canterbury 22-19. Dan Carter played about 65 minutes and looked pretty good - I'm picking he'll be back in the All Black fold soon.
After some thought I have decided to take up your offer so hope one or two people see this before the game.
Last week my man of the match was Spies, even though Brussow got the match award. In the first half Spies dominated play and because of So'oialo's (not for the first time in games that matter) invisibility it fell on McCaw to try and contain Spies. This left the way open for Brussow to shine as McCaw was tied up doing another players job.
When Read came on to replace So'oialo the game changed and McCaw was able to compete in the loose - hence the good ball the AB's got for most of the second half.
If the AB's are to compete this week So'oialo has to improve about 500% on his recent play. I would give him 15 minutes and if he is still allowing Spies to run rampant - get him off and get Read on.
Nonu too needs to wake up. I read somewhere that last week the AB midfield had to spend a lot of time in rucks and at the tackle. Smith may have but Nonu just fringes - if he was a loose forward in the old days he would have been called a `seagull'. Because he does that he is regularly out of position and of course his `one dimensional' play on attack is easy for top sides to counter. I don't expect de Villiers to play as poorly as he did last week.
A big job ahead this afternoon, my time, and much as I hate to say it I can only see a Springbok win with the concern that it may be comprehensive.
Good luck to Owen Franks in his first run on test - a big ask but then it won't be difficult for him to do better than Tialata.
All credit to Hawkes Bay for a very good performance. They will
be thereabouts at the business end of this competition. I am not an
Auckland supporter but I must say I
have not ever heard of a good number of players in their current team, which may say a bit about
experience. The quality of some of
the sides in this competition is
very poor. Both Taranaki and Tasman looked awful as did Bay of
Plenty, Northland and Waikato.
Post a Comment