NPC - news, injuries etc

[Tim]

Harbour Rugby Win Over Auckland Tom Coventry’s Highlight of 2017

[Daffy Jaffy]

.Halfback Johnathan Ruru is a new 2018-19 Mitre 10 Cup signing for Auckland. Currently on the Maori All Blacks’ northern tour, the 24-year-old is fresh off two seasons for Otago and has also played for the All Blacks Sevens.
Auckland has 21 players signed for the 2018 season, and is in the process of contracting several others. Those re-signed earlier in the season were Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Scott Scrafton, TJ Faiane and New Zealand Under 20s prop Ezekiel Lindenmuth. – Campbell Burnes

[Tim]

@daffy-jaffy said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

Johnathan Ruru

Good news. He and Costa should be an improvement.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@tim I wonder who the new coach is? Any chance Jon Preston who is looking for a head coach gig.

[Tim]

@daffy-jaffy Yeah, he was one of the first I thought of - meets the championship requirement due to the Highlanders' 2015 title.

[KiwiMurph]

Thats brilliant. Auckland desperately need an upgrade at 9.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@tim Get Preston in the system and then a Coventry, Whitcome, Preston Blues regime, post Tana, would have potential!

[Tim]

Auckland super rugby contracts (18 including Ruru):

Blues:

Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Scott Scrafton
Patrick Tuipulotu
Blake Gibson
Akira Ioane
Jerome Kaino
Dalton Papali’i *
Jonathan Ruru *
TJ Faiane
George Moala
Caleb Clarke *
Rieko Ioane
Melani Nanai
Jordan Trainor

Chiefs:

Taleni Seu

Hurricanes:

Michael Fatialofa
Vince Aso

Crusaders:

N/A

Highlanders:

Greg Pleasants-Tate

*Super Rugby rookies

Should be the basis of a good Mitre 10 Cup team, if they have a good coach.

[KiwiMurph]

@tim I endorse your decision to rule Akira out for the 2018 NPC as he'll be busy with the ABs.

[Tim]

@kiwimurph He already missed half the season this year by training with them, so not too optimistic.

[Stargazer]

This was posted on Twitter by the Rugby Round Up. @Tim, I understand from one of your previous posts that the Auckland number is wrong. Should be one less Blues player as their total is given as 39?

[Bovidae]

Who is the Waikato player at the Canes? Are they counting Toby Smith, who hasn't played for Waikato since moving to Aust? So the number should be 7 and all at the Chiefs.

That table shows why Canterbury is so strong because even without their ABs the majority of their team still has Super rugby experience. At the other end is Southland with Waikato next.

[Stargazer]

@bovidae Just looked at the Canes squad again, and I think it can only be Toby Smith. Maybe he has signed with Waikato? After all, with Uhila gone, they need a replacement, too?

[Bovidae]

@stargazer

They have a young LH (Ayden Johnstone) who I'd prefer they develop. But he could be coming home.

For the purpose of that table, we'll claim Henry Speight too!

[Stargazer]

Just remembered that the Blues have already signed Kirckpatrick as a replacement for Black, so their total of 39 should be correct. But he's from Wellington, so not sure who Auckland's 15th player at the Blues is.

Edit: I think there are mistakes in that chart. I think there are 5 Northland players in the Blues squad, 8 N Harbour players, and indeed only 14 Aucklanders.

[Duluth]

@stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

Just remembered that the Blues have already signed Kirckpatrick as a replacement for Black, so their total of 39 should be correct. But he's from Wellington, so not sure who Auckland's 15th player at the Blues is.

There seems to be a screw up in the Auckland numbers. Auckland has 18 SR players and 14 at the Blues according to the Auckland website (that count includes Ruru)

[ARHS]

I did a quick count that might miss loan players or recent transfers like Ruru (?) :
NL 10, NH 12, Akl 17, CM 12, Wk 7, BOP 8, Tar 17, HB 12, Man 8, Wel 23, Tas 19, Can 27, Ot 14, Sth 4 O/S 1

That makes 39 from Blues area, Chiefs 44, Hurricanes 43, Crusaders 46, Highlanders 18. So average per union is Blues 13, Chiefs 11, Hurricanes 14, Crusaders 23 and Highlanders 9. Makes sense for job security to be in Crusaders area and definitely not in Chiefs with 13 players from outside the franchise, despite 4 unions to choose from.

[Stargazer]

@stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

This was posted on Twitter by the Rugby Round Up. @Tim, I understand from one of your previous posts that the Auckland number is wrong. Should be one less Blues player as their total is given as 39?

Okay, I admit it, I'm a nerd. I have checked this chart.

Errors:

• Northland have 5 players in the Blues and a total of 10 players in Super Rugby.
• North Harbour have 8 players in the Blues and a total of 12 players in Super Rugby.
• Auckland have 14 players in the Blues and a total of 18 players in Super Rugby (Ruru and Kirkpatrick included)
• Waikato only have 6 players in the Chiefs, because Liam Messam is not playing NPC. But Toby Smith is correctly included in the Waikato squad (source: Hurricanes media release). Total players in Super Rugby: 7
• Taranaki have 3 players in the Crusaders and a total of 17 in Super Rugby players
• Canterbury has 19 players in the Crusaders (not 20) and a total of 27 in Super Rugby (I think the maker of the chart may have missed that Scott Barrett is now contracted to Taranaki).
• Otago has only 1 player in the Blues and has a total of 13 players in Super Rugby (I think Ruru has been included twice).

All other numbers are correct, including the 39 players in the Blues squad, and the 38 in all other squads.

[Bones]

@stargazer Is Sopoaga no longer a Wellington player?

[Stargazer]

@bones He hasn't been for a few years. He's contracted to Southland.