@KiwiMurph Only in the spending stakes! 🙂

@ACT-Crusader This article answers your question.

Josh Blackie, Seilala Mapusua and Hale T-Pole receive 2019 NZRPA Kirk Award

@raznomore said in NRL 2019:

The latest doing the rounds is a current star of the NRL has got a 17yo up the duff

Stating the obvious here - while controversial, at least that's not illegal (making the assumption it was consensual), not like a most other off season league controversies....

Will give this a bump.

Really enjoyed the cycling over the weekend. Campbell Stewart (and the whole omnium) was great to watch. We have some real contenders for the Olympics in several categories. Looking forward to the Brisbane event this weekend.

Sailing was good as well. That Burling and Tuke combo go pretty well.

They really need more "sitting down" sports for us to excel at.

Perhaps Archer should think more about taking wickets, instead of what a number says on the TV coverage.

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Barbarians: November 2019 Tour:

Wales: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Johnny McNicholl, 13 Owen Watkin, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Tomos Williams, 1 Wyn Jones, 2 Ken Owens, 3 Dillon Lewis, 4 Jake Ball, 5 Adam Beard, 6 Aaron Shingler, 7 Justin Tipuric (capt), 8 Aaron Wainwright..

Replacements: Elliot Dee, Rob Evans, Leon Brown, Seb Davies, Ollie Griffiths, Gareth Davies, Sam Davies, Owen Lane.

Good team for us.

Great to see Jarrod Evans start.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup/rwc-2019-japan/117778669/rugby-world-cup-aaron-smith-speaks-out-on-ruthless-all-blacks-review-after-loss-to-england

Don't think there was any doubt ...

@chchfanatic Anyone but! He's a disaster mate. Has such a shocker with the Tahs, not just performance-wise, but internal management. Poor pre-season prep, awful player retention and succession, fcked the team around with his plans (demanded extension only to walk out on them once the assistants had made other plans). He is by all accounts a nice guy, but he is not a HC

I have zero idea of the viable alternatives for the Saders, but you really don't want him

@cgrant said in AB 1st 15:

Yes, I think Goodhue and ALB are too similar, ALB being faster though. The ABs need more penetration in midfield in order to nullify their opponents' rush defence.

It is time for Laumape to put up or shut up in this regard. And time for a new coach to give him a chance to prove he can be our next battering ram

@Bones said in Super rugby omissions:

@mikey07 said in Super rugby omissions:

@Dice before this year I’d say I’d beg to differ Umaga-Jensen was carving up for Wellington, though this year due to lack of playing time he sadly hasn’t hit the form he has...rumour has it Wellington havnt offered him a contract renewals so he’s off to Otago.

I think those guys are a couple of the most disappointing players compared to the early fern hype from recent memory. Obviously behind Gibson and Hodgman by a long way but still.

IIRC the hype about both Umaga-Jensens was really only from one poster (who blew copious amounts of smoke up their arses). Plenty of others were saying 'thanks for the heads up but lets wait and see how they go playing adults'.
Still young though. Plenty of time if they are patient and work hard.

@stockcar86 I would love to advise Stockcar86 of the result in the 20/20 match between NTOB CC and his combined NHSOB-Marist CC outfit played on Friday night but this is a club rugby forum so am sort of prevented from bringing up the 103 run win to the NTOB CC Premiers. Nevertheless I must acknowledge the great effort by the way NHSOB-Marist managed to bat out their 20 overs losing just eight wickets in the process!

The 2nd half was disappointing and you could see how important Reid is to organise the defence when he wasn't there. This is the start of a new era under Hay after 525 days of inactivity so it will take some time to adjust to possession-based football. Bell, Thomas and Marinovic were the pick of the All Whites. McCowatt scored a nice goal on debut but also twice lost possession in his own half leading to Irish goals.

We will need to see further improvement against Lithuania on Monday (NZT), a team ranked closer to NZ.

I guess this news still belongs in the 2019 thread.

TOBY SMITH RETIRING FROM RUGBY

Hurricanes prop Toby Smith has announced he is retiring from rugby following issues with concussion. 31-year-old Smith, a Super Rugby centurion and former Australian international, has opted not to renew his contract with the Hurricanes to preserve his long-term health by seeking out new opportunities. “I am making the difficult choice now to leave the game I love and that has given me so many amazing experiences and where I have made some life-long friendships. I have had some on-going issues with concussion, and while I am currently symptom-free, I do not wish to put that at further risk. ...

Today (Sat 9/11/2019) is the NOBM Invitational Sevens tournament. This tournament is important for the selection of the 2019 Shield Snorters Sevens team that will play the Central Regional Sevens tournament on Sat 30 November, in Levin.

This is from the HBT article below:

About the NOBM squad:

He [Liam Edwards] pointed out their game plan will be similar to previous years. They will rely a lot on Shield Snorters forward Ricky Hayes to secure the ball in the air at reception time.

Hayes and fellow key forwards Chris Johnston, who is back from his suspension, Matt Gardner and Will Tremain, who has returned after shoulder surgery, will have the job of protecting the ball and creating space for the likes of Edwards and fellow speedsters Zac Donaldson and Saia Paese to strut their stuff.

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About Havelock North's team:

Havelock North have the likes of Latrell Ah Kiong, Ryan Tongia, Trent Hape, Anzelo Tuitavuki and Jacob Stephenson.

.

About MAC's squad:

While MAC will miss two of last year's kingpins, Johnny Ika and Solomone Funaki, who are attending a family reunion in Tonga, they still have Tom Iosefo, Fa'alemiga Selesele and Alatasi Tupou.

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Apart from the Napier Pirate Colts' teams (with a few familiar names from last year's Napier BHS 1st XV), I haven't seen other team line-ups for this tournament.

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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=12283596

Those Opta stats reminded me of my favourite moment of the pools - Lappies tipping the ball out of some Russian’s hands, telling their fly half (?) the bus was full and then strolling in for a try.