Auckland vs. BOP

[Tim]

Auckland match-day 23 for Bay of Plenty

Saturday September 30, 5.05pm, Eden Park, Auckland:

15 Melani Nanai (Manukau, 21)

14 Vince Aso (Ponsonby, 35)

13 George Moala (Grammar TEC, 51)

12 TJ Faiane (Pakuranga, 14, c)

11 Joe Ravouvou (College Rifles, 5)

10 Tyrone Elkington-MacDonald (University, 7)

9 Jono Hickey (Grammar TEC, 29)

8 Akira Ioane (Ponsonby, 24)

7 Blake Gibson (Ponsonby, 18)

6 Taleni Seu (Grammar TEC, 18)

5 Ben Nee-Nee (Pakuranga, 12)

4 Jamie Lane (Ponsonby, 1)

3 Marcel Renata (University, 18)

2 Kurt Eklund (University, 29)

1 Sam Prattley (Pakuranga, 40)

Reserves:

16 Greg Pleasants-Tate (Ponsonby, 22)

17 Emersen Tamura-Paki (College Rifles, 6)

18 Dexter Fa’amoana (College Rifles, 2)

19 Sinclair Dominikovich-Murray (University, 5)

20 Dalton Papali’i (Pakuranga, 1)

21 Nico Costa (Eden, 0) +

22 Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC, 0) +

23 Tumua Manu (College Rifles, 2)

+Potential Auckland debut

Injured/unavailable: Tom McHugh (season), Jamason Fa’anana-Shultz (season), Scott Scrafton (season), Leon Fukofuka (season), Michael Fatialofa (season), Daniel Bowden, Samuel Slade, Malakai Fekitoa

All Blacks: Rieko Ioane, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Jerome Kaino, Patrick Tuipulotu

Faiane to captain Auckland

Auckland rugby has a proud tradition of outstanding captains and the next player to join the list of provincial...

[Tim]

Former All Blacks and Auckland coach Sir Graham Henry, who won four straight NPCs with the province from 1993-96 and two in 2002-03 as technical advisor, has lent a helping hand this week at training.

[nzzp]

@tim said in Auckland vs. BOP:

Former All Blacks and Auckland coach Sir Graham Henry, who won four straight NPCs with the province from 1993-96 and two in 2002-03 as technical advisor, has lent a helping hand this week at training.

They'll need more than that!

I'm not going, all bar one of the season ticket holders we sit around aren't going, it's over, rover

[KiwiMurph]

Good to see Plummer there. Hopefully he gets a taste.

With Faiane at 12 and Nanai at fullback the backline looks better.

BOP to win but at least there are some reasons to tune in.

[Number 10]

@kiwimurph said in Auckland vs. BOP:

Good to see Plummer there. Hopefully he gets a taste.

With Faiane at 12 and Nanai at fullback the backline looks better.

BOP to win but at least there are some reasons to tune in.

As a neutral I might watch this game to have a look at Harry Plummer. He was the top points scorer at the Jock Hobbs Under 19 tournament.

[KiwiMurph]

Moala ruled out. Aso to centre - Manu to wing and Trainor to the bench.

[KiwiMurph]

Beautiful try Ravouvou. Bit of hungus but good run. Nice set up Taleni Seu.

[KiwiMurph]

Ravouvou in again. Auckland game plan is carving up.

[KiwiMurph]

Renata yellow carded. You could see that coming.

[KiwiMurph]

Sensational defence by Blake Gibson and Akira Ioane.

[Tim]

Yep. Gibson is having a blinder.

[KiwiMurph]

Manu is a good player the Auckland winger. Probably been Auckland's most consistent back this year.

[Tim]

Henry seems to have made a difference...

Caretaker coach for 2018?

[Donsteppa]

Hands like feet.

[Stargazer]

Don't agree with that TMO decision. It wasn't clear and obvious that that went forward.

[KiwiMurph]

@stargazer yep BOP havent had the rub of the green with the reffing.

Having said that this Auckland defense is bloody impressive.

[Donsteppa]

A signature game under Clayton’s coaching. The forwards look impressive, but the backline is disjointed and poor on attack

[KiwiMurph]

Elkington-MacDonald misses a drop goal from straight out in front. He is mud.

[Tim]

Scott Stevenson is doing a lot of whining today.

[KiwiMurph]

Richard Judd looks like he's the younger brother of Keiran Read