The Best 75 Minute Team in Super Rugby

[normie]

Got to be happy. A bloody entertaining game. I have to say the pain of losing is lessened by the way the lads went about it. I hope chucky can keep up that sort of form at 10- Swanners was impressive. With more time on the pitch he can only improve.

[zimeric]

like james i was thinking our fragility comes not with the hearts of the players but in their mindsets and something i think that has contributed is the fact that that at 70mins they not far enough in front to demoralize the other team. being two tries ahead plus, has a huge effect on the chaser rather than having a 5, 7 or 10 point margin... they will look at the score line and say to themselves "we can catch them...!!" and thats exactly what they do because we do the exact same thing.. "ooh they can catch us!!.. lets try defend our lead now while we can...!!"

[shasta]

like james i was thinking our fragility comes not with the hearts of the players but in their mindsets

I'd put it down to fear of losing.

You have to wonder what it is that prevents them from getting over that final hurdle

It's probably 10 times more frustrating for the players than for us. I know I had that sinking feeling (again) during the last 10 mins. Suppose we are used to it too.

The answer? You hear players and commentators talk about it all the time - CONFIDENCE. It's pretty simple and everone knows it - it comes from winning. Getting there is the trick.

I still definitely have faith that the boys are on the verge of good things. We seem to be developing some depth and I think we DO have some impact players if the squad is mostly fit. Perhaps some of the "impact players" should be some of the ones who have previously been the starters, though. "Next year in Jerusalem."

[James]

I wonder if opposition teams have started adapting their game plan for the final 10 minutes when they play us? Or at least factor in our frequent capitulations.

[Rex Messup]

I'd put it down to fear of losing. You go into the final 10 with an 8 point advantage and instead of playing in a style that has worked for the past 70 minutes, you revert to a style of 'defensive' or 'protective' rugby: kicking the ball away, committing less numbers to the breakdown so that others can defend, not throwing the ball wide in case of a knock-on or being dragged out etc etc. Which takes a lot of the pressure off the opposition and counter-intuitively puts more on us.

If we had stuck to what had been working before then, we probably would put an additional try in. It's probably a hard one to judge because if you keep playing in the same style you used for the last 70, maybe the opposition will have finally found a weakness or found a way around your strengths. But then you could change the style to a conservative one and sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. Otherwise you could change the style to one that still focussed on attack but was a bit different to the initial plan. Again though, it might work or it might fail miserably.

I think another thing is we lack impact players. Players who can come on and put in such a dynamite performance that momentum in the final 10 stays in our favour. A 120kg number 8. A zippy little scrum-half with a bullet pass. A guy like TPN with a torpedo tackle. A fast, powerful outside back with the kind of step or fend that can damage a tiring defence. I don't think we can claim that at the moment.

spot on

[Sheikh]

I wonder whether it's a fitness issue. We have certainly played defense a lot in some games and the effort of 75 minutes takes it's toll. I know we may have a high cardio-vascular fitness, but match-fitness is a little different.

Mind you, I suspect it's at least partially a mixture of fitness and confidence; entering the final 5-10 minutes, if doubts creep into the mind, you feel the effect of all those tackles a little bit more.

[The InnFORCEr]

Force Face Fakes And Fail
By Ben Perkins


I don't careless what anybody says, John Mitchell and Nathan Sharpe
have set a really good ethic about playing the game in Perth.
Sure they were playing a joke team, but they try hard and have a
strong base. THE TIP IS NOW JAMES O'CONNOR IS STAYING IN PERTH... He
meets with the Reds this weekend, but I am told he will be staying in
Perth.. So we shall see.... I think staying with Pocock is smart.
Carter and McCaw...OConnor and Pocock.... But it was great to see
Cameron Shepherd back and firing. He is a finisher. He scores points,
and when in goal kicking form he can boot them from anywhere. He did
very well first up from a spell, and I would advise the Wallaby
selectors to remember him.... No I wont do that, because they know so
much more than me I feel like a hillbilly in New York by
comparison... I mean Deans has proven himself to be a selector of
extraordinary hopelessness... he better not forget Shepherd. He has a
big body and a big boot... He would be in my squad.
David Smith keeps falling over at stupid moments..inopportune would be
better grammar, but its too forgiving.... he cost his team by falling
over when tries could have been scored and matches won!
The Hurricanes are simply pathetic. It was a miracle they won, and its
to be hoped by all Australian's and bookies alike that NZ take
seriously Aaron Cruden's couple of brilliant passes were now making
him a star! He won them the game.... but he has a long way to go to
make it back into an All Blacks jumper...unless Coach Henry's ego gets
the better of him and he wants to say "I told you so."Never
underestimate a coaches ego! They always know best!
The Force did very well to nearly win. For Wellington to fall in
against a side that was way down in playing numbers was merely a
reflection of what a joke they have become. The tackling by the
Hurricane's was just so lacking in desire it was embarrassing to all
NZ. They have to get a new coach. You only have to listen to him to
know he would be a bundle of nothing to listen to everyday...
James Stannard did well at ten, Sharpe is the quintessential
leader,and Pocock was terrific as expected. The rest with Shepherd
being terrific did their jobs in the main mostly.... The Force did
well, and the Hurricanes are a joke that isnt funny.