Horror-canes - The Fever Union thread

Otago vs Counties, Otago by at least 15 if not more. While first things first we need a result, there has to be a focus on playing the game well in terms of clinicalness and efficency both on attack and defence in what really is a trial run for the challenge in invercargill. We mite get away with mistakes vs C-M but we won't agianst Southland. And in reality the game aginst southland is the be all and end all of our season this year.

Its hard enough losing a shield challenge, but its gonna be horrible if we lost it to them.

Good game tonight, draw was prob the fairest result.

Ouch that hurts, this has to be one of the worst Otago sides ive seen. Not looking forward to next week now.

Two yellows = a red!! Cya later Mitchell ya w**ker!

Crackin weather for the Lions opener today!

Stupid Harbour. I can't wait for the A-League!

Just back from the Lions game. Truly rubbish stuff in outrageously bad conditions. Might not bother next week!

Cant blame them, was horrible sittin in there with that swirling wind

End of the game that Leo the Lion mascot suit must have been heavy, was drenched!

Hope its better next week when Umaga is town or I might skip it too

3300 apparently - why on earth do they open up the entire stadium for these games??

People need their space and quiet for a rugby game.

I'm thinking there must have been a lot of Corporate people... I was there for free I wonder how many of the 3300 were also there for free?

I couldn't give my tickets away.

A lot usually. Its pretty easy to get free tickets to a Lions match. Though its not like we get more to our equivalent - the nzfc.

Hard to compare ITM Cup and NZFC. A lot of the rugby players are professionals. 3300 is terrible for a crowd though.

may be slightly better this week with the return of Tana. Weather still meant to be sh*te thought

You would think they would cope wouldn't you? Sadly they wouldn't.

Get rid of North Harbour! They don't need to be in the competition when you have Auckland, Counties and Northland.

Counties is in the Chiefs region.

I know, but with the new rules that players can play for any province then be contracted to any Super rugby teams makes it a little irrelevant. But Auckland don't perform they don't need another team.

The thing I hate about rugby is the formatting of all their new competitions for 2011. like this garbage where you can be in a complete different division and still play teams in the top or 2nd division, and that they keep making competitions where not every team plays each other.

This conference thing in the Super 15 will be a complete joke, playing every team in your conference and then only a select few from the others? this will then be followed up by a bizarre provincial competition set up.

The ITM Cup, currie cup and an Australian equivalent should run side by side throughout the whole year. have IRB windows for tests, players would then be picked on form. and the top four or so from each competition would then go in to a champions league type competition which again there would be a window for. It's pretty plain and simple. Right now it seems farcical that there's different rules between countries to do with player payments, salary caps, and the amount of imports allowed. But by having each competition different then it wouldn't matter what rules each country enforced.Luis Garcia2010-08-05 12:13:07

Will be a few happy BoP fans on here tonight im sure.

Certainly are Ryan, was a good night in the Bopman/Bigtobz/Paulinhio house tonight, two of us being from the real bay on unfortunately Bigtobz being from the pretenders. He will say he doesn't care but he hates seeing us happy so hated every minute of it.

So todays the day, Ranfurly Shield coming back to Dunedin after 53 long years.

And leaving again next week!

I'm a huge Hika fan. Much better Del Malmance imo.

After receiving IRB junior player of the year you'd expect Luke Braid to develop in to a top class flanker. But I can't see Latimer getting back in the All Blacks.

Now for us to hang on for another 40 mins ...

Come On You Stags!!!!
Come On You Stags!!!!

Im starting to wonder if I will be alive when Otago wins the shield next  Great effort by the boys after the tripe they dished up last weekend against Counties.

Suck sh*t Otago!!!!

How crap is Glenn Dickson! Otago deeply miss Nick Evans. We should've looked at getting Callum Bruce back.

Bruce is in Japan, and in my eyes, suffered from not knowing if he was a #10 or a #12.

I would love Evans to come back, but if he came back to NZ, he wouldnt come back to Otago, too much money elsewhere.

Dickson doesnt look that bad, but he has very little talent outside him. I wish they would shift Ben Smith back to fullback, I feel he is wasted in the centres. And why did they let Karne Hesketh go overseas

Yeah I knew Bruce left. I thought when Michael Hobbs signed with Otago he wasn't just gonna be loaned back to Wellington, he would have been perfect, he was actually very good at the start of the super 14. Did Hesketh go overseas!? he shouldve been in the highlanders. Where's Noakes? I rate him much higher than Dickson.

Josh Tatupu looked good today, is he going back to the force next season? A decent centre partnership and first five is what we've lacked in a long time. Agree completely on Ben Smith he has to be at full back.

Like I've said in a previous post they need to change the the structure of rugby in this country. Provincial rugby should go the whole year, with each team individually owned so we could put some bigger money in to the clubs and pay players more so everyone doesn't just leave. We should be the pinnacle of club rugby in the world where players want to play in NZ. It's bizarre that New Zealand clubs play half a year of provincial rugby then half a year of Super 14 if you're good enough. I can't think of any code in any country (Australia and South Africa don't even do this in Super rugby) that has that same scenario.

Even if we couldn't get Nick Evans back, if he had never left, along with Daniel Bowden then we'd still end up with a better first five from somewhere in the country. Luis Garcia2010-08-07 20:43:08

I thought we had Hobbs for the ITM cup aswell, I was quite depressed about the thought of that. But he convinced me in the Super 14 that injury free he has the talent they said he has.

Noakes must be injured, he wasnt on the bench the last 2 weeks, he should start if fit.

There has been alot of movement of #10's it seems this season. I thought Matt Berquist was heading overseas, and was shocked to see him playing for Auckland. I would have loved to see him back in Otago colours.

I read that Hesketh was heading to Japan, since he was over looked for a Super 14 contract, what is a massive shame, he was very dynamic on the wing.

Only seen the 2 games of Tatupu, he played much better today, but hasnt had good ball to do much tho. Not sure if he is going back to the Force.

And how ugly are those new Otago shirts, CCC shirts seem to be getting worse every year.

Completely agree about the jerseys, but every other team if they don't have CCC have something bizarre like KooGa. What ever happened do a good nike or adidas one.

Otago should look at getting James Wilson. Southland don't need him and Robinson.

I hope Jamie Joseph brings some talent to Dunedin. Who would you like the Highlanders to realistically pick up?

LOLINGTON. If they keep playing like that they will struggle for crowds and I say that from a rugby fan point of view.
CboZ2010-08-08 16:40:49

Exactly, crowd might have been bigger had Tana been well enough to play though..

Hosting Waikato in two weeks, probably need a few cow bells to wake the atmosphere up

Nice win for Harbour!  Northland definitely the better team though.
Interesting start to the competition so far. Hard to pick who will be strong all the way through.