Auckland vs. manawatu

So I had the misfortune of paying to sit through this abomination of a rugby game.
Basically, looking at the half-demolished south stand was more entertaining. Auckland's attack was so disjointed it resembled a man with all his legs broken by a shockwave. Toeava flopped around like a jellyfish while the rest of the backline kept cribbing across field instead of running straight.
The forwards did their job, but you can't score tries if all you do is pick and go. The scrum was dominant but they couldn't gain yards off it - this new #8 Saili doesn't seem very flash *yet*.
And Manawatu were worse.

Didnt see the game, but if they were as tatically inept as you say you have to wonder about Lams trues coaching credibility .......now that he doesnt have a team of superstars to call on things arent so rosey


And he's only going to become more under the microscope with the BLUES, particulary as all 3 franchices are wallowing at the bottom of the pesky little NPC. Blues will be lucky to win half their homes games next season. And this dispirited rabble away from home? Forget about it...

Fuck..I just typed all that then remembered Lam isnt coach anymore. Howarth is :oP Well Im not wasting all that typing. Why was Munroe @ fullback anyway? I thought hed been going ok at 10

I watched the Canterbury-Taranaki game and that was even more woeful if possible. At least the Hawkes Bay team actually managed to string a few moves together in putting away an awful Tasman team.


The standard of the Air New Zealand Cup has plummeted from even last year. It is truly the new club rugby.

It is a real worry, because the house of elite players is now built on a foundations of weak thin piles indeed.

I hate to say it, but I think the time has come to make all levels of provincial rugby 100% amateur, increase the Super 14 to a Super 16 and play two rounds of that.

Shit game. I've got nothing else to add.

I was right the 1st time, Lam is still coach. So its quite feasible that he is in fact....shit