Wellington v Magpies

[Stargazer]

Wellington:

1 Tolu Fahamakioa
2 Asafo Aumua
3 Alex Fidow
4 Isaia Walker-Leawere
5 James Blackwell (c)
6 Galu Taufale
7 Du'Plessis Kirifi
8 Teariki Ben-Nicholas
9 Sheridan Rangihuna
10 Jackson Garden-Bachop
11 Ben Lam
12 Thomas Umaga-Jensen
13 Wes Goosen
14 Julian Savea
15 A Wells

Reserves:
16 Sitiveni Paongo, 17 Vince Sakaria, 18 Joe Apikotoa, 19 Will Mangos, 20 James Tuiatoa, 21 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, 22 Dan Kirkpatrick, 23 Malo Tuitama

Blackwell to lead Lions against Hawke's Bay

[Stargazer]

Magpies

1 Mark Braidwood
2 Jacob Devery
3 Jarvy Aoake
4 Nick Palmer
5 Geoff Cridge
6 Lucas Goodin
7 Hugh Renton
8 Tony Lamborn
9 Brad Weber (c)
10 Tiaan Falcon
11 Sam McNicol
12 Cardiff Vaega
13 Hayden Hann
14 Jonah Lowe
15 Richard Buckman

Reserves:
16 Jorian Tangaere
17 Jason Long (vc)
18 Pouri Rakete-Stones
19 Josh Eden-Whaitiri
20 Fa'alemiga Selesele
21 Ricky Hayes
22 Chris Eaton
23 Dan Snee

[Stargazer]

It looks like we are fielding a Hawke's Bay Saracens plus team. Did Canterbury already kill most of our squad on Friday and is Wellington going to bury the rest? Geez, I'll hardly dare to watch tomorrow night.

[Number 10]

Personally would prefer Lowe in the midfield.

A more logical selection at fullback.

Tiaan Falcon in his best position.

6-2 split on the bench.

[Stargazer]

@Number-10 Yes, and a seriously weakened forward pack.

We're missing Dixon, May, Allardice, Mikaele-Tu'u and Evans in the forwards, and West and Emerson in the backs.
And our bench ...

[Stockcar86]

I like giving the locals a chance to prove themselves, but Hann at centre??!!??

Just because Wellington are playing a wing at centre, why do we need to?

Hann is 83kg. Ihaia West is 4cm shorter and is heavier. Goosen has 10kg on Hann. Umaga-Jensen is over 20kg heavier.

I think I know where Wellington will try to smash through our backline all night.

[Stargazer]

@Stockcar86 I like giving the locals a chance, too, but not all at the same time.

I also don't get why they didn't move Lowe to centre. Aumua, Lam, Goosen and Savea are going to have a field day.

[Higgins]

At least we are being spared Marvin Karawana, or, perish the thought, Luke Rooney. Come to think of it you could also include the big guy (whose name escapes me at the moment) that came down from Auckland for a couple of seasons before being offloaded to BoP. Who is this guy Ricky Hayes? My source of complimentary tickets can't deliver tomorrow night so it is going to be torture having to fork out to witness live what has the looking of another fifty point pounding written all over it.

[Stargazer]

@Higgins Hayes is a flanker playing for NOBM. 19 years old (per June 2017)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11870717

[Higgins]

Thanks. Poor sod what a game to make you debut in. Are we so short of backs that we only have two that can find a position on the bench, Chris Eaton must be more versatile than we have seen to date!?

[WingerHB]

I have a bad feeling about this...

[Stargazer]

[Stargazer]

Leni Apisai takes place on the Wellington bench.

[Higgins]

A couple of late unexpected events (took an age to find my eftpos card and missed the last bus that would have got me to the ground in time) has put a spanner in the works and I could not get to the ground in time so am sentenced to watching it in my lounge. Just like what looks to be about 7831 thousand other missing spectators.

Sitiveni Paongo has always played loosehead prop (saw him absolutely cream Alex Fidow when playing for Wellington College about three years ago) so that leaves a bit of an opening to exploit. I'm clutching at straws here obviously.

[Higgins]

Right the Magpies are up three nil after eight minutes. Time to create an all in brawl that forces the referee to abandon the match with the score at the time still standing?

The TAB odd drastically shortening on HB to win now being $4.25

[Higgins]

And those odds now out to a juicy and more realistic $8.00 after C Vaenga manages to be spectacularly sat on his arse whilst attempting to stop J Savea from scoring a try which J Garden Bachop managed to convert.

[Higgins]

Anyone fancying $10.00 for the Bay to win? That's what they are paying after Paongo scores a try and as I write that Alex Fidow scoots in under the posts in what is really looking like nothing more than an opposed training run. The $10.00 suddenly becomes $18.00 for an away win.

[Higgins]

The Magpies finally manage to win something even if it is only a penalty being awarded right on their own goal line. I'm considering doing a lap of honour in recognition of the achievement.

[Higgins]

Goodness, that was a mysterious no try decision by the TMO.

[Higgins]

Christ an obvious clear try again being referred to the TMO. I won't be holding my breath after the last episode.