Isn't Gibson a converted 7 as well? Goes to show we don't have many out n out 7s..

The Ryan Wheeler memorial trophy will be up for grabs too!

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="611700" data-time="1472887103">
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<p>That would <strike>have to</strike> be <strike>contender fo</strike>r the worst game of the year.</p>
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<p>I was at the game and concur with most of the above. The first half was all stop start with practically no phase going above one or two before someone made a mistake or a penalty was awarded. I don't know how players like Brad Shields and Vaea Fifita can go from looking like real decent players to the "who the hell are these guys" that we have seen in the last two Wellington matches. They certainly are nowhere near the standard they played at during the Super Rugby season. Whether it is because they are still a little fatigued from that or whether they played well above themselves or whether  the game plan employed by Coach Va'a is wrong for their strengths I don't know but they are streets away from where they were just a month back. At least Fifita still won all his lineouts with contemptuous ease, pity Wellington didn't call every lineout for him though.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The new tall kid Walker-Leawere is hard to get a handle on as I thought he was supposedly the next big thing but all I have really seen from him is sort of a lumbering carthorse type player when he has the ball in hand. Probably being a bit unfair on him but he just looks a bit ponderous to me at this stage. Even Peter Umaga-Jenssen was quiet tonight and he is a kid I have seen play really well at club level but was not able to show up tonight. In fact you could say that about the entire Wellington side if being brutally honest, doing nothing of note but certainly plenty of forgettable things. That they did not manage to score a try pretty much sums up everything. There was someone in the midfield who stone cold dropped perfectly catchable passes twice when under no pressure at all, maybe Sean Treeby by a process of elimination but whoever was responsible it was something a paid professional player should not be doing. The scrum immediately started going Harbours way once Alex Fidow was wheeled on with about ten minutes to go, no more needs to be said there. Don't get me started on Sam Lousi!!!!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On the other side Harbour weren't exactly looking likely to run away with the match, despite Wellington doing their best to encourage them to win so they too must have their supporters tearing their hair out (if they have any left after these last few seaons!). All in all it was one of the dreariest, disjointed, penalty infested, error ridden games of rugby played at an unbelievably slow pace I have had to endure. One wonders how many of the paltry attendence of three thousand and a few will be back for another serving of that slop.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite everything written above there is still a team worse than the two on display tonight believe it or not. I shudder what to think Auckland will do to my mob come Wednesday night so shite are the Bay's displays so far.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="611653" data-time="1472870896">
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<p>Just tuned in to the game and heard the commentators say that James Lowe is not playing because he had broken something and needed an operation? Did I hear that right? Anyone who knows more? I thought he had only just returned from injury? Not much luck that lad.</p>
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<p>Broken thumb according to commentators</p>

<p>Rieko reminds me a lot of Israel Falou and could be even better imo. Such an exciting prospect.</p>

<p>To be honest, I thought it was going to get very ugly at 39-15 - in fact even when we were ahead at half-time we were barely holding on, Counties seem to have so many powerful (and not slow) ball runners. Not sure if Counties turned off the gas in the final 20 but suddenly we had ball going forwards and looked like we would score every time. Worst drop of the weekend has to be the guy who dropped the final Counties kick-off cold when we had 2 minutes to conjure up a miraculous win.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steelers - bags of potential there but they won't beat the top teams being so careless and disorganised.</p>
<p>Steamers - plenty of spirit which is good to see but we've lost a few to injury and there are lots of kids out there. Will have to beat Northland, Harbour, Southland.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="610182" data-time="1472370510">
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<p>Tom Coventry was the coach who was instrumental in signing Retallick and luring him north.  But your point remains.  :)</p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Remind me to smack Tom Coventry in the face when i meet him.  :)</p>
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<p>Actually, I'd better king hit him from behind and run like hell - but, my point remains.</p>

55 - 26. Looked awesome after being 14 - 0 down early on. M Mackenzie 1 try, 7 conversions, 2 penaltys

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="609492" data-time="1472274879">
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<p>He's only 23 so he's still relatively young. Got a few games for the Blues a couple of seasons back iirc.</p>
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<p>Oh wow.  Yes I remember he was in the Blues about 3 years ago so he has time to develop.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Higgins" data-cid="609212" data-time="1472201013">
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<p>At last someone backing me up on this major defect in a prop! Interestingly enough I was speaking to someone that has had, and continues to have, a bit of involvement in Fidows development and from memory he did say something about changing Fidows bodyshape to something more attributable to the hooking position. He certainly looks leaner than he did last season but no difference yet noticed in his scrumming ability. Surely Fidow's inability to make the starting lineup as a prop in his club team must ring alarm bells  amongst the selectors of representative teams, so much so that it must say something about their suitability to retain those positions in future. It must be a real smack in the face to the propping staff at Oriental-Rongotai to be overlooked for higher positions in professional teams for someone way below them in ability to hold up a scum. One can guess their reaction should Earl Va'a come knocking on their doors if (when?) he finally decides to ditch Fidow.</p>
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<p>We have the same at Auckland with Isi Tu'ungafasi who doesn't even start for his club yet somehow manages to start in the Mitre 10 Cup all because he has come through the age group sides and the academy yet he can't scrum to save his life. Someone like Siua Halanukonuka who is a far better scrummager had to leave Auckland club rugby to get an opportunity because he didn't come through the grades and is flourishing as a result yet we're stuck with young guys (McHugh and Tu'ungafasi) who are well out of their depth all because they're the hotshots from out of school.</p>

<p>As has been said, northland going to the lineouts really cost them any chance of victory. Forgettable game of rugby, good to get 5 points but that was about it. Concerned with our midfield as we are missing Moala badly from last season. Forwards went ok, and Renata looked a lot better than Tu'ungafasi when he came on.</p>

<p>Goodhue had practically everything stacked in his favors. Great front foot ball, better players inside him, more time training with the team, and he has been able to focus solely on 15s, whereas Rieko had been out of 15s for a few months.</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="cgrant" data-cid="608649" data-time="1472023418">
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<p>Yes, that's for sure but this does not explain the missed tackles from Ioane.</p>
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<p>Jet lag? Rieko just got back to NZ on Wednesday.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="cgrant" data-cid="608389" data-time="1471937197">
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<p>How did Kautai fare ? It is usually very hard for a 19 y.o. prop to make his debut at the provincial level. Atu Moli struggled a lot last year but has made big strides forward since.</p>
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<p>I thought Kautai went OK in the scrum vs Perry when he replaced the injured Moli.  He will probably start vs NH if Moli can't play.  Hoeft must rate him despite his age and lack of experience at this level.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="607743" data-time="1471754128">
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<p>Maybe it was just me, but I thought Southland gave away a lot of penalties by putting their hands in the ruck and trying to jackle. The scoreline was a fair reflection of the game I thought. Otago will definitely be pushing for promotion.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Must say Southland lost the game in the second half. Their defence was good in the first and because Otago gave away all those penalties, Hawera made sure Southland were leading at HT. I didn't have the impression Southland gave away that many penalties; if they did, it didn't do any damage (not close enough to the sticks for Otago to score penalty goals).</p>

<p>Only recently made it back to the flat and still reeling in abject disappointment. Glad to see I am not the only one to think the Bay were on the wrong end of some blantantly poor (from my point of view) crap calls, or non calls in too many instances. Having said that my guys were their own worst enemies with some somewhat diffident tackling (especially in the first half) amd interesting inability to contest lineouts, not helped by some of the interesting referring interpretations, or clear non calls on obvious infractions. No doubt I will be lablled a bitter loser but some of the calls were met with derision by even totally loyal Wellington supporters in the mob I watched the game with. We (all three of us) were hopelessly outnumbered but at least making up a decent component of the winning boat race team in a fiercely contested elimination challenge! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>All in all the visitors were slightly better on the day but it could have been different had the rub of the green gone the other way.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Gunner" data-cid="606818" data-time="1471600450"><p>
More chat over in the Taniwha forum.<br><br>
Rucks were a free for all, the poo got away with coming through or around the ruck all night and booting the ball.</p></blockquote>
<br>
Not sure about that. "Side entry" has been redefined. So long as you come from your side of the halfway point of the breakdown you are ok.

<p>I thought Harbour looked a little bit better than Counties in this one. The stats seem to back that up too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If August Pulu played this game, I think Counties get the W. Judd was just really bad and held the team back(Vaka didn't help either). I would've brought on Taumateine a lot earlier.</p>
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<p>Li is just all comedy these days.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>TJ  was doing his best Nisbo impersonation with how many times he got player names wrong.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="606695" data-time="1471580408">
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/83281094/longserving-hooker-jason-rutledge-summonsed-to-stags-training'>Long-serving hooker Jason Rutledge summonsed to Stags training</a></p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Awesome :)</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gt12" data-cid="603950" data-time="1470613550">
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<p>I'm really looking forward to the 4N. Barrett looks, to me, like he's done enough to get the 10 jumper. However, with SBW back, it'll be interesting to see if he can use the tools in the back line as well as Cruden.<br><br>
One really interesting part will be how this affects McKenzie. If Barrett gets the start, McKenzie's chances rise also - but at whose cost?</p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Did you just call SBW a tool?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Very harsh.</p>

My point is more that with a better culture he would be less inclined to make such a rash heat of the moment decision.