44 replies to this topic

[Hooroo]

Idiots! No discipline some of these clowns

Quote

All Black Adam Thomson and star recruit Michael Hobbs have been stood down by the Highlanders for missing a team curfew on their tour of South Africa.
They will not be playing against the Bulls in Pretoria on Sunday (NZ time).
The pair have been disciplined following a night out after the team's 33-nil hiding by the Stormers in cape Town last weekend.
Highlanders head coach Glenn Moore said the players didn't get back to the team hotel on time. They weren't involved in any other incidents.
Moore said that while suspending the players was a critical decision which impacted on the whole team, it was, in the end, a straightforward one.
"Each week you have to earn the right to play for this team. This slip up, albeit out-of-character for these two guys, means they don't get the opportunity to play this week," Moore said in a statement.
Hobbs and Thomson would stay with the team in Pretoria to help them prepare for the match against the Bulls.
The Highlanders return to New Zealand on Sunday following the match.
Thomson is the Highlanders' most experienced player, with the versatile loose forward playing 15 tests for the All Blacks.
Hobbs has made a big impact after being imported to the Highlanders after playing last year's Super 14 with the Blues.
He has scored four tries with some good performances in the No 10 jersey.
Mat Berquist takes over at first five and Steven Setephano will be at No 8.
Moore has made other changes to his pack for the big assignment in Pretoria.
Tim Boys comes in at blindside flank for John Hardie, prop Chris King replaces Clint Newland and Jason Macdonald returns to hooker for Jason Rutledge.
Captain Jimmy Cowan, who has already returned home with a finger injury, was replaced by Sean Romans with Jamie Mackintosh taking over the skipper's role.
The Highlanders' embarrassing loss to the Stormers last week dented a reasonable record in South Africa for the Kiwis which now stands at 15 wins, 17 defeats and a draw.
They face a massive task to turn things around in round five against the defending champions.
Highlanders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Kenny Lynn, 12 Jason Shoemark, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Mat Berquist, 9 Sean Romans, 8 Steven Setephano, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Tim Boys, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Chris King, 2 Jason Macdonald, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Reserves: 16 Jason Rutledge, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Hayden Triggs, 19 John Hardie, 20 Scott Cowan, 21 Robbie Robinson, 22 James Paterson.

[Mokey]

Wow, the Bulls must be licking their lips for a cricket score. Hobbs and Thomsen have been the shining lights in an otherwise average team.

[Duluth]

..and the Bulls will be wanting revenge for the Palmerston North game last year

This could get messy

[Midge]

I gave them little chance before and this makes the team much worse. Idiotic stuff by those two.

[BartMan]

actions and consequences - my 11 year old daughter is learning this right now. I hope she gets the hang of it before her ealry to mid twenties like this dickheads. Good on the Highlanders for ballsing up and making a rule, then sticking to it. Short tewrm pain for long term gain - although, three years of getting the shit kicked out of you is getting beyond the short term, and as yet, the long term gain is hard to find...

[junior]

At least Robinson gets a spot on the bench. Here's hoping he gets 20 mins or so to show the coach what he's got.

[Barnsey]

Look, I'm a Highlanders fan, and I don't mind professional sportsman having a drink or whatever. But this really pisses me off. The team LOST 33-0, and they're having a lare up.

The reason this especially frustrates me is I saw most of the team out on the piss and acting like idiots after the close loss to the Blues in Dunedin. Had the team won, I wouldn't have minded at all as there would have been something to celebrate. But this going out and living it up large after losses makes me feel like the team doesn't really feel affected by the result they have just got.

[Chubby13]

Firstly these guys were idiots and deserved to be stood down. They broke the team curfew and have been rightfully stood down for the week. But I think you're being a bit hard on them for going out after a loss. They work bloody hard during the week and deserve to be able to go out and enjoy themselves at the end of the game. (Just have to make sure they make it back in time afterwards). What would you have them do? Each time they go down they go back to the hotel rooms and sulk? I don't see what that would achieve.

If you had a prick of a week at work, and shit had hit the fan (or in this case they lost) would you prefer to go out and have a few to unwind, forget about it for half a dozen hours, then jump back on the horse the next day and start preparation on where you go now? Or would you want to go home and sulk about what a prick of a week?

Just because they're out drinking doesn't mean that they haven't been affected by the loss.

[BartMan]

When I was involved with the Valley we pulled the boys out one morning after a close loss on tour and ran them through a gut buster. It was superb. I ahve also been involved with Valley teams on the other end of this, and it is not so superb! It does pull a team together though, and the self policing happens big time after that when the whole team is punished because of two ******s. The two ******s sound find themselves toeing the line, or being made to by the team.

You would expect more from an All Black though.

[Bezzymcnezzy]

A mate brought up a good point about Adam Thompson. There he was in the loss to the Stormers acting like a leader and a senior member of his team and yelling at his team mates to pick it up and perform. But then he goes out and acts like a kid by breaking team rules. Hard for other guys to follow someone who acts like that.

Thompson didn’t drink all last Super 14 and had a blinder of a season. This of course was right after his very public troubles. The word was that he wasn’t going to be picked for the Tri Nations last year, despite his great form, due to his actions and immaturity on the end of year AB tour of 2008 where he had a number of big nights out drinking and missed team meetings etc. But injuries and his dedication (non drinking) saw him selected and he played well for the AB's. Unfortunately it looks like he’s reverted back to some of the more immature actions of his past. <O:p></O:p>

[ACT Crusader]

BartMan said:

When I was involved with the Valley we pulled the boys out one morning after a close loss on tour and ran them through a gut buster. It was superb. I ahve also been involved with Valley teams on the other end of this, and it is not so superb! It does pull a team together though, and the self policing happens big time after that when the whole team is punished because of two ******s. The two ******s sound find themselves toeing the line, or being made to by the team.

You would expect more from an All Black though.

The S14 teams are fairly well regimented though. All their trainings, hit outs, gym sessions etc planned to a T. The preparation of say the Highlanders and other teams wouldn't be too dissimiliar. BUt a game can throw up all sorts of things and sometimes you win and sometimes you get a towelling.

If the players called an extra session than that would be different IMO than the coach getting stuck in and saying everyone down the park at 6am Sunday morning.

All we know is that they broke a curfew, it doesn't say they were wildly drunk etc

[Hooroo]

It's a fair assumption that they were drunk though. If they were sober they would at least have the reasonable excuse for being late surely and I'm sure that the coach would give leeway to two top S14 players who came in a bit late but totally sober.

[taniwharugby]

Barnsey said:

Look, I'm a Highlanders fan, and I don't mind professional sportsman having a drink or whatever. But this really pisses me off. The team LOST 33-0, and they're having a lare up.

The reason this especially frustrates me is I saw most of the team out on the piss and acting like idiots after the close loss to the Blues in Dunedin. Had the team won, I wouldn't have minded at all as there would have been something to celebrate. But this going out and living it up large after losses makes me feel like the team doesn't really feel affected by the result they have just got.

I used to hate the way some guys react to a loss when I played, some would be laughing it up and joking about like it didnt matter and more worried about where they were going out that night, whereas the rest of the team were sitting quietly in the change sheds gutted about the loss.

I expect the Bulls to tear them a new one!

[JP]

Not to mention that going out on the large in SA isn't exactly the safest thing to do...

[BartMan]

true ACt, but I bet dollars to donuts they were not out having a cup of tea at the local dunkin donuts...

[rustycruiser]

Only 8 minutes in, and the Bulls have just run in their second try. It's going to be a long day for the Clan if they don't tighten up their defence.

14 - 0 Bulle

[rustycruiser]

Make that three tries. Gerhard van der Heever just ran one in from deep in his own 22m, near the 5m line. Out sprinted everyone the length of the field.

21 - 0 Bulls after 12 minutes

[rustycruiser]

Highlanders show some backbone. Finally some good defense on their line to prevent the Bulls getting the bonus point try, and then more tackling causing a turnover, which quickly leads to a counter attack in the form of Dagg going over in the corner for the five pointer. Converted.

21 - 7 Bulls after 19

[rustycruiser]

Bulls pick up the four try bonus.

Kirchner kicks a midfield up and under. Ball comes down just in front of the 22m line. Kirchner jumps for it. Potgieter there in support, offloads to Kuun, who passes in the tackle to Wynand Olivier who goes over in the corner. Morne Steyn misses the conversion.

26 - 7 Bulls after 25 min

[rustycruiser]

Spies under the poles. The Highlanders seem to have a lot of troubles catching the high kicks, another mistake fielding an up and under leads to another try. Cricket score today?

33 - 7 Bulle after 30 min

[rustycruiser]

36 - 14 is the half time score. Dagg picked up his second try off a 5m scrum. Clan scrummie ran wide from the scrum, drew Potgieter away, and then passed inside to Dagg who had a clear field in front of him and the try line.

[rustycruiser]

BTW, someone should tell Dagg that try scoring celebrations are kind of stupid when you are 20 points in the hole. Try to act like you have been there before.

[rustycruiser]

Highlanders get the first try of the second half. Deservedly so. They have had most of the possesion, and played more rugby than the Bulls in the second 40. Bulls are on Cruise control.

36 - 21 Bulls after 53 min

[rustycruiser]

Bulls strike back. Typical trfy for them. Penalty. Kick for the corner. Maul. Maul colapses, FdP pops to runner, in this case Hoougaard, who goes over

43 - 21 Bulls after 60 or so.

[rustycruiser]

Very nice try by the Highlanders to pick up the four try bonus. Smartly through the hands of the backline, then a nice chip kick ahead by Paterson, recovered on the bounce by Robinson for the try.

The Bulls have looked utter shite this second half. Cruising? Uninterested? Not looking at all clinical, and pathetic defense. Based on the first half, they should have put this game to bed.

43 - 28 after 70 min

[rustycruiser]

Pierre Spies gets his second try. Bulls atacking 5m scrum after vd Westhuizen was held up in the earlier movement. Scrum wheels slightly. FdP moves right drawing defenders, Spies picks up and goes left and over for the try.

50 - 28 Bulls after 75 min

[rustycruiser]

Dagg gets the hat trick. Quick tap from a 5m penalty, and reaches over for the try. The Bulls lack of defense and game play is really pissing me off.

50 - 35 after 77 min

[rustycruiser]

And thats the final. I am really irritated with the second half performance of the Bulls. All credit to the Clan for coming out and playing well in the second half. But the lackadaisical effort of the Bulls really irritates, and somewhat worries me. Their defense woes this year have been masked by their high scoring offence. They risk being exposed when they play better teams.

[Blue]

rustycruiser said:

And thats the final. I am really irritated with the second half performance of the Bulls. All credit to the Clan for coming out and playing well in the second half. But the lackadaisical effort of the Bulls really irritates, and somewhat worries me. Their defense woes this year have been masked by their high scoring offence. They risk being exposed when they play better teams.

Yeah terrible. They should have scored 90.

Hope they got a pasting from the coaches. That was indisciplined and cocky.

[Baron Silas Greenback]

I agree actually.

The Bulls might find life a tad more difficult away from home and against a defence that wont budge.