The Silver Fern

@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2026:

The atmosphere at rugby games in NZ fucking sucks too. That Eden Park Bledisloe sounded like a cricket game, lots of talking with the very occasional roar. What is the actual pull to go watch in person?

Agree, All Blacks games suck for atmosphere, my thoughts is that because it's the national team the fans in the crowd are for more casual rugby watchers. The best crowds in my opinion are for Super Rugby. NPC crowds while small are also usually good

Gonna go slightly off topic and say fans are quiet because no one wants to stand out and potentially seem cringe but to be cringe is to be free. I am a rowdy fluffybunny at Chiefs games and absolutely spray the opposing team without any personal insults. I don't drink much but last year in the Chiefs vs Saders home game I had a few beers and was having a back and forth with a Saders supporter near me who was a good sport. Just chat some shit and don't let anyone get under your skin. I think Blues fans and Hurricanes fans don't have as much of a sense of tribalism compared to the other 3 teams though.

they already have the superior game to watch (but, importantly, not play) and a fuck ton of money. I reckon they are good.

Rugby can just become for the Europeans.

@Cyclops Yep - that's what I meant.

For 2025
Highlights
Most of NPC (especially games I at live) was tops for me, also watching the young ones from Otago etc coming through.. especially the Shield games, even my beloved Naki losing it was a good watch

Low light was a up between last 20 minutes at Caketin against Boks, and perhaps the Pom test?

2026 Looking forward to the AB tour of SA by far, and with a little bit of interest on how the new Nations cup plays out (just something new to get a bit of interest hopefully), also NPC again.
Not a lot else to interest me really, just rugby!

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@mariner4life

LOL
I'm actually thinking Bills now.
If the Bills lose on the weekend . . .

@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2026:

I don’t go on about Proctor nearly as much as you think.

Certainly not now we know how he'd perform in a black jersey.

Some of his numbers are mental, moreso because of his age, seems like he's well grounded too.

@booboo said in Where are they now?:

No loss to rugby or journalism.

Most of us seem to have "cancelled" him long ago.

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2026:

@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2026:

Yeah well not according to Crusaders CEO who reckons a lot most it was down to the young talent unearthed by Aaron Webb.
But, as Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said: “Everyone goes ‘Razor, Razor, Razor’, maybe there should be more ‘Webby, Webby, Webby’.”

There's no "should" in rugby, young man.

Touche' mate.

The storm need middles and a difference making edge forward not another winger

The dumb thing about these long term appointment, "project coaches" is that football doesn't run on 4-5 year cycles. It is a month by month sport.

Your stock and the entire operation can go from good to toxic and untenable in less than a month. If you look at how this sport plays out a manager can come into November in some good form with everything going in a positive direction and be out of a job by the new year, as has happened here. I mean think of it, winner of that tournament in the summer beating PSG 3-0 in the final no less, then you don't even make it to the end of the next season.

If rosenior struggles he might not make it to the end of the season. That is the reality of how football actually works.

The other problem Chelsea have is that if I am not mistaken three of the firings of the new owners have all boiled down to personality clashes between the owners and the coach. Tuchel, Poch and Maresca all seem to have fallen out with the owners or been at loggerheads with them in terms of what their vision is for the club. Whereas Abramovich got rid of coaches in a ruthless fashion it was almost solely down to results. These owners cannot find a coach that they are able to work with and that they see eye to eye with. There are ego battles going on here

A good interview with Hooker. Talks about the errors in the last fight etc. I didn’t realise his nose got fractured at the last weigh in

lol check out the Clippers v Warriors game stats.

A race to the bottom

The Warriors have a shooting percentage of 34.9%. They are shooting 20% from 3. And yes Steph is playing.

The Clippers have 19 turnovers.

The scoreboard reflects these numbers

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@antipodean said in NH Club Rugby:

@Tim said in NH Club Rugby:

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/one-test-all-black-fly-half-set-to-captain-clermont-in-top-14-clash/

Plummer led his side in defenders beaten, total carries, meters carried, and line breaks as well, while the 27-year-old was also perfect off the tee.

Good thing he was given all that time to show what he could do for the All Blacks.

Fucking sad face.

@voodoo said in The Darts:

@booboo said in The Darts:

Yeah. Am with @voodoo here.

Regular afternoon drinks at the pub at Uni we threw quite a number of darts. With a couple of mates in particular. I was the third best of the three of us. But did get to throw at least a couple of 180s. Mis-spent youth ... or mis-spent student loan ...

Now 147 on a snooker table is not believable...

I had a 140 once - just spun the white back too far after sinking the pink and left a cut that I just missed.

Gutted

Ok, that’s not true - I think I’d have been lucky to have ever made even 4 shots in a row on a full size pool table. Those things are like aircraft carriers!

I might have to go and practice my ten pin bowling tomorrow

Supercross about to get underway here in the States. Jett Lawrence - Aussie superstar out for the season with an injury so that leaves the door wide open. Should be entertaining.

It's hard to predict where players will be in 2-3 years time. I wouldn't be surprised if Sione Ahio goes back to the Blues, for example.