Highlanders v Crusaders

[Stargazer]

@kiwiwomble Actually, red-carded players can be replaced after 20 minutes.

[Kiwiwomble]

@stargazer i forget we were doing that

[Stargazer]

Following the conclusion of the game on Friday night, there will be a pounamu mere presented to Co-Captain Ash Dixon to acknowledge his achievement of 100 games for a Super Rugby Club. Dixon played his 100th game against the Crusaders at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch on 9th August 2020 however the presentation was delayed until it could be made in front of a home crowd. 

Unavailable due to injury: Sam Gilbert (knee), Ayden Johnstone (Concussion), Pari Pari Parkinson (ankle)

News | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership

Keep up to date and get breaking Highlanders news first! See the latest scores, team standings and player news.

[Yeetyaah]

Seems strange that Hunt starts over Ioane, I read above that he had drinking issues last season? I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing Alaimalo in blue

[Duluth]

Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, Dallas McLeod, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Bryn Hall, Cullen Grace, Tom Christie, Ethan Blackadder, Samuel Whitelock, Scott Barrett (c), Michael Alaalatoa, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody

Reserves: Brodie McAlister, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Quinten Strange, Sione Havili Talitui, Mitchell Drummond, Fergus Burke, Chay Fihaki

---

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/300237947/super-rugby-crusaders-midfielder-dallas-mcleod-to-start-in-absence-of-injured-duo

[Yeetyaah]

@duluth Goodhue finally back at 13.

[Bones]

@yeetyaah said in SRA 2021 Round 1: Highlanders v Crusaders:

@duluth Goodhue finally back at 13.

Because a 13 has been put at 12....what the fuck is up with midfields in NZ!? Has it become illegal to play good players in regular positions?

[Bones]

@kiwimurph said in SRA 2021 Round 1: Highlanders v Crusaders:

I wonder if Josh Ioane is receiving a bit of tough love after last season and his issues with drinking and weight.

Do tell? First I've heard of it.

Hunt was abysmal at 10 last year so he will have to have improved dramatically to be capable, when Ioane came back it was night and day.

[Duluth]

@bones

It was during the NPC

Koroi and Ioane got suspended for an 'alcohol related incident' the NZH claimed 'both players turned up to training in an unacceptable state'

[Stargazer]

@bones I can't remember in which article it was written, but Brown has made a remark about Ioane that it was good to see him wearing shorts in his usual size instead of a size up, after the off-season.

[Bones]

@Duluth @Stargazer cheers

Geez it's fairly dumb to get written off the night/morning before training if you're a pro athlete. It's a special kind of dumb to then turn up to training in that state.

[Kiwiwomble]

@stargazer what does that mean?

@Bones Hunt also had a misfiring ioane outside him at the start of last year and had a pretty good NPC at 10 from what i saw, im not oppose...as long as we dont persist too if loane comes on and sows him up

[Bones]

@kiwiwomble said in SRA 2021 Round 1: Highlanders v Crusaders:

@stargazer what does that mean?

@Bones Hunt also had a misfiring ioane outside him at the start of last year and had a pretty good NPC at 10 from what i saw, im not oppose...as long as we dont persist too if loane comes on and sows him up

Well yeah, there's a lot of things I wouldn't be opposed to if NPC form was a massive indicator for super rugby. Unfortunately, Hunt was good at NPC long before last year...

[KiwiMurph]

@bones said in SRA 2021 Round 1: Highlanders v Crusaders:

@kiwimurph said in SRA 2021 Round 1: Highlanders v Crusaders:

I wonder if Josh Ioane is receiving a bit of tough love after last season and his issues with drinking and weight.

Do tell? First I've heard of it.

Hunt was abysmal at 10 last year so he will have to have improved dramatically to be capable, when Ioane came back it was night and day.

Well the drinking issue was for Otago not Highlanders.

I'm still trying to hunt down where I heard about his weight (edit - cheers @Stargazer )

To be clear i'm reaching for reasons why he might not be starting because to me Josh Ioane is a far superior 10 to Mitch Hunt.

Both Ioane and All Blacks Sevens playmaker Vilimoni Koroi have been excluded from head coach Tom Donnelly’s side to play this weekend in what will be a significant blow in Otago’s quest for promotion into the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership.

Both Stuff and the Otago Daily Times have reported that the pair breached the team’s alcohol policy, with Stuff indicating both players turned up to training “in an unacceptable state”.

[Yeetyaah]

@kiwiwomble I'm assuming it means that he's trimmed some weight.

[Chris]

@yeetyaah said in SRA 2021 Round 1: Highlanders v Crusaders:

@kiwiwomble I'm assuming it means that he's trimmed some weight.

Or he’s not pissed anymore and has now found his own shorts instead of his team mates

[Tim]

Grace and MMT should be a good match-up. Was impressed with both in the preseason games.

[Yeetyaah]

Hahaha fuck speaking of Josh Ioane on the piss. Some of you guys might think I'm a dick if you don't already. When I was living in Dunedin a bunch of the Otago players were out on the piss and I was at the same bar as them and Josh Ioane got up to do whatever and I nicked his beer. In my defence I was drunk as shit.

[Bones]

@yeetyaah said in SRA 2021 Round 1: Highlanders v Crusaders:

Hahaha fuck speaking of Josh Ioane on the piss. Some of you guys might think I'm a dick if you don't already. When I was living in Dunedin a bunch of the Otago players were out on the piss and I was at the same bar as them and Josh Ioane got up to do whatever and I nicked his beer. In my defence I was drunk as shit I think Waikato just lost the shield to them so I was kinda salty.

Oh so we've got you to blame for Josh's beer abandonment issues. Fucken dick!

[delicatessen]

@yeetyaah I mean ur a chiefs man so we kind of already knew, but thanks for the confirmation 👍