Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final
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Steelers squad:
- Pauliasi Manu
- Gafatasi Su’a
- Sean Paranihi
- Viliame Rarasea
- Matiaha Martin
- Jimmy Tupou ©/Matt Vaai
- Jordan Taufua
- Sootala Fa’aso’o
- Richard Judd
- Jonathan Taumateine/Luteru Laulala
- Sherwin Stowers
- Cardiff Vaega
- Sam Vaka
- Sione Fifita
- Luteru Laulala/Toni Pulu
Reserves:
16. Hika Elliot
17. Sean Bagshaw
18. Sione Faletau/Kalolo Tuiloma
19. Matt Vaai/Viliami Taulani/Cameron Skelton
20. Onosa’i Auva’a
21. Jonathan Taumateine/Augustine Pulu
22. Joe Ikenasio
23. Toni Pulu/Nathan de ThierrySteelers coaches Darryl Suasua, Grant Henson and Semo Sititi have named a bracketed side to take on Canterbury in the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership semi-final at AMI Stadium in Christchurch on Sunday at 2:05pm. Due to some niggles within the squad, there are a number of bracketed players and the match day-23 won’t be confirmed until game day. Jonathan Taumateine or Luteru Laulala will step into the first-five role in place of Piers Francis who injured his hand in last week’s win over Canterbury at ECOLight Stadium last weekend. Augustine Pulu is expected to be back in the mix on Sunday, if he is not required as last-minute cover for the All Blacks. Darryl Suasua said it’s fantastic and well-deserved that Pulu got called into the All Blacks. “Despite being with the All Blacks during the week, he hasn’t actually missed a training with us which has been good. It’s great that we will hopefully have him for the semi-final on Sunday. “In terms of our squad, we are at a stage now where the guys coming off the bench are doing a great job. Whichever way we go with our starting line-up we always have a strong bench." -
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@Eddievx said in Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final:
I obviously haven't followed Counties selections close enough:
Does anyone know if Paranihi has much game time this season?
Is he a left-field selection for a crucial game?
Or is he a 1st choice but returning from injury?I'm pretty sure he played against the Cantabs last start.
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@Eddievx said in Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final:
I obviously haven't followed Counties selections close enough:
Does anyone know if Paranihi has much game time this season?
Is he a left-field selection for a crucial game?
Or is he a 1st choice but returning from injury?He has played 88 minutes in 4 games.
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Canterbury team to play Counties Manukau:
- Alex Hodgman
- Ben Funnell
- Siate Tokolahi
- Scott Barrett
- Dominic Bird
- Reed Prinsep
- Tom Sanders
- Luke Whitelock (Captain)
- Ereatara Enari
- Richie Mo’unga
- George Bridge
- Jordie Barrett
- Jack Goodhue
- Nathan Earle
- Johnny McNicholl (VC)
RESERVES
16. Nathan Vella
17. Daniel Lienert-Brown
18. Oliver Jager
19. David McDuling
20. Billy Harmon
21. Jack Stratton
22. Inga Finau
23. Ben Volavola -
@Stargazer said in Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final:
@Eddievx said in Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final:
I obviously haven't followed Counties selections close enough:
Does anyone know if Paranihi has much game time this season?
Is he a left-field selection for a crucial game?
Or is he a 1st choice but returning from injury?He has played 88 minutes in 4 games.
So not much game time at all.
Tuiloma must be one of those with a niggle; he has owned the tight head spot for counties.
Big game for Paranihi, I see he is just 19. Played for the NZ U20s. From Canterbury? -
Apparently, if this game is all tied up after 80, then after 100minutes and both teams are equal on tries in the game, then Counties go through by virtue of winning last week...
Not that I think it will be a draw.
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@Crucial said in Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final:
Bit of a bummer to lose key players at the crunch.
I'll say, Todd is a big loss. We are lacking his leadership and smarts.
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Great game to watch. Both teams playing like it's a final and, despite the score, it's pretty even.
Counties butchered a few try scoring opportunities in the first half and really should have scored. Canterbury didn't make those mistakes, so are leading after a penalty and tries to Funnell and Jordie Barrett (but George Bridge doing the decisive work for that one).
Not sure what Tony Johnson has been drinking this morning, because he has repeated several times that Nepo Laulala is playing for Canterbury (and playing against his brother), while in fact Nepo is contracted to Counties and not on either players list. Haven't heard he's ready to play, either.
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Canterbury clearly the better side this week. Excellent defense and very clinical. I think Counties were missing both Francis (they badly lost the territory game) and Tupou - they were beaten at the breakdown and couldn't get their usual pick and go momentum.
They needed to take one of the 3 early opportunities when they dropped the ball over the line/held up to give themselves a chance. And once Tuiloma went off, the scrum went from being dominant to being dominated. Still, they kept going, and didn't fold like Counties teams of the past might have; I enjoyed watching them this season. Looking forward to next season. -
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@fiamacho said in Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final:
@Eddievx I think you are giving Tuiloma too much credit. The Counties scrum was not dominant at all, there was parity until the Counties tight 5 got tired and that was half way through the 1st half. Tuiloma was simply not that good.
I think you are not giving him enough. The change was fairly obvious. Similarly in previous games this season. Granted he gives away a lot of penalties when he doesn't get it quite right.
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@Eddievx said in Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final:
@fiamacho said in Canterbury v Counties Manukau, semi-final:
@Eddievx I think you are giving Tuiloma too much credit. The Counties scrum was not dominant at all, there was parity until the Counties tight 5 got tired and that was half way through the 1st half. Tuiloma was simply not that good.
I think you are not giving him enough. The change was fairly obvious. Similarly in previous games this season. Granted he gives away a lot of penalties when he doesn't get it quite right.
It was bloody obvious, tuiloma was all over hodgeman the firt few scrums
But fuck me he's unfit. Looked completely buggerrd after 10 minutes
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Counties have more scum resets than any other Team in the Mitre10 Cup. Their tactic is to spoil the tempo of the opposing team at contact. I don't think that the Counties scrum was as "dominant" as what people make it to be. The difference this week was at the breakdown, where Counties struggled to break through the Canterbury defence. Too put it bluntly the Canterbury Pack "manned up" and Counties folded.
