Force -v- Hurricanes Post Match Thread

[AndyS]

No two ways about it, that was a real lesson in simple well executed rugby. I would be a very happy man if we looked anything like that as it was actually a pleasure to watch - the determined running especially, strong in contact, hitting the ball hard, contesting nearly every kick and aggressive at the breakdown. We seemed to have nothing in return other than sideways drifting, shovelling the ball along the line and aimlessly kicking the ball to the opposition in space.

About the only things they could possibly take as a positive was that the kicks to touch found some distance for a change, the young replacements played it out without dropping heads, and they somehow managed to prevent (or at least avoid) the 'Canes putting 50 on them. Unfortunately, I'm not even sure they could say they had a bad night - it looked to me like they were just not organised enough and had no real strategy for handling an opposition that certainly sprung no surprises. Really can't see where the improvement might come from.

[GIGS20]

is to kick the faarrkkenn ball back to them. Just plain dumb play! In the last 2 games our season has gone. Mentally and Physically.

for lessons in how to kick a rugby ball, have a look at Ma a Nonu, Corey Jane and Beauden Barrett. Well executed and well communicated, when they kicked for the line it went out. When they kicked short it was contestable.

When we kicked for the line, they threw it in quickly, because we were on our 22 having a circle jerk, when we kicked it short, it wasn't short and they marked it, free pass to the halfway line.

[phantom]

Scrum was a touch better than last week but what are we going to do against the better forward packs
Great to see how Nathan Charles were everywhere and smashed various big boys including Savea
at No4 nothing changed he was shit as a Lock and shit as captain. I cannot understand why the staff persist with him he is shit and has always been shit and will always be shit
10 points for Mafi he did well but you cant play with only 1 lock
Stander tried his ass off, maybe should just target his attacks better He missed a few tackles he will be better every time he plays in saying that there was a few times where he made 3 or 4 tackles in a row while all the others watched

Zac was ok or better than expected or maybe not but definitely not a Super rugby no10 and yes you cant miss the kicks if you in front of the goal posts it is like stabbing your forwards with a knife in the ribs
Kyle was horrible ran sideways and then tried some stupid inside cut step thing that made him loose momentum I dont think he passed once and I am pretty sure he got hooked by Foles.... Scott did very well as his replacement
Luke M had no respect for Savea and got put on his ass
Luke B did a few good things but was out of place more often than not he is not a fullback

Cheese, Kane Koteka Stander and Mafi can share best on field for the Force

Overall it was again a matter of no one doing any inspiring no one talking no commitment from most of the players
We were flatter in attack than what we were in defence
we had more go forward ball in defence than in attack
wrong game plan

One of the worst games we have ever played

[DazloT]

I had an ephiphany on the way home.
There seems to be no seperation of forward and backs play. I.e. in a forward dominent game the whole team plays head nosed, in the face, gritty. When we play like tonight trying to move the ball there i none of the grit, hard in the face attitude. Forwards were standing to far apart to get to the rucks quickly, players hanging back from rucks.

I suppose the saying is we didntg earn the right by moving forward to then move the ball sideways. Hence getting smashed and isolated.

Thee last ten the forwards started to man up in the tackles and act together. Lastly Kyle and Junior need to run straight and together. Too often one of them was clearing out a ruck instead of a forward (the forwards were standing back in the line like backs).

Thats my two cents (actually $64) worth.

[Ecky]

One word:
Ball security

[phantom]

One word:
Ball security

or maybe no balls

[andrewM]

They looked like a disorganised rabble for most of the night, which was the most disappointing part.
How many times was the lineout throw not intended for Wykes? Not that he necessarily did a bad job, just seemed predictable

[phantom]

Cheese, Kane Koteka Stander and Mafi can share best on field for the Force

And Ben Mac He was outstanding but should talk and lead he is one of the senior players

[WFDom]

I just can't fathom why Powder puff was made Captain over Pek?.... he is no leader

[chibi]

A team has to have more than one decision maker, they have to have a structure where they are all reading from the same page. Quite a few times tonight we went the wrong way with ball in hand, or had no idea what we were going to do when the ball came out of the ruck. And our defence had holes in it that you could see from the stands before the ball was shifted there. It was like watching the old French team or the Woeful Wobblies on one of their "we-have-forgotten-basic-football-and-everything-has-fallen-apart" days.

I just don't get it.

[DazloT]

Chibi I think your comments about leadership on the ground are spot on and it made me wonder. Alby and Sias have played together awhile and tonight Alby was off, he is normally good at directing , is that because Sias wasn't there?

Should it be Holmes and Prior as a pair and Alby and Sias as a pair. Different styles, different games.

[Rex Messup]

Our backline looks like it is coached by a scrum specialist...
Morahan has genuine speed and is good at 15. He seems wasted on the end of a talentless backline. He would get more chance to run from 15.
I was impressed with the speed and athleticism of Mitch Scott..apparently a school sprint champion and junior allblack. Talent to burn. He should be on one wing. HB back on the other. Morahan to 15.
Godwin has been shite at 13. The coach was clearly not impressed since he got hooked. Brache was great last year at 13. Godwin back to 12. Sias is 10 with instructions to run. Alby at 9.
Well...they also need the ball. Stander is pretty tough but hes too slow for 7. We are missing Hodgson a lot. Gees I like Mafi at 6. McCalman is in great form at 8. We are a few locks short of a pack. Wykes....is shite. The new kid Koteka needs a crack at 7..ex 7s player has the speed. Cottrel was great last year. He hasnt got back to that standard yet and may be injured. If hes good to go I guess he stays at 6 and Mafi into lock. I like Mafi at 6 though.

[chibi]

The lack of forward momentum didn't help, but Holmes could have taken the odd step forward in order to put the opposition in two minds. By the time he passed it, he was already drifting sideways, and so did the rest of them. Not enough runners were hitting the ball at any pace either.

One of the things that has worried me, is the over-reliance on the fly-half to run the game. There has to be some more communication from the centres or any other players further out in the backfield. We missed out on overlaps and good yardage close to ruck because of this lack of direction.

I honestly have less of a problem with Ebersohn than with Holmes. The Ella brothers always used to talk about how important the input from players in the centre positions were for the first receiver, that their on-field directions made him look like a better decision-maker at fly-half, maybe if Sias can get the players outside him to give him more of a heads-up, this could help him know when to kick, when not to kick and when to switch the play?

But I still can't get over those massive defensive holes, they were glaring.

PS- What was with the tacklers falling off like that?

[SNOB]

Deja Vue! Day after the game you wake up thinking I must have dreamed that! There is no way some teams going to put nearly 50 points on us?
Oh no! I wasn't dreaming it's happened again!
Roll on next weekend and my confidence will have returned and we will have the team that can beat anyone again.

[blueandblack]

Deja Vue! Day after the game you wake up thinking I must have dreamed that! There is no way some teams going to put nearly 50 points on us?
Oh no! I wasn't dreaming it's happened again!
Roll on next weekend and my confidence will have returned and we will have the team that can beat anyone again.

Hurricanes almost did a few years back (again first home game). Speaking of, we've never won our first home game of any season. Maybe we can overcome that next year (having this season knocked off winning our first game of the season).