Blues v Sharks
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Blues
1 Pauliasi Manu, 2. James Parsons ©, 3. Mike Tamoaieta, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu, 5. Josh Goodhue, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Murphy Taramai, 8. Akira Ioane;
9 Jonathan Ruru, 10. Stephen Perofeta, 11. Melani Nanai, 12. Rieko Ioane, 13. George Moala, 14. Jordan Trainor,15. Michael Collins.Reserves: 16. Leni Apisai, 17. Ross Wright, 18. Sione Mafileo, 19. Jimmy Tupou, 20. Kara Pryor, 21. Sam Nock, 22. Bryn Gatland, 23. TJ Faiane
Players not considered because of injury: Otere Black (knee), Blake Gibson (shoulder), Glenn Preston (calf), Matt Moulds (ill), Sonny Bill Williams (hand), Augustine Pulu (foot), Alex Hodgman (arm), Scott Scrafton (leg).
http://theblues.co.nz/easter-clash-against-the-sharks-at-eden-park/
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I assume that Moala will be at 13 on defence, with Ioane there on attack?
Papali'i must be still getting up to speed after his injury.
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@tim Rieko has played 12 before - he played 12 for NZ Schoolboys iirc.
Really looking forward to seeing how 9 and 10 go.
Other than Pryor there isn't a lot of impact on that bench. Apisai keeps getting chances despite being poor every time he has appeared this season......
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Taking the boy to this. Stoked Perofeta is starting, really exciting prospect.
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@kiwimurph said in Blues v Sharks:
@tim Rieko has played 12 before - he played 12 for NZ Schoolboys iirc.
Really looking forward to seeing how 9 and 10 go.
Other than Pryor there isn't a lot of impact on that bench. Apisai keeps getting chances despite being poor every time he has appeared this season......
Sio Tomkinson was at 12 for NZ Schools, Rieko was at centre.
He has played a bit of 12 before though. He played a season for Grammar at 12 when he was 5th form, but moved out to centre after that year, so he does have some experience there, but it's been awhile. I think he'll go OK there because he has all the tools for the position, but ideally you want him out on the edges because of his pace and ability in space.
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Looks like GCT was dropped, but it really should've been Tupou. With Scrafton out, GCT is the only guy in our team that is proven as a consistent line-out winner. He's also just outright better than Tupou as a lock.
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If Moala was at 12 Ioane wouldn't get the ball anyway!
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@dice I'm hoping he's been rested, as he's played every game so far. Dropping him would be just dumb.
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@dice Goodhue is very good in the air, but then he is pretty inexperienced at this level.
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@bovidae said in Blues v Sharks:
If Moala was at 12 Ioane wouldn't get the ball anyway!
This is what made me laugh when I saw Rieko at 12. The coaches are basically admitting that Moala won't get the ball to Rieko, so to nullify that, they'll just move Rieko in one.
Now to get the ball to the outside backs, we're going to need Rieko to throw some cut out balls.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues v Sharks:
@dice Goodhue is very good in the air, but then he is pretty inexperienced at this level.
Yeah, I was going to mention his ability in the air, but he's unproven at this level. He did go well in pre-season though.
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@dice both Scrafton and GCT took a step forward after a year or so in development at the Blues. Hopefully Goodhue is similar (last year being his development year).
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Where is Tu'ungafasi?
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@kiwimurph his physicality is something I thought improved last NPC, our lineout was always better when he was there, didn't he captain the dev side earlier this year too?
But then this is a kid who turned down a Super rugby and NPC contract as he didn't feel he was upto it a few years ago, so seems to have his head screwed on, he just needs to take his chances now.
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@no-quarter He and Duffie are having one of their two rest weeks.
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Sharks have been crap and are getting smashed by the press in SA. It's another game the Blues should be favourites for.. we'll see
They've been a bogey team over the years. Sharks have won 10 out of the last 11 matches against the Blues.
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@tim said in Blues v Sharks:
@no-quarter He and Duffie are having one of their two rest weeks.
With Jordie fit again, and NMS still to come back, I don't see Duffie getting close to the AB's this year
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@stockcar86 Duffie hasn't reached his 2017 form yet either. Plenty of time left in the season but he's had a slowish start.
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@dice said in Blues v Sharks:
@kiwimurph said in Blues v Sharks:
@tim Rieko has played 12 before - he played 12 for NZ Schoolboys iirc.
Really looking forward to seeing how 9 and 10 go.
Other than Pryor there isn't a lot of impact on that bench. Apisai keeps getting chances despite being poor every time he has appeared this season......
Sio Tomkinson was at 12 for NZ Schools, Rieko was at centre.
He has played a bit of 12 before though. He played a season for Grammar at 12 when he was 5th form, but moved out to centre after that year, so he does have some experience there, but it's been awhile. I think he'll go OK there because he has all the tools for the position, but ideally you want him out on the edges because of his pace and ability in space.
Please tell me you're not serious about that...
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"We've been training him there for the last three or four weeks because of the skills he has. He's got a very good pass; he's a good communicator, defender and he wants to play in the midfield," Umaga said of Ioane.
"We've talked through the role and what it consists. It's not just something that's started this week. He loves a challenge and it's a good one for him."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12022601
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you Blue jerseyed fuckers better not ruin our best back by desperately moving him closer and closer to the ball.
The Greater Good is faaaar more important than another false dawn at the Blues
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I've always thought Ioane would move from the wing, to 13, to 12 like Tana.
But never in my wildest dreams did I think he'd do it in the space of a month. -
@mariner4life said in Blues v Sharks:
you Blue jerseyed fuckers better not ruin our best back by desperately moving him closer and closer to the ball.
The Greater Good is faaaar more important than another false dawn at the Blues
Thank fuck for Perofeta or we'd probably see him at 10 before long.
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So Ruru has been benched and Nock is starting. Annoying.
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@kiwimurph Any news on why? Injury?
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@tim didnt say anything.
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when that happens you would normally assume some kind of breach of team rules??
If he has a niggle, better off starting and getting the most of him than benching in case Nock then injures himself and he is forced on.
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Fucking hell, blues have struggled early, good chances but they’ve blown both opportunities to get some points.
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Moala clean beaten in defense.
TJ on commentary lol the torture continues.
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Tackle only, should have been Blues ball. BS call. Sharks score on the next play.
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I hope Tana has his resume up to date...
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Blues looking very bluesish. Should give the fans a good chance to moan about the commentator actually talking about what's happening...
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Taramai is picked ahead of Pryor and Papali'i at 7. He missed that tackle, after getting driven back in the last one.
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soft penalty
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Bloody hell, I chose to watch this rabble instead of the Warriors?
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Bloody hell, the Blues just love giving up a lead.
0-13 after 15 and the Blues look like a rabble, missing tackles and dropping it every time they’ve had it in the last 10 minutes.
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wasnt that a fumble by the Sharks 8 at the back of the scrum?
Scrum about all the blues doing well at moment
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Great kick from Collins.
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What’s with Nanai not using the ball there? You’re not going to win with your set piece, that much is clear. FFS
