ITM Cup 2010

[Somerset]

Round Twelve Results:
Hurricane 10
Samuel_Vimes 10
Somerset 10
BoyBrumby 9
HeathDavisSpeed 9
Voltman 9
Ripper868 8

Standings after Round Twelve:
Samuel_Vimes 94
Somerset 94
HeathDavisSpeed 92
Voltman 92
BoyBrumby 90
Hurricane 90
Ripper868 74

 

[Somerset]

Its the final round of ITM Cup before the semi finals but the semi finals for the Heartland Championship start this week - as per usual I think we'll offer 2 points for each of the semis and 3 points for the finals if thats going to influence how you tip for the final few weeks.

Round Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

 

[ripper868]

I'm gonna win this thing!

Round Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

 

[Smudge]

Round Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

 

[Hurricane]

ound Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

 

[Somerset]

Bay of Plenty
Canterbury
Taranaki
Otago
Wellington
Auckland
Hawkes Bay

North Otago
Wanganui

King Country
Horowhenua Kapiti

 

[BoyBrumby]

Round Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Round Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

 

[Smudge]

Round Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Round Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

Round Thirteen ITM Cup Fixtures:
Northland vs Bay of Plenty
Waikato vs Canterbury
North Harbour vs Taranaki
Otago vs Manawatu
Southland vs Wellington
Auckland vs Tasman
Counties Manukau vs Hawkes Bay

Round Nine Heartland Championship Fixtures:
Meads Cup Fixtures:
North Otago vs Mid Canterbury
Wanganui vs Poverty Bay

Lochore Cup Fixtures:
King Country vs Wairarapa Bush
Horowhenua Kapiti vs Buller

You'd already picked, mate? I presume you're just changing from Waikato to Canterbury, eh?

 

[Smudge]

Yeah, I guess so....

Had forgotten I had tipped, so we'll go with my second bunch of selections.

 

[Somerset]

Reminder to Vimes to tip before tonight's opening match of the round otherwise as per previous rounds I'll automatically give him Northland (the home side) for tonight's game.

 

[Hurricane]

Yeah, I guess so....

Had forgotten I had tipped, so we'll go with my second bunch of selections.

If only you had stuck with Waikato.

 

[Somerset]

If only you had stuck with Waikato.

Waikato were fantastic tonight, although I was surprised that they continued to take shots at goal than to try and grab a bonus point and overtake Canterbury on the ladder. Either way it looks like they'll be playing in Auckland for the semi final (providing Auckland beat Tasman with a bonus point) or at home as the second place finisher if Tasman can pull out an upset.

 

[Hurricane]

I can't be bothered finding your post Somerset but at the start of the season you said that Kerr Barlow had big rapps on him. Last night he really came through. It was the best play I have seen from a half back since Bachop. That praise said I only watched for a brief passage of play - so it is possible that he was just everywhere while I was watching. His kicking game may not be up there yet as well. Also as a waikato fan I may look upon him with some bias.

look forward to him getting some super rugby

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Glad I backed Waikato. Thought that Canterbury would be short of some of the intensity we've seen over the last few weeks and that turned out to be the case. Some of the most bizarre rugby I've seen towards the end of the first half when Colin Slade seemed unable to kick the ball into any sort of space - favouring kicking it into his own players, the post or the opposition instead. Incredible.

Was a very emotional evening Chez Heef the other night when David Holwell had his final, final, final retirement and scored and again showed a stellar performance in his final game.

 

[Somerset]

I can't be bothered finding your post Somerset but at the start of the season you said that Kerr Barlow had big rapps on him. Last night he really came through. It was the best play I have seen from a half back since Bachop. That praise said I only watched for a brief passage of play - so it is possible that he was just everywhere while I was watching. His kicking game may not be up there yet as well. Also as a waikato fan I may look upon him with some bias.

look forward to him getting some super rugby

I made that comment based on watching some of his efforts towards the end of last season and although he had a very good 30 minutes or so last night (including a sensation pass to set up Anesi's try) I was expecting him to have more of an impact this season. The new Waikato halfback (Malcolm Barnes) was also solid, I'd never seen him play before but it seems as though Waikato suddenly have no shortage of good halfbacks.

Was a very emotional evening Chez Heef the other night when David Holwell had his final, final, final retirement and scored and again showed a stellar performance in his final game.

Holwell, WAG.

 

[Hurricane]

I made that comment based on watching some of his efforts towards the end of last season and although he had a very good 30 minutes or so last night (including a sensation pass to set up Anesi's try) I was expecting him to have more of an impact this season. The new Waikato halfback (Malcolm Barnes) was also solid, I'd never seen him play before but it seems as though Waikato suddenly have no shortage of good halfbacks.

Holwell, WAG.

Thanks for posting - I was waiting to see what you would say. In some of his earlier games he seemed all at sea with passes going astray and wrong options being taken. Perhaps he is a confidence player and last night he just got on a roll. Or perhaps he is just so young that he needed a few games to find his feet.
What I look for in a halfback is someone who will clear the ball without hesitation from the ruck and take the right option each time. Last night he made up his mind who to pass the ball to in a fraction of a second and it kept Cantabs on the back foot. Sometimes Weepu can be like that on a good day - but it was really Bachop for me that was a star at doing that.

I only watched Kerr Barlow play and not the new fellow. So I will be interested to see who gets to play in the semifinals.

 

[Somerset]

Otago's just gone down, at home, by 22 points to Manawatu - they finish easily in last spot and didn't secure a single four try bonus point. I certainly don't wish to rip into Otago but I have to say that a Super 15 based franchise should be performing far better than Otago have this season. Can anyone realistically see anyone other than Donnelly, Triggs, Thompson, Soakai and Ben Smith (i.e. just five of their entire squad) playing for the Highlanders?

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Bloody King Country. Sigh.