Blues v Chiefs
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@daffy-jaffy If that's the team, then I'm guessing Clarke or Lam will be covering centre. Not ideal, but if I had to choose between the two, it'd be Clarke. I think Clarke will eventually move one in later in his career.
If Caleb doesn't understand something, he can always ask the GOAT Blues centre that he lives with.
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@daffy-jaffy said in Blues v Chiefs:
These teams are listed already on 'The Roar' Aussie website.
Blues
1. Alex Hodgman, 2. Kurt Eklund, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4. Luke Romano, 5. Josh Goodhue, 6. Tom Robinson, 7. Dalton Papalii, 8. Hoskins Sotutu, 9. Finlay Christie, 10. Harry Plummer, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 13. Reiko Ioane, 14. Mark Telea, 15. Stephen Perofeta.Reserves: 16. Ricky Riccitelli, 17. Ofa Tuungafasi, 18. Marcel Renata, 19. Sam Darry, 20. Adrian Choat, 21. Sam Nock, 22. Beauden Barrett/Zarn Sullivan, 23. AJ Lam.
Chiefs
1. Aidan Ross, 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3. Sione Mafileo, 4. Josh Lord, 5. Brodie Retallick, 6.Tupou Vaa’i, 7. Sam Cane (co-c), 8. Pita Gus Sowakula, 9. Brad Weber (co-c), 10. Josh Ioane, 11. Etene Nani-Seturo, 12. Quinn Tupaea, 13. Alex Nankivell, 14. Shaun Stevenson, 15. Chase Tiatia
Reserves: 16. Bradley Slater, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. Angus Ta’avao, 19. Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20. Kaylum Boshier, 21. Xavier Roe, 22. Bryn Gatland, 23. Anton Lienert-Brown.
Good match up and benches
I guess there are some players not ready/injured and for the Chiefs I'm not sure about Tiatia but that is balanced by Blues putting Zarn on the bench.
Hope we don't have a winger injured early. -
That is the Chiefs team. Weber's 100th game.
https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/weber-to-play-his-100th-as-gallagher-chiefs-named-to-face-blues
Unavailable for selection:
Luke Jacobson, Gideon Wrampling, Kaleb Trask, Mitch Brown, Reuben O’Neill, Simon Parker. -
Papalii back to meet Chiefs at Eden Park — Blues Rugby
The Blues welcome back their new captain and All Black, Dalton Papalii to the starting line-up for Saturday’s return to Eden Park to take on neighbours the Chiefs in DHL Super Rugby Pacific.
Barrett is still bracketed with Zarn
Only player listed as injured is Akira
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@pakman said in Blues v Chiefs:
@bovidae said in Blues v Chiefs:
If that is the Chiefs 23, McMillan is going down the Robertson route and picking as many locks as possible.
That's some tall timber!
Probably also due to circumstances as the first game for both Lord and Vaa'i, and neither will play the full 80. The MP game would have been used to introduce some of the returning ABs and squad players.
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@bobily2 said in Blues v Chiefs:
Does anyone know if Finau is injured?
No.
I would've have liked to see him starting.
Me too, or at least on the bench. He's obviously behind other players but could have been used at 6 this week. As I said, 4 locks in the 23.
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@bovidae said in Blues v Chiefs:
@bobily2 said in Blues v Chiefs:
Does anyone know if Finau is injured?
No.
I would've have liked to see him starting.
Me too, or at least on the bench. He's obviously behind other players but could have been used at 6 this week. As I said, 4 locks in the 23.
Frustrating. If Sowakula keeps his form up and Jacobson stays fit we might not see much of him
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And with Mitch Brown, Simon Parker and Samipeni Finau also nursing injuries, McMillan said it was really a case of needs-must in shifting the 1.98m, 118kg Vaa’i into the back row, as opposed to any tactical move to combat a Blues pack which profited from two rolling-maul tries in their last-gasp loss to the Hurricanes in Dunedin last Saturday night, or following any instructions from any curious All Blacks selectors. -
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@bovidae said in Blues v Chiefs:
Strange that Finau wasn't listed as "unavailable for selection" in the team announcement then.
Yep but often players are available for selection, but just over an injury so haven't traine enough to be selected. I haven't actually seen the team naming where the ones were named who weren't considered.
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@cgrant said in Blues v Chiefs:
I thought that Ah Kuoi was a Lock/6 so why not play him on the blind side rather than Vaa'i who has zero experience there ?
I would say partly to wanting the returning ABs to start and then who will be replaced by who. BBBR is likely to play the full 80 mins so only one lock will be subbed.
