Brumbies - Highlanders game

Good luck to the Brumbies - but they played against by far the most shockingly bad team I have ever seen in Super 15.   Can anyone in that team ever handle balls without losing it or knocking on?   That goes for Gear as well - he really is the most over-valued player in Super 15 this year.  His defence is almost as bad as the one of the celebrated Freuan - who in one game made 1 successful tackle and missed 1.  

The only player I actually believe is worthwhile in the Highlanders team is Parker - a nice debut and really somebody to keep an eye on in future.   Made a few mistakes - but he tries to bring some sting into the backline.

The rest of the team was shockingly bad.   I never saw much of Thorn - was he actuially playing?  Must have been - since his name was given at the start of the match.    As to the rest that no 8 of the Highlanders must have had a brain implosion tonight - he rarely did anything that did not result in a turnover or penalty.   The situation is really bad insofar as the Highlanders are concerned and I think even the Stormers - also disgustingly poor - can beat them.

The Brumbies defence was very good - and George Smith had an excellent game.   However, there was really nothhing much that opposed them and I am not convinced that they would make any progress against the better teams they have to face in future.  

 Mike, a bit strong to say the current Highlanders are the worst team ever!

Gear had an absolute shocker. Missed Speight badly for the 1st try, dropped balls and kicked one good possession away. When he's on and confident he's unstoppable but bloody awful when he's not! Julian Savea definitely has the inside running for the ABs' left wing berth.

Thorn did a lot of tireless work in the tight and is never flashy. Definitely past his best now although he wasn't helped by his locking partner Hoeata who after showing some promise 2 years ago is not delivering.

I thought Aaron Smith looked very sharp when he came on and more like his old self.

Modaa

Seven losses in a row and they have a supposedly decent squad of players - that equates them to the late Lions and the Force.   However, I do not think even the Lions had seven losses in a row - and the Force might have had it - but the way in which the Highlanders play and their shockingly bad ball skills - gave me the creeps.   I think Savea would make it ahead of Gear in the selection of the All Blacks - but Guildford last week did not inspire any confidence and one wonders where the other wing will come from..

 Oh dear.  The Brumbies look the goods this year. The Highlanders wouldn't rank as stiff competition but the way the Brumbies were able to effortlessly canter  to victory is a disturbing portent of things to come. They are easily the comps best team and wholeheartedly (ahem) deserve to be top of the combined table. With any luck, they are peaking too early and have hit an unsustainable run of form. However, If they are able to carry this form into the tail end of the season, the result will be a 3rd(?) SR title for Australia's premiere super franchise. Farrrrk!  

Will the abs miss carol jane I wonder.
So my adopted Oz side the Brumbies chews up the highlanders. Well done to Jake and the boys.

 Given the dire state of your beloved breezers I'm not surprised to see you jumping ship beano. Another fair weather fan aye bailing on his team when the chips are down.  I think you'd save yourself a lot of heartache and disappointment by supporting a NZ team.  The cape crusaders have got the right idea. 

Nuked my condolences re that radio active brain cell of your which is manifestly misfiring.

 Do the Hoki Poki is also a good player, he seems to be the only one who can score tries

 "by far the most shockingly bad team I have ever seen in Super 15" - when I first read that I thought it was a bit of an overstatement, but when you look at all the talent in that team, particularly the backline - has there ever been a team with that much that can simply not win? Surely that is a sign of a really really bad team - to have all the talent in the world and not be able to execute. Its one thing to really suck when you don't have any players, but that is not the case here.

I'm also a little bitter that I've been picking them for upsets in Superbru and keep getting burned - maybe thats the root cause of my disdain :)

@clevermike what you talking about seven in a row ? Thats being a bit generous when it's more like ten in a row.

Hansen will be finally seeing what a liablilty Nonu is to the ABs which is good not to mention Gear.

Even the AB halfback position is up in the air with Wepu playing better and Smith stuck in a losing team. I would'nt use either of them myself . 

But i'm predicting the Highlanders wil now start winning a few games and it won't be a kiwi team sitting at the bottom of the table at the end. Won't be the Kings either the way they're playing so credit to SA for fielding a team thats competitive despite everyone writing them off.

black adder

The Kings are doing better because they have a New Zealand coach - better than the dunces we use in SA, namely Meyer, Ludeke and Coetzee.  

black adder

The Kings are doing better because they have a New Zealand coach - better than the dunces we use in SA, namely Meyer, Ludeke and Coetzee.  

 Nukekiwi rears his head again... Brumbies are looking solid but don't under estimate reds will be serious litmus test for them this arvo and then few weeks time rematch v brumbies on home soil. Wouldn't worryme in the slightest if this brumbies team comprised bulk of wallabies... But issue isnt the players more the coach....

JW showed his class again lastnight with that game plan... Highlanders can't take a highball...

by the way I think commentators said biggest losing streak in history actually taken over their own record.... Not sure if was only kiwi teams or all s15...

 Ou Maaaaikie isnt Solomons the queens coach?

Papa moaner are thew hurricanes any better. Watching them against the blues they look bog ordinary?  

The chiefies, crusties and blues are reasonable sides.