Fruean on fire as Crusaders win in shootout over Tahs

Fair enough

But WQ, I spent many years in the backrow and have a fine appreciation for what they bring. I'd like to think that in that situation I'd have a crack at the tighthead but if I missed I wouldn't collapse it for a second bite at the cherry. The final scrum right on the whistle I can understand the logic, but not the series of scrums with around three minutes to go.

Fair comment and agree they would have been better to forgo the scrum and try to upset the breakdown. jeznez, I am aware you have spent plenty of time in the tight five, as have I. Ask yourself the following, how many scrums have you been prepared to let the opposition just win, so those loose forwards that you drag along on your coat-tails could contest the breakdown just to give away a penalty? I reckon about as many as I was!

KPM- i've already said that NZ is at its best time ever post a WC. never have our playing stocks been so good after the traditional WC exodus. i reckon there's enough rookie talent to challenge all the AB's incumbents and provide a new strong bench. things are very exciting for the upcoming tests. riccardo - wayneSmith would be a huge lose for NZ and an incredible gain for Eng. i think though he should go if his heart is set on it. wSmiths accomplished one dream, getting the AB's the WC and someone of his talent should be on the international stage. his genius shouldnt be confined to lil ol NZ. as much as it hurts to adnmit it i would love to see what he can accomplish with a team like Eng, who at the last WC were victims of their own stupidity. i doubt wSmith will drop out of this chiefs season. he already turned down the role earlier in the year saying he would honour his contract. eng have come back saying the doors still open as they really want and need him. wSmith is all about integrity, honour and as history shows being true to himself. big ups 2 da man

Deans probably will be relying on the AB's to self-defeat cause he's been doing a poor job of defeating them with the Wobs.

Jonno/JohnO/Johnno ;-)----you managed to misspell poor Robbie Fruean's name 3 times in 3 different ways in that post! That has to be a record,surely? F.R.U.E.A.N. Also think you will find he is only 1.90 so around 6'2" or 6'3" in the old measurement.I thought Dagg made space for the outside backs when he injected himself into the line...his pass put Fruean on the outside of Tom Carter for one of those tries,and he kept the defence guessing with his step.

Good game, saders use the field so well. Read is a beast with terrific work rate. Fraun had a field day with carthorse. Tahs did well to stay in the game however couldn't understand barnes coming off with 5 to go ? Unless injured why take off your play maker ?

He's already played for the Junior AB's (NZ A) so he's not eligible for any other country anymore.

As I said in my initial post a bit of camera footage of Ulugia's side of the scrum would clear all this up nicely. I completely take your point that the collapse could have been them getting too low to try and disrupt but with a couple minutes still on the clock they would have been better served by a quick scrum going to the Crusaders and then trying to contest the breakdown. That is why I mean that if it was the Tahs doing it that it was not smart play. The telecast upset me in not showing the other side of the scrum where the problems were occurring.

It is true what you say bennalong but isn't this the ongoing problem of australian rugby in general when coming up against the good NZ sides ( wallabies included )l. Put up a good fight but lost. As a rugby fan this is not good enough. When a australian team comes up against a new zealand team, I'll back a NZ team 100% of the time and probably win 90%. Until the australians get it down to 50% you've got problems., and the fans should let the players know they don't accept this.

Normally your suggestion would be a fairly safe assumption, accept in this instance the Waratahs had two reasonably inexperienced Props fronting up to basically an All Black Front Row, needing to pinch a tight head to have any chance of winning the game. You don't think they may have been getting themselves a bit to low and could not hold themselves up? Just a thought given that the tight head kept going to his knees just before going to ground.

No worries mate, am well aware that I have a biased view. If the Tahs were the ones collapsing at the depth then it stands as some of the dumbest play ever being four points down with four minutes to play. Especially since their scrum was generally going forward when they stayed up.

Its all good, did not take exception to any particular point, just reinforcing that often it depends on the colour of the glasses somebody is wearing as to their opinion about scrummaging and where the infringement actually occurs.

WQ my patch is surgically attached, I can't help but watch through it!!!! Which part of my post do you take exception to?

jeznez, c'mon mate you have previously mentioned that I may have been a little one-eyed on this site. You don't think that you may have watched a different game? Or in fact watched this one with a patch on?

It certainly looked like a Waratah prop with his hands and knees on the ground just about every time it collapsed.

Here are some adjustments that a well coached Tahs team cold have made during the match. It all jumped out at me, and I'm a rank amateur. 1. on kick-offs, the Saders seemed to number the field from 1 to 5 from left to right. Ie, a 3 was straight, and a 5 to the right touchline. Usually though, it was wherever Read was. I still wonder if the Tahs have worked this out as of today. The kicker was calling it putting his hand behind the ball, but surely someone could see, like a reserve strategically positioned on the half way calling out. 2. also on kick-offs, we needed to send someone in front of whoever was contesting he ball for us, ready for their tap back 3. also on kicko-offs, our kumper needs to stand a few metres back and run forweard to the ball, so he has some momentum and can jump. 4. also on kick-offs, where is the blocker that everyone else seems to use, accidentally getting in front of the receiver and pretending to jump for the ball? 5. on defence, Freuan was killing Carter, so we needed AAC defending at 13. He's a strong defender, and quick enough to come up and out and run the J at the ball runners. 6. As soon as our ball runners got some momentum, we went forward. And I mean Palu, both Timanis, TPN, Kepu and Douglas. Even Dennis, who is less bulky. 7. The Crusaders back row were unbinding from the scrum too early. Where's the dummy run from the half and scream of "not bound"? There were others - I should have taken notes during the game.

Because, Justin, they didn't want to take Mumm off. So what does Mumm do with us on deep attack? Lose the ball, again.

Difference between All Blacks and Wallabies is that if Fruean was Australian he would be touted as a demi god and rushed into the Wallabies. Where in NZ we have the depth to allow these guys to iron out the faults then bring them in the AB system

I thought perhaps Kaplan had read Mark Reason’s article, earlier this week on NZ Fairfax, where he self righteously (check it out for your selves, he writes) accused the Crusaders of serial cheating. Before the RWC a full-on attack on Ritchie McCaw, and so on. Bloggers I don’t digress. Do all teams try and slow the ball down? When it suits them, all teams do. Does MR comment about other teams, or other No 7’s?