Rebels left to sing the Blues after 38-point loss in Super Rugby opener

Hi RT, enjoyed that thread between you and Akari I forgot to respond. Yes playoffs first then anything is a bonus, but at least playoffs is a reality this year more than others. This side really does have to walk before it can run and although they have a few All Blacks none has playoffs experience in Super rugby for this side, and Tanas playing sides all struggled to win it as well at a time when they had a very similar to the Blues look in their backline, so even if they make it it's all new ground and a side like the Canes have it all over them in that respect. Playoffs plus one win I think is about right?

I don't really think they believe that. It might be easier making the sides but I don't think they think they'll have it easier when they know they're up against most of the kiwi sides they perhaps couldn't get into themselves. It's actually an odd move. Not in a NZ side means you can't get into the ABs, and they've perhaps not been exposed enough to get a NH contract. So terms of their future as a player, especially a young player, they're obviously using it as a stepping stone to get exposure to head back to NZ or overseas. With an AB father perhaps the dream is best kept alive by staying within the eyes of the NZ selectors and an oz side does that better than anything else. Woodward is a good example of that.

Pi in the sky stuff Mania, a couple of billion places and still going ...

The reds are pathetic as well

ALB is the only genuine midfielder to put his hand up so far. Others haven't for various reasons... Fekitoa...inconsistent...showed that again last night. Crotty... solid but yet to nail his spot Ngatai, SBW...injury, sevens Barrett, Ioane...yet to have their day Tamanivalu...others preferred but still a dark horse So although there is a lot of talent...will someone please put their hand up...and keep it up.

Yes I still think he should have been put straight back into the AB squad after his scintillating Super form last year. Hansen has himself to blame for that. To keep a player running that hot on ice for those months must have really been the deal breaker. And in light of what seems to be eminating from the Vickerman tragedy the time to make the most of ones future is a very short time frame so all luck to Luatua, his future, and northern hemisphere rugby will be all the better for it.

Yes in comparison to now it's surreal to think they're regular last in the NZ conference. If you'd said that in the 80's you'd have not found a single person to believe that was possible. For me professionalism has ended thevAuckland dominance. Up until then we 'kept' our talent simply because, that was 'home'. Players would only move if they wanted to play top level rugby for a 'lesser' team, rather than bring number 6 or 7 in line for the Aucks jersey. I haven't done a count but I'm willing to bet my house that there are more pro players playing rugby in the elite comps that were either born or played most if their junior rugby in Auckland, before moving to either other clubs in NZ, League, or overseas. Certainly Super rugby has several in the oz sides. Don't know about London though. With that population and the number of clubs they have they might have a large number playing pro comps around Europe, but the quality on average might be a little lower.

Are you going to finish that sentence??

Ever get bruises on your chest Otara?

Akari! Mate Steve Luatua was arguably the best forward on the Park last night, so it's not hard to understand as to why Shag Hansen is miffed about him being fingered by Pat Lam to play for a cellar dweller team as Bristol is! You and I know the deal of International rugby in New Zealand, ~ If you show a glimpse of promise even as a youngster at School you'll get all the assistance in every facet of development that promising young players need to get to take themselves possibly to the pinnacle of rugby in New Zealand that is to be an All Black! If you show exceptional promise, the Rugby Powers that Be, will move heaven and earth in an effort to get you to that pinnacle, and that's exactly the case of Steve Luatua, he was brought up right through the elite system at no small expense, he made the All Blacks which was a given with his repertoire of positions in the scrum that he's able to play, ~ in short mate he's turned his back on all this simply because he needs the dollars to support his Family encouraged no less by a second rate Coach in Pat Lam! ~ I'm always loathe to call a Kiwi Coach 'second rate'', but Pat Lam did nothing, absolutely nothing with what used to be possibly best Provincial side in the World. It's none of our damn business what Steve Luatua does in his future rugby career but he's in his prime and I have no doubt he was geared up for a long career as an All Black, so it's not too difficult to see why Hansen wasn't at all happy.

There's appears to be a big Kiwi and Fijian influence in the current Rebels playing Roster, I watched the game wondering as to how many True Blue Aussies' were in the run on team. The principle reason for the plethora of Kiwis crossing the Tasman is because they couldn't get a contract in New Zealand so the easy way to get a game is head for Australia and it appears that the Rebels have scored quite a few of them as a result! Jackson Garden Bachop is probably there on the account of his rugby lineage as his Surname suggests, and if he had played a fraction as well as his Relatives last night, he may have done enough to keep his spot, ~ he was dreadful and the Blues boys had him on toast because they'd know of his frailties and it showed! All the best to the Rebels as they like a few other Franchisees' are skating on thin ice and it must be incredibly difficult for them because of the gross shortage of competitive players. ~ And Kiwi players as mentioned earlier are only here in Australia because most of them are discards or has beens, so good old OZ it has to be because if they show any promise at all and done all the pre requisites like coming through all the grades and played proficiently enough to be asked to ''stick around'', these current Kiwi boys lost in OZ would still be in New Zealand!

Yea let's go blues. Chiefs next. Let's go.

Real sorry to hear that Geoff.... so much time (and money) spent to get them to the races then this ... I've had similar experiences - a bit gut wretching ...

Thanks mate, but not at the expense of the Brumbies I hope

Who was it that said, you must knock the champ out to win? I guess Steven Luatua's departure robs us of seeing him take over from Kaino. I agree that SL got to where he is easily and then his from slumped. I admire his resolve to return to the top and I will miss him as there will no longer any need for him to fight for a position in the ABs. I don't begrudge him for leaving and looking after number one and his immediate and possibly extended family.

Still, Garden-Bachop is from Wellington, so of course he is fat & unfit at this time of the year!

Mate, the boy didn't get a look in with the Kiwi franchises for a reason.

......Melbourne brands of this niche status, only require sponsors to survive, I mean that is the only reason a Union and League side continues to breath in Melbourne and why they will continue to exist there despite Melbourne having no obvious cultural affinity for respective codes.

........more than half their membership are Kiwis I hazard to say, as it is with the Storm membership, mostly expats? Then that is what gives Oz Union its O2 - the expat Kiwi diaspora...... Without NZ'ers living here, the code would be completely on the rails......

.......there is NO way Melbourne will lose the Rebels or any other brand for that matter because they are commercial heavy weights and as such insatiable and beyond reproach...... Sadly if anyone is to go it will be the commercially insignificant Brumbies.