2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby
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@Stockcar86 Funny that you should turn up for two of the few games that I was not there for!!!!!! Liam could almost be compared to Ardie Savea in that he would go equally well as a second five as he does as an openside given his skills. Ardie obviously dwarfs him as Liam would struggle to reach 190cm much less exceed the 2.00metres plus of Ardie! One can only guess that selectors are going to adopt a bulldozing type forward dominated style given Udy-Johns bewildering non-selection and using the reasoning that he is not built like an over musclebound MMA fighter as justification for his omission. But then that does not account for the not exactly large Sam Smith in his place nor the best second five bar none seen in club rugby, Mr. Popoali'i, being overlooked as well, particularly when looking at the three midfielders name being pretty much bench players last season.
Udy-Johns invariably got over the advantage line when tasked with the carting the ball up job and made big yardage when give a bit of space a little bit further out and some of the seven loose forwards named in the initial squad not being that much bigger than him and apart from Smith not really seen as opensiders these days. -
It wouldn't surprise me at all if Kahlia Awa makes the Black Ferns in the next few years. Hopefully she will be picked by the Hurricanes Poua as a full squad member for 2024.
https://www.provincial.rugby/news/awa-out-to-create-history/
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@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
Tui team to take on Waikato
Sat 29 July 2023 - 2.05pm - Sky Sport 1
@Higgins She's back (at 3)!
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More details about the rep games, this weekend:
Central HB Representative Rugby U18 (invitational team) v NP East Coast U18 (invitational team) - k/o 11.00am at Otane Domain
Central HB Representative Rugby v NP East Coast - k/o 2.15pm at Otane Domain
Whanganui v Hawke's Bay Development - k/o 2.30pm at Memorial Park, Taihape
Wairoa Sub-Union v Hawke's Bay Mฤori - k/o 2.30pm at Lambton Square, Wairoa
Wairo squad:
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@Stargazer said in 2023 Hawke's Bay Representative Rugby:
FT: Tui 10 - 14 Waikato
Considering Waikato beat BOP 50 - 0 in round one, and beat the reigning champions Canterbury in round 2, this is a very good result for the Tui, also bagging a bonus point. Very good start in the Premiership.
It was a good game to watch. HB number 8 was the best Tui player. Ashley had a really good 55 minutes too
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@Stockcar86 Yeah, I'm glad I chose to watch the Tui play instead of the Samoa v Fiji game. Kathleen Brown has been huge for the Tui the last few years and it's a pity that she hasn't it made it further than the Hurricanes Poua's fringes. She trained with them but didn't get game time, this year. Last year, she got only a few minutes.
Halfback Kahlia Awa is promising, too. A bit too keen sometimes, but her decision-making will improve. She reminds me a lot of Folau Fakatava a few years ago. Moomooga Palu is a great bulldozer; I love watching her running undisturbed by all the opponents who desperately try to get her to the ground.
Both former Black Ferns, Krysten Cottrell and Gemma Woods are also important in the team. Cottrell is a great leader and Woods is relentless. She started as a halfback, has played at prop, and now plays in the backrow. But wherever she plays, she throws herself into her work and doesn't stop until the game is over. Huge engine. Leading by example.
The Tui's greatest worry is that their scrum gets dominated, but the line-out worked well. Tackling has improved the last few years. Biggest improvement however is fitness. I remember reading a few years ago that they struggled to get some players to come to training because they didn't take it too seriously. They also started working on fitness far too late in the season, meaning that they struggled early in the season and they started improving as the season progressed. Now they seem to start the season fit and all players seem to be committed.
Hopefully, the Tui now playing in the Premiership means they get noticed more and more players will be picked up by Aupiki squads and maybe - ultimately - the Black Ferns too.
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Something I forgot - how slow was the Tui right winger? Twice she had breakaways and got mowed down relatively easily. Was she injured maybe?
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@Stockcar86 I noticed that, too. She was really slow. She didn't look injured; maybe she's an older player? Or a converted midfielder? This is where it bites having such a small squad. During the first round game v Auckland, the commentator said that they had struggled to get enough players, so I guess they couldn't be too picky. This is also where it bites having Harmony Kautai moving to, and playing for, Wellington.
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@Number-10 Oh, that's not good! At least one eligible player was playing for the Magpies (Tuifua) and Allen is still on suspension, but that's a worrying result. I know we've had bad results before with our U19s (including teams with Toala, McClutchie etc) and it has never affected the Magpies because the best out of that U19 team were really good, but a team putting 60 on us makes you wonder ...
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@Stargazer Just watched the highlights you posted over on the other thread and note with mixed feelings that my No. 26 is no longer No. 26! On the other hand I can only assume that the powers that be in the HBRFU have decided to "retire" that number, and that's the ultimate tribute but it just doesn't look right for my favourite to be wearing another number.
