Preseason
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Taranaki 17- BOP 15
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Whoops Taranaki19 BOP 17
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Three tries each. Bop converted one and Taranaki converted two. The game was played with one 40 minute half and two 20 minute second halves so plenty of player changes. BOP bought over roughly 25 players and several who came as spectators.
The Taranaki team had none of its Super players and several other players out with injury apparently so wasn't near at full strength. To be fair, neither were BOP with Campbell (who usually plays halfback at first-five for a large part of the game).
As a summary (and bear in mind I may have guessed the players names incorrectly or missed seeing certain players as there was no program) here is a list of players who played :- Siataga , Lay (times2), Sakalia, Thwaites, Callendar, Mewett, Wardlaw, Parette, Blake, Stowers, Ardon, Campbell, Judd, Haimona, Nicolas, Masarewa (times2), Ware, and Te Auti. There were one or two I never knew.
Those watching included Retallick, Hepitema, Foketi, Polwart, Ross and Delany.
Those absent were Ioane, Webber, Karpic, Tiatia, Fisihoi, Steel, Franklin and Stanaway.
I also never saw Robertson-Wepu , Le'aupepe, Mua and Trask.
What all this means to the final make up of the team is any bodies guess. I understand official team announcement is this week with one more preseason game next week against Waikato in Hamilton.
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Someone posted the Taranaki v BOP match on youtube:
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Excellent !! Thanks Duluth. This will give everyone (well, all two or three that actually follow this forum) some idea of the new recruits.
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Thanks Duluth. Great to take a sneak peek at how the squad is developing.
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Good work Duluth
