Warratahs win by 20 penalties and 10 million Rand What a Joke

[GIGS20]

Well, I didn't get my wish of the Tahs going down to the Brumbies, and now I have to decide between two teams, both of which I want to lose.

Usually in Super Rugby I go with anybody but the tahs, and that has been fine for me most of the time, but my international rugby personality goes for anybody but the All Blacks much more strongly, and the Saders is stacked with AllBlacks.

It's a tough coin to toss, so I think I'll have to go with the Tahs, but purely because I want the Kiwis to doubt themselves when they come up against the Wallabies, which, considering no Kiwi team will have beaten any Aussie team in the finals would be likely. That and a good dose of punishment at the breakdown in the first test (a la les bleus) might just be enough for us to get the Bledisloe out of their grasp for a year.

A bloke can dream right?

[Alison]

My sentiments exactly GIGS! I hate them both in equal measure but for different reasons. Glad I've got the Awards Dinner next weekend!

[chibi]

I still think the Crusaders are favourites, I just feel that unless the Olympic Stadium is packed with a NSW origin-style sea of blue, I think moving the game there will negate the Tahs home ground advantage. It could have a fairy-tale feel to it though, because if you want to win a grand final, it's always good to beat the competition's icon. I suppose it would be like beating the Yankees in the World Series or something like that. But we'll have to wait and see the type of attitude and atmosphere the home-crowd has. When the home-crowd is baying for Crusaders blood, we've seen it carry the home team to victory at Suncorp in 2011, the Brumbies in 2004, the Bulls' semi-final in 2007; but I'll wait to place my bet until the players run out onto the field. If the Tahs are nervous at the start, then they're gone.

[jono]

Mowen got a lesson in how to captain from a 22 year old last night.

Tahs were the better team.
Saders had a training run against the shorks and will hopefully be ready to lift the title again next week. For no other reason than the tahs can get stuffed.

[WFDom]

The Tahs winning the comp will be good for Aussie Rugby in. I think sometimes in the grand scheme you have to put your differences aside & look at the bigger picture. As loing as we beat them home & away next season I don't give a shit.

The only thing that will piss me off if they do is having to listen to bloody Kearns & Clarke verbally felating each other.

[jono]

Yep. That from those two and the fact that they are the tahs is enough to make me support the saders. Same as in 08 last time they met in a final

[SinBin]

I think sometimes in the grand scheme you have to put your differences aside & look at the bigger picture. As loing as we beat them home & away next season I don't give a shit.

+1

Awesome battle last night on a soggy ground will have taken more of a toll on the Tahs than the Sader's walk in the park against the Shorks. I'm a fan of Jaco Peyper but surprised no yellows were issued first half - not that it would've made much difference IMHO. Cheika's adopted our style of play to win - rock solid D and punish mistakes. I too am not a Tahs fan but hope they smash the Saders next week.

[Happy]

Go the Tahs!!!

[The InnFORCEr]

Go the Tahs!!!

Still got that old jumper Happy, be like old times for you and Sloppy!

[SNOB]

I don't like the Tahs but I do want an Australian team to win but TBH I think it's vey doubtful the Saders seem to be another class up on the rest.
Go the Tahs!😆

[Alison]

Go the T.....

Try again; Go the Ta.......

Nope, sorry - that's the best I can manage

[Kept One]

Go the T.....

Try again; Go the Ta.......

Nope, sorry - that's the best I can manage

Have to support the Aussie team in the final, but like Alison can't bring myself to say their name.

[Alison]

I don't like the Tahs but I do want an Australian team to win but TBH I think it's vey doubtful the Saders seem to be another class up on the rest.
Go the Tahs!😆

What I find soooo frustrating about the Saders is that they do enough during the season to get through to the top 6, then they bring in the big guns to finish the job off! Like with Ritchie's "sabbatical" last year and Carter's this year. It may be entirely legal but it's gamesmanship imo!

[jono]

What I find soooo frustrating about the Saders is that they do enough during the season to get through to the top 6, then they bring in the big guns to finish the job off! Like with Ritchie's "sabbatical" last year and Carter's this year. It may be entirely legal but it's gamesmanship imo!

Not really. If big kevvie, thorn or mills (albeit back in the day) wanted one it would have been sweet.
Hell if the ARU gave cummins one it would have been awesome.
The internationals are working 6-7 days a week for 10-11 months of the year. In the case of carter & Mcaw over a decade.
They can't book in leave and take a few weeks off whenever they fancy like we can. They basically live a fly in fly out lifestyle. Which you can't really appreciate until you have done it for a while. Missed birthdays, weddings, funerals and family time.

Completely understandable that a player would want that time off.
Also comes back to the fact a player is entitled to annual leave, as well as they are entitled to actually take it.