Canes vs. Landers, live chat & banter plus post game an*alysis

Good opening series of over 2 mins. Landers miss penalty.

 Even game so far, conditions not helping handling which is nevertheless ok.

 Arde Savea great run scores under the posts but they are checking for a knockon. Ardie should have a good game today after his wee rest
Try and conversion is good, Canes up by 7.

 Canes score try under the post (Sheilds) from the scrum. Canes look good but landers always fight back. 14-0 after 23 mins.

 Intercept by Landes but Ardie catches the back before he scores.

 Landers strike back with a try from Sopoaga. Kick is good 14-7 after 28 mins.

Landers win another line out against the throw.

 Penalty to the Canes, should be kickable. Barrett kicks it, canes up by 10 before the half time break.

 Hi Cloudy, yup, Beeno is a chicken these days as he has nothing to crow about so we don't see him. Wardad shows up on the live threads sometimes but few others do. Glad to see you coming back on the forum a bit more lately.
This is going to be a good second half.

 Landers (Franklin) get's the charge down. Close to Canes line.

 Landers score try, kickable. All off the charge down.

 JW, how was that outlandish kick back over his head from Sopoaga!Way back when I was in 3rd form playing half-back for my school, I'd seen Chris Laidlaw do the same thing in a test match. So M uggins tried it the next week after getting the ball from a line out. The result was I kneed myself in the nose and just about knocked myself out.......

 Hi Moolaa, yep, that was a great kick. I did a few similar kicks way back when, one brings back good memories, the other nightmares .

 Canes win a turnover off the scrum, good field position.

 Penalty is good for Landers, tied up at 17 after 52 mins.

 J. Savea hasn't done much in this game. This guy can't take for granted that he will be in the ABs starting line up. Hansen will take a close look at him in camp.

Barrett converts a very nice penalty kick 20-17 to Canes after 58 mins.

 Canes lineout is crap, they lose another one.

 Banks kicks a penalty for Landers, 20 all with 17  mins left.

 Hi JW, moola ! I hate seeing our boys waste precious sweat and skill on each other when they should be get ting more points from the saffas and aussies .

 Hi Wardad, good point mate but too many easy SA games would make our boys soft

 Another Canes loss of lineout.
Naholo is have a crap game. I picked him for fantasy rugby because I though he would put his hand up for the ABs. So far he has just has one good play & a lot of mistakes.

 Another mistake by Nahalo & have Ben Smith on the bench

 Another mistake by Nahalo & have Ben Smith on the bench

 Barrett misses the penalty kick, big miss with only 6 mins in the game & all tied up.

 Canes power over but held up. Canes have been on attack for the last 5 mins.

 Ardie Savea scores the try in the last minute! Barrett converts 27-7. Good game in bad conditions. Congrats to the Canes, well played landers. It was a tight one.

Don't worry JW, I also have Naholo in my team so I guess we both playing with 14 players. Pitty about the rain, it would've been an even better game in favorable conditions.

 Yeah, good win for Canes.Cruden back at 10 for the ABs unless he has a shocker vs Tahs.Ardie Savea may make squad too but how much game time he will get in the tests is anyone's guess.

 At least you had A. Savea in your team JW, he is on 54 points sofar . Going to kick yourself that Sopoaga is on your bench....

Hi Chewy, amazing that they can play so well in such poor conditions. On TV we have no idea how the conditions really are. Chiefs & Tahs up next.

 I have the unerring knack of picking the wrong player as my cap .!Watching League with the mother-in-law ,RL has slowed down heaps in the last decade .Pretty dull it is .I f I knew wee Damien was kicking I woulda made him cap .

 Falou would have been a good choice for captain, he has 91 points so far.

 Whatatahs scalp the once mighty Chiefs. Folau's a colossus .

 Blobbok, tahs had a good game, Folau played well at 13, I guess they are getting him ready to play 13 for the wobblies.  Chiefs had an off day, they had dominance in the first half but didn't rack up the points. In the second half the tahs outplayed them. Congrats to the Tahs, Chiefs still in the hunt for a final spot.

 Post game articles:NZ Herald

Rugby 365

Rugby stuff

Key stats:
Attack:Canes dominated all stats except for offloads (7 for Canes & 17 for Landers)
A key stat is the defenders beaten (28 for Canes 7 for landers).
Defence:
Landers tackled more & missed 28 tackles which is what let them down.
Breakdown pretty even.
Set piece:
Canes lineout was a problem - the lost 4 of their own.