Chiefs v Highlanders
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@kiwi_expat said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
@gt12 said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
@bovidae said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
@kiwi_expat He prefers Lowe on the left wing ahead of ENS. Lowe obviously providing centre cover.
Lowe is a far superior player.
IMO, ENS is lucky he's still playing Super Rugby - this year is absolute make or break for him.
Stevenson is 3 years older than ENS, is entering his 7th super season and hasn't done anything of note.
He's a massive liability on defence, lacks physicality & more often than not makes poor decisions on attack.
Stevenson is rocks/diamonds, no doubt, but all of those things can be said of ENS, who was meant to be a world beater.
And, given that ENS makes about 50% of his tackles, I don't think banging on about Stevenson's defence is the way to argue for ENS.
Finally, Stevenson has a useful boot.
But, we are weak in the outsides. No doubt about it.
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Gideon Wrampling is 102kg and has played a fair bit on the wing.
The Chief's outsides lack size/physicality, I would select Lowe, Narawa, Wrampling.
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@bovidae said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
Now that ENS has got the sevens bug out of his system I hope he does kick on. Still only 22.
I think people forget that. He was a schoolkid that looked good. The only people hyping him were those that think school rugby translates to big boy stuff.
It is an indicator of comparison against others but no assurance of further performance.He's still young but as others have said he may be judged for his future based on this year.
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@crucial said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
@bovidae said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
Now that ENS has got the sevens bug out of his system I hope he does kick on. Still only 22.
I think people forget that. He was a schoolkid that looked good. The only people hyping him were those that think school rugby translates to big boy stuff.
It is an indicator of comparison against others but no assurance of further performance.He's still young but as others have said he may be judged for his future based on this year.
The whole rugby league / rugby fight didn't help. He then started well on the wing with some good moves but has just never developed.
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is this supposed to be a home game for us? just clicked the saders and canes are playing at Fobarr, surely we'd get a better crowd there
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@kiwiwomble said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
is this supposed to be a home game for us? just clicked the saders and canes are playing at Fobarr, surely we'd get a better crowd there
This game was meant to be a 4:35 pm KO in Hamilton. All day games (based on the original draw) will be played in Queenstown. Night games in Dunedin.
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Disappointed with ENS and Stevenson for the chiefs, however, I give ENS more leeway since he’s so young and has had sevens duties in his way etc. I think Narawa is more talented than both and is probably 1 “solid” performance away from cementing a spot for good. Jonah Lowe doesn’t have as much X-factor as the rest of the players but he gives every bit of ability he has to offer every single game and that’s something I’d always want in my team.
Narawa Wrampling Lowe back three this year. Then when Dmac is back, Lowe and Wrampling fighting for one spot. The unfortunate thing for Wrampling is that we already have Tupaea and ALB so he probably needs to be more of a back theee player than a midfielder
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Wrampling can do a Rieko and start on the wing before moving back to the centres.
I will be curious to see what happens once Trask is back. If McMillan favours him at fullback again the backline reserves will look very different with an extra outside back included and no 1st 5 needed.
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@kiwiwomble said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
is this supposed to be a home game for us? just clicked the saders and canes are playing at Fobarr, surely we'd get a better crowd there
LOL what crowd?
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@machpants shit really? id missed that
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Here in UK it looks like we have to sign up to this: https://sanzaarrugby.tv/watch
Anyone aware of alternatives? -
@yeetyaah said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
Yeah I'm fucking excited about watching the boys play again. Team looks decent enough. Excited to see what Narawa can bring.
Is he eligible to play for the ABs ?
I am a bit surprised to see K. Boshier on the bench. I thought Tom Florence did enough last week to earn a spot in the 23s. -
@cgrant said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
@yeetyaah said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
Yeah I'm fucking excited about watching the boys play again. Team looks decent enough. Excited to see what Narawa can bring.
Is he eligible to play for the ABs ?
Narawa has already served his 3 years post-school so I assume he is.
I am a bit surprised to see K. Boshier on the bench. I thought Tom Florence did enough last week to earn a spot in the 23s.
Florence is only a WTG player. Questions would be asked about selection if he, or any other WTG player, was picked ahead of a player in the main squad.
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@bovidae said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
@cgrant said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
@yeetyaah said in Chiefs v Highlanders:
Yeah I'm fucking excited about watching the boys play again. Team looks decent enough. Excited to see what Narawa can bring.
Is he eligible to play for the ABs ?
Narawa has already served his 3 years post-school so I assume he is.
I am a bit surprised to see K. Boshier on the bench. I thought Tom Florence did enough last week to earn a spot in the 23s.
Florence is only a WTG player. Questions would be asked about selection if he, or any other WTG player, was picked ahead of a player in the main squad.
Florence certainly showed that he is up to it and should have been selected. It was simply due to numbers and existing contracts wasn’t it?
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It appears so. If you remember I was saying he deserved a contract before the squad was announced, based on his strong NPC form. I still think another loose forward should have been selected in the original squad. There is one less compared to 2021. Having a large WTG means you can cover your options, although those players won't be earning as much coin.
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The sad situation around Wainui possibly didn't help there. Suddenly a locked in squad member in an unestablised area had gone so the net had to be cast a bit wider for options.
At least I think that's where the effort went.
The back three has gone from having two guys you could ink in (DMac and Wainui) to none.