Lavish praise for Canes loosies
10 Feb 2006
Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper lauded the efforts of his All Blacks loose-trio in turning potential defeat into a thumping victory against the Blues.
Cooper said his team had rarely lived up to its potential in the Vodacom Super 12, but in the expanded Super 14 it was time to deliver.
And deliver was exactly what his loose-forwards did.
“They will chase anything and everything,” said Cooper of Jerry Collins, Rodney So’oialo and Chris Masoe. “They are physical guys that attack that area and I thought the Blues at eight, nine and 10 hadn’t had a lot of time in the preseason. I think we adapted better when the rain came purely because we were more committed. The rain didn’t worry me.”
Blues coach David Nucifora conceded the Canes loosies were too tough on the night.
“They are a very good back row … that is obvious. If you let them play with the ball in front of them, they are handful for anyone, there’s no doubt about that.”
Nucifora also though the Canes played the more intelligent rugby in the second half.
“Their kicking game in the second half and their power in the midfield in the second half to hit it up close and get their backrowers into the game – that’s where they won it and we lost it. They played to the conditions far better than we did.”
12 Comments
10 Feb 2006, 15:59 pm
They can kiss their own arses all day. It means nothing until they play the Crusaders, Waratahs or Bulls.
10 Feb 2006, 16:02 pm
yomama,
the lions and cheetahs loosies destroyed the bulls last year.
if you guys dont recover from injuries before you meet them and pick quicker boys, they will murder any SA team including the bulls
10 Feb 2006, 16:18 pm
PissA I think some Bully supporters are in for some harsh realities in the next couple of weeks.
10 Feb 2006, 16:25 pm
CSB,
the roles of the loosies has changed dramatically.
they play such a big part in the game.
it was said on here somewhere the only reason moans kept the aussies on top where because of the brilliant backline – they tend to forget they had some outstanding loosies.
when the aussie’s wilted, there once brilliant loosies, smith and the likes – were no-where close to the form that they had when they burst onto the international scene.
in luke, schalk and joe, the stormers will surprise a lot if they are all fit and firing. actually, when the stormers did well in the S12, they had brilliant loosies, the bob’s corne and the likes.
you do not need a huge pack to dominate a game, if the bulls managed to buy some quick loosies, especially poach some of the cats boys, they would have been unstopable even with the depleted pack they have now.
that is why i believe the cheetahs will rule the domestic scene for a while, and their team will do very well in the S14.
as for the kitties, like the stormers, their flyhalf worries my – both might nullify an otherwise brilliant backline.
10 Feb 2006, 16:35 pm
Sheesh, NZ have serious depth in the loose forwards. How hots this combo? Rate the Chiefs too (Lauaki, Holah and Bates). Then there’s Tuiali’i, McCaw and Thorne from the Saders plus the likes of Flavell in Japan and Sam Harding at Northampton.
Next best loosies are at NSW. Bulls dont have this class unfortunately. Rate the Cheetahs and Stormers loosies ahead of them.
10 Feb 2006, 16:48 pm
our loosies are very good but just need to work on there interplay wit the backs,thats part of the reason the all blacks were so good if u look back on last year our loosies did ther job but just decided to crash ball instead of offloading in the takle, anyway thats my view,our forwards are good induvidualy but as a unit still need work!!!!
10 Feb 2006, 16:54 pm
for sure jason – i agree.
get rassie in there – look what he did with a couple of no-name brands!
apart from juan, os, naka and ollie – they were nowhere before rassie took over
10 Feb 2006, 16:56 pm
Smith has been out of position and Waugh is out of sorts. Connolly won’t pick them both in the starting back row
10 Feb 2006, 17:06 pm
How can you argue loosies are the way to go if you want to dominate???
I’m not saying they can’t have an impact on the game, but come on guys. Aus were nowhere last year because they were found out in the front row…
The bulls were ferotious in some of their games because of Lensing, Botha and Bands.
The Saders pack is freighting when considering the size of Heyman, Oliver and the likes.
PissAnt, i’m going to piss on your batery and say the stormers doesn’t stand a chance in hell to stand up and be counted in the face of this type of opposition….no matter how good your loos forwards are.
10 Feb 2006, 18:44 pm
But with quick loosies you can always win turnover ball and even with an atrocious front row the aussies had last year they scored tries. Many of these tries were from turn over ball won by Gregan and Waugh – now who thinks that having Danie Roussouw or JQ’s Cronje in the team would have managed that!
10 Feb 2006, 19:53 pm
NZ Loosies:
Blues:
Williams, Braid, McDonald, Collins, Kaino, Flavell
Chiefs:
Lauaki, Holah, Bates, Messam, Latu, Gibbes
Canes: Masoe, Collins, So’oialo, Waldrom Brothers, Herring
Saders:
Tuiali’i, McCaw, Thorne, Leo’o
H’landers:
Blowers, Blackie, Newby, Webb, T’pole
11 Feb 2006, 06:31 am
Super 12/14 games are won at the break down not in the front row. The Brumbies and Crusaders haven’t had dominate front rows and are bringing in new backrowers (the Brumbies have to replace Finegan and Fava). The Crusaders weren’t the same team without McCaw (after he got smashed).
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