Maori Tour

[Bovidae]

@tim

Hemopo and Franklin at lock. There are enough decent loose forwards without having to play Franklin there.

[Nepia]

@tim said in EOYT 2017:

@nepia No fullbacks in the squad?

Maybe Ngatai is the fullback?

What a weird selection.

At least there's only Keepa Mewett as the random coach home province selection rather than the 2 or 3 Cooper used to include.

[Stargazer]

Listening again to the Maori ABs coach. The naming of the halfbacks, in particular, has been done in close consultation with the AB coaches.

[Stargazer]

From the AB website. So midfielders Wainui and Ngatai will play wing/fullback. Surely there must be a better, and real outside back than Wainui?

FRONT ROW
Chris Eves (Waikato / Tainui) - North Harbour
Ross Wright * (Ngati Whatua) - Northland
Marcel Renata (Ngati Whanaunga / Te Aupouri) - Auckland
Tyrell Lomax * (Ngai Tuhoe / Muaupoko) - Ta$man

HOOKERS
Ash Dixon (Ngati Tahinga) - Hawke's Bay
Liam Polwart * (Ngati Maru) - Bay of Plenty

LOCKS
Tom Franklin (Ngati Maniapoto) - Bay of Plenty
Jackson Hemopo * (Tuhourangi / Ngati Wahiao) - Manawatu
Jarrad Hoeata (Ngai Tuhoe / Ngati Kahungunu) - North Harbour
Te Keepatakatakaaorangi(Keepa) Mewett * (Te Aupouri) - Bay of Plenty

LOOSE FORWARDS
Dan Pryor (Ngati Awa / Ngati Pikiao / Ngati Rangitihi) - Northland
Sam Henwood * (Ngapuhi / Te Whanau a Apanui) - Counties Manukau
Akira Ioane (Ngapuhi / Te Whanau a Apanui) - Auckland
Jordan Manihera * (Ngati Wairere / Waikato -Tainui) - Waikato

HALFBACKS
Brad Weber (Ngati Porou) - Hawke's Bay
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (Ngati Pikiao) - Taranaki
Jonathan Ruru * (Ngati Kahungunu / Rongomaiwahine) - Otago

FIRST FIVE-EIGHTHS
Ihaia West (Ngati Kahungunu / Ngati Porou) - Hawke's Bay
Jackson Garden-Bachop* (Ngati Awa) - Wellington

MIDFIELDERS
Tim Bateman (Ngai Tahu) - Canterbury
Rob Thompson (Ngati Kahungunu, Nga Rauru) - Canterbury
Teihorangi Walden * (Te Atiawa) - Otago

OUTSIDE BACKS
Sean Wainui (Ngai Tuhoe / Te Aitanga a Mahaki / Nga Arikikaiputahi / Ngati Porou) - Taranaki
Charlie Ngatai (Ngati Porou / Te Whanau a Apanui / Te Whakatohea) - Taranaki
Ambrose Curtis (Ngai Te Rangi) - Manawatu

Two more players will be named later this week.

Players unavailable due to injury are: Otere Black, Namatahi Waa, Ben May, Matt Proctor, Jacob Skeen, Kara Pryor, Leighton Price, Elliot Dixon, Bryn Hall.

http://www.allblacks.com/News/31658/new-talent-new-coach-new-chapter-for-maori-all-blacks

[family man]

@stargazer no Declan o Donnell or Jonah Lowe I’m surprised at

[Stargazer]

@family-man Yes, me too, although I'm not sure whether O'Donnell is going back to the AB Sevens team.

[MN5]

@nepia said in EOYT 2017:

@tim said in EOYT 2017:

@nepia No fullbacks in the squad?

Maybe Ngatai is the fullback?

What a weird selection.

At least there's only Keepa Mewett as the random coach home province selection rather than the 2 or 3 Cooper used to include.

Ngatai could probably slot in anywhere from 1-15 according to fern logic.

[Stargazer]

@westcoastie said in EOYT 2017:

@stargazer Who do the Maori play this year?

Canada (Sat 4 Nov, 3.00pm NZT) and the French Barbarians (Sat 11 Nov, 8.45am NZT).

[Nepia]

@family-man said in EOYT 2017:

@stargazer no Declan o Donnell or Jonah Lowe I’m surprised at

Yeah, forgot about Jonah Lowe, he should be there as one of the million midfielders - as he can adequately cover wing.

@No-Quarter Yeah, seems strange Akira isn't getting a look in - although maybe they just want to see him get game time so happy for him to go with the Maori.

[Bovidae]

A quick look at last year's Maori squad shows that Emery, Guyton and Marty McKenzie have missed out amongst the backs. No Prinsep, Apisai and Kainga in the forwards.

So to answer your question @Nepia, Polwart is a hometown pick.

[Nepia]

@bovidae said in EOYT 2017:

A quick look at last year's Maori squad shows that Emery, Guyton and Marty McKenzie have missed out amongst the backs. No Prinsep, Apisai and Kainga in the forwards.

So to answer your question @Nepia, Polwart is a hometown pick.

Has Apisai played much for Wellington this year to warrant his inclusion? Any other hookers out there?

Man, sucks to be the new coach when it comes to selecting outside backs - Cooper could have called on D Mac, NMS, James Lowe with Proctor as a back up and MacMillan is left with Curtis (I always thought Curtis was an Islander and Stevenson was Maori but I got that the wrong way round it seems).

Zac Guildford would have been a handy addition to this team ... (on the field).

[Nepia]

Another thought for the Maori All Blacks - is Elliot Dixon injured? Signed overseas?

[Bovidae]

Season-ending surgery.

[Bovidae]

@nepia said in EOYT 2017:

Has Apisai played much for Wellington this year to warrant his inclusion? Any other hookers out there?

Good question. I've only watched one Wellington game all year (vs Waikato) and Apisai was on the bench. Royal was also in the Maori squad last year.

[Bones]

Is Kara Pryor injured?

[Nepia]

@bones said in EOYT 2017:

Is Kara Pryor injured?

I prefer him to his brother, but his brothers seems higher in the pecking order.

[Tim]

@bones Yes.

[Bones]

@nepia he's bloody good, surprised there's no space for him.

[Bones]

@tim ah righto then. Great loose forward selections.

[taniwharugby]

Kara Pryor played on Friday v Wellngton, not sure he is injured, but his form has been average this season, bar playing well in the opening and closing games of our season, whereas Dan has been in great form all season.