Force 24 - Crusaders 29

[Jess]

I am so proud of the way the boys played last night and the character that they showed, that they were able to slog it out against the famous Crusader's defence, score 4 brilliant tries and then keep them within 4 points to secure a very narrow loss with 2 bonus points.
I think going into the game, a lot of punters would have been happy to walk away with 2 points, but being at the game and seeing how it was ours for the taking... it makes 2 points feel like a bit of a consolation prize after being robbed of the top honours. Don't get me wrong, I'm over the moon with those points... I would just be on a completely different solar system of happiness if we had of beaten the Crusaders. But we can take so much heart from how close we got and how we're the only team thus far to truly rattle the boys from Canterbury.

The first half was unbelievable! 63% of the possession I think it was! The crusaders just couldn't get their hands on the ball and as we all know, you can't score when you don't have the ball. They sadly realised at half time that kicking for touch wasn't working for them (because our line outs were outstanding!) and so opted for a much more aggressive, attacking game in the second half. When they're good, they're incredible so you just can't give them an inch or they'll punish you with easy scoring (like those 2 second half tries last night).

Just need to work on further reducing those handling errors because while we may be able to get away with it against some teams, teams like the Crusaders and the Blues will walk all over us if we don't.

As a team, we played the best we ever have and a big step up from the games in the republic. Gotta love that we can actually claim a home game advantage now rather than it seemingly being more of an advantage when we played away. Just needed to break that first home win hoodoo.

Cross played out of his skin and Deans just can't ignore him come Wallabies squad selection time. Same with Bam Bam, so talented but still so young. He's got many years of wearing the gold ahead of him I predict.
Bet Brownie wasn't expecting to score a try last night but what a ripper it was. What a ripper they all were! Such exciting rugby to watch!

The kicking was off in both camps but I think we can attribute most of that to that strong breeze and that bloody sun. I vote no more Sunday arvo games! Stupid WAFL. A proper season home game should get preference over an Eagles home PRESEASON game anyday! Bah!

But at the end of the day, 29 to 24 is much better than 53 -0.

Force vs Crusaders final!

[BlueForce]

Great effort by the Force but a couple of mistakes late on turned the game against us.On this performance we wil be therabouts at the end of the season.

[jargan83]

It wasn't even a pre-season game for the eagles. The afl told all their clubs to book their home grounds on the very off chance the pre-season final being hosted. The eagles actually played at subi on friday night!! How crap is that

[Jess]

Yeah that rings a bell. I think they booked it on the off chance that the Eagles and Carlton got into the final and so it would be Judd's big debut back on his ex home turf.

But the NAB cup is a joke and no one gives two hoots about it anyway. I only ever went because we could get junior tickets for $2 back in the day.

A preseason game of any sort will never be more important than a proper season home game, not a trial game, not a NAB cup final.. nothing.

They wouldn't shift if we'd wanted to have a Spirit ARC final there... so why should we have to shift for them!

[laura]

Are we about to have our first streaker??

Not from me...I had a different plan in mind, Shep knows!

There was one Crusaders supporter after the game who offered to streak next game and he said "i'll give you a preview" but the look of disgust on our face I think was enough to stop him from even showing his face in public again.

[Swee_82]

dem Crusaders supporters sure are a classy mob!

[GIGS20]

U 'aint kidding Swee, I had to share a train with a bunch of pissed singing south Islanders......at least the sober one admitted we were unlucky not to have won it!

I told him his boys played well to win it...that'll be the last one!

I reckon we might just have the stones to shock the Blues next week!

How'd knocking off the top team on the ladder do for a first win in the shaky isles?

[KenyaQuin]

My two cents for what its worth, hopefully with only slight repetition from previous posts. I think we all agree it was a great spectacle and rugby at its best and I would cut off my leg for a chance to watch the game again, this time in front of a telly.

The Crusaders were lost in the first half and either were lethargic or didn't expect us to spread the ball wide and keep the ball alive as much as we did. This we did well and got us the beautiful tries.

Critical errors that I noted from us:

1. Our inability to cleanly recover the ball off a kickoff. I dare say we fumbled all our kickoff receptions and put ourselves under needless pressure in a situation that we should normally be setting foundation for attack.

2. Our inability to read our opposition and adjust our defense accordingly. In the second half, the Crusaders came back with, what I believe to be, a varied game plan. Their attack off most second half scrummages involved the scrummie moving out wide into first receiver on the blind side with the 8th acting as half back. This created the extra man and confused our defenses enough to give the Crusaders good yardage as well as provide the Crusaders with different options on attack.

As I said, I would dearly love to watch the game again..anyone willing to help me out with a copy? If yes, PM me..and I'll try and make it worth your while.

[jargan83]

What KQ said

[shasta]

Nice. But no cigar as they say. Our boys made their way thru the defense mostly by great off-loading in the tackle. The passes in traffic that were going to ground ( hello Digby ) are starting to stick. The set piece was a real strength against a very strong oppo.

The 'Saders made most holes by running great lines and had the ability to create the extra man where you wouldn't expect. When they switch the play they all seem to know to a man exactly what's going down. An absolute champion team with a champion coaching staff.

A few wrong decisions with the ball in the second half was the difference. But it was good that the boys were still in a position to almost grab the win in the dying seconds.

The Sharks showed how to beat next weeks oppo in Durban on Saturday night. The Auckland attack is the equal of our boys and the Sharks & 'Saders IMO. But the Sharks showed once again that if you put the Blues defense in two minds they can start to open up. They kept turning them around with deft attacking kicks. The trouble was that they slackened off when they got a 19-0 lead. If the boys can rattle them early and remain focussed on defense, there's no reason they can't come away with the points.

[The InnFORCEr]

Also 27,011 for the crowd? What a load. Looked closer to 37,000!

I heard that a lot of tickets were not being scanned on entry, looked 30,000+ to me? Perhaps it was SMH jurnos doing the head count

And did anyone notice recently retired Angus Scott as a runner?! good to see the force still making use of him.

Gus has stayed on as the forwards coach, which was Ben darwins role in 2006 and the Coach covered in 2007.

Greg Martin and Greg Clarke came into our section after the game, they agree it was the best game of the round and the thing that surprised me the most is Marto agreed, despite his on screen persona, that the Reds have little chance of doing anthing at all this season....hopefully the force worship will follow...

Martyo is really a huge closet Force Fan, and like most informed rugby jurnos, he could even be found lurking around the TWF pages these days.

But at the end of the day, 29 to 24 is much better than 53 -0.

A much better result and I don't see to many other bteams taking two bonus points from The Crusdaers. It's gunna be fun in Christchurch when we vist next week.

I must say after that game I slept like a baby last night.............I woke up every two hours and cried

[Jehna]

The boys played well overall but made some disappointing mistakes at crucial moments and sadly it was experienced players at fault. Crossie did have a blinder but i also though chris o'young played well until he got his head knocked off. Stannard fitted in well afterwards too.

We certainly seem to be getting our act together. Still not convinced Tom Hockings should be in there...

[no.8]

its a game we shouldn't of lost!!!

Correct and the Crusaders, like the sharks can't claim to have to won that one.

Note in No.8's secret WF note book.
Things are going to plan.
Lose to the Blues next week and then beat everybody else.
That way the Sharks, Crusaders and Blues think they have us on toast.
Then we mash them in the finals.
End note.

[mattm]

One of the best performances from the boys I've seen. They should be proud. It was great to see them creating open spaces and making the Crusaders work for their butts off for the win. If they continue at this pace for the rest of the season we'll be shutting a few people up.

[GIGS20]

I would think Mattm that we've done a significant amount of shutting people up already!

I can't wait to see inside rugby this week!