Auckland v Waikato
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Auckland team named.
A lot fewer changes than I would have thought given the tight turnaround.
I suppose it is early in the campaign.
Auckland look to build on promising start (match day programme)
Largely unchanged side to face Waikato Head Coach Alama Ieremia has opted against rotation and is looking to build ...
Auckland team to play Waikato: Sam Prattley (Pakuranga) Robbie Abel (College Rifles) Marcel Renata (University) Fa’atiga Lemalu (Papatoetoe) Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC) Dalton Papali’i (Pakuranga) Blake Gibson – Captain (Ponsonby) Akira Ioane (Ponsonby) Leon Fukofuka (Marist) Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC) Salesi Rayasi (Marist) TJ Faiane (Pakuranga) Tumua Manu (College Rifles) Melani Nanai (Manukau Rovers) Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby) Mike Sosene-Feagai (Mt Wellington)/Leif Schwencke (Suburbs) Jarred Adams (Suburbs) Marco Fepulea’i (Ponsonby) Evan Olmstead (Suburbs) Hoskins Sotutu (Marist) Jonathan Ruru (University) Jacob Umaga (Eden) Caleb Clarke (Suburbs) -
Looked to be a drop off from your starting props to the reserves on Sunday, neither looked like they'd be capable of more than 20 mins either.
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@taniwharugby One of the bench props from the Northland game is not in this 23. The other bench prop Adams started on debut in week 1 vs Counties and was up and down. Got subbed after 50 minutes.
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@kiwimurph Koroi the tighthead reserve last week limped off injured. I think
inexperience and combinations are what is causing inconsistencies in the scrum at the moment. This reserve front row started the counties game and did well around the field i thought. They struggled at scrum at times in that game but we must remember that the props are 21 and 23 year old rookies who have never played together before. Also all 3 hookers are new to the team (Rob Able never even played preseason so played for the first time for this team last week). I hope time with each other and experienced scrum coach Mike Casey will see improvement soon. -
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@kiwimurph Along with early in the campaign they also have 8 days after this till their next game
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@daffy-jaffy said in Auckland v Waikato:
@kiwimurph Along with early in the campaign they also have 8 days after this till their next game
Yup. 8 days until the Tasman game, and then after that we have 9 days until the game against Canterbury.
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The other factor is Auckland left a lot of their bench until quite late last weekend so they should be pretty fresh so I wonder if they will go to the bench earlier.
Regarding the scrum, it definitely looks more stable this year. Some decent signs.
Waikato will be up for this one given how theyve started and that they won at Eden Park last year.
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What's the plan for midfield cover? Plummer to 12 if Faiane is injured, and Plummer to 12 with Faiane to 13 if Manu is injured?
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@tim Umaga probably covers 12 and 13. He lined up at centre when he came on last week. Not sure how much experience he has there though.
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Manu can also cover 12
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Waikato take on Auckland at Eden Park in Auckland on Thursday night, kick-off is at 7.35pm.
Toby Smith (Hamilton Old Boys)
Mike Mayhew (Hautapu)
Joshua Iosefa-Scott (Melville)
Tim Bond (University)
Laghlan McWhannell (Hautapu)
Adam Burn (Hamilton Old Boys)
Jahrome Brown (Melville)
Jordan Manihera (Hamilton Old Boys)
Jack Stratton (University)
Fletcher Smith (University)
Sevu Reece (Hamilton Old Boys)
Dwayne Sweeney – Captain (Morrinsville Sports)
Bailyn Sullivan (Hamilton Marist)
Mosese Dawai (Otorohanga)*
Tyler Campbell (University)Samisoni Taukei’aho (Fraser Tech)
Ayden Johnstone (Hautapu)
Sosaia Fale (Hamilton Old Boys)
James Tucker (Hamilton Marist)
Jono Armstrong (Hautapu)
Kylem O’Donnell (Melville)
Matty Lansdown (Fraser Tech)
Quinn Tupaea (Hamilton Old Boys)*=Waikato debut
Waikato Team Named to Take on Auckland
Waikato has named their side to face Auckland at Eden Park, in the Battle of the Bombay’s this Thursday night in...
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That was great team try for Auckland. Chip kick from Manu, finished by Trainor. Plummer misses the conversion.
Auckland leads 5 - 0.
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@stargazer said in Auckland v Waikato:
That was great team try for Auckland. Chip kick from Manu, finished by Trainor. Plummer misses the conversion.
Auckland leads 5 - 0.
and one miss and Waikato are in. 7-5
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Was about to write a grumpy post abiout the ref making some weird calls at the breakdown, but then saw on replay he was probably right. Despite TJ and the comms. Player looked to have won the ball on his feet, and then fallen over... hence a waikato ball.
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Glancing at this occasionally.
When I do Nanae looks sharp, Akira looks a beast.
Entertaining but more skill errors than I'm used to from Super.
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We look way more talented than them, but discipline and a few calls not going our way keeping this close.
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@booboo said in Auckland v Waikato:
Glancing at this occasionally.
When I do Nanae looks sharp, Akira looks a beast.
Entertaining but more skill errors than I'm used to from Super.
Yep. Still suprisingly physical - I"m enjoying it.
Was thinking of wandering down to the Pork to see it, but family commitments ...
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@dice said in Auckland v Waikato:
We look way more talented than them, but discipline and a few calls not going our way keeping this close.
I'm seeing much more commitment from Auckland this year. Good to see.
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That was a maul and a half
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An Auckland team that can maul!
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@tim From 15 out too.
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And another one.
Now a scoreline that reflects how this game is going.
Waikato can only get into our half through penalty kicks to touch.
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Good finish to what was a pretty average half from us. We kept them in it with our poor discipline and lineout at times. Defence has been good however apart from Rayasi's slip with our loose trio and Robbie Abel leading the charge.
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Brilliance by Papali'i on halftime. He is some player.
Fukofuka had a bit of shocking first 20.
Tight 5 looking handy
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Fukofuka's gone from our best last week to our worst tonight.
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You can see why Mils said that Papali'i would be a "foundation" player for the Blues.
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Some good kicking from Auckland tonight.
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What's Plummers' season goalkicking percentage I wonder? All I ever seem to see is him missing.
However, Waikato are dross. I think Lincoln Uni would give them a dust up. Not one player close to being a regular SR starter in this line up.
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@shark said in Auckland v Waikato:
What's Plummers' season goalkicking percentage I wonder? All I ever seem to see is him missing.
However, Waikato are dross. I think Lincoln Uni would give them a dust up. Not one player close to being a regular SR starter in this line up.
That's probably because they have very few SR players in the squad. Prop Toby Smith is probably the one with most SR caps.
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@shark said in Auckland v Waikato:
However, Waikato are dross. I think Lincoln Uni would give them a dust up. Not one player close to being a regular SR starter in this line up.
We've coughed up so many games to those fellas I'm stoked to get the win. Brightest start to the season for a bloody decade I reckon.
Importantly, they look well coached! Ted still has it in him
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I hate Ruru being out there. Just slow, inaccurate and indecisive.
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@nzzp said in Auckland v Waikato:
@shark said in Auckland v Waikato:
However, Waikato are dross. I think Lincoln Uni would give them a dust up. Not one player close to being a regular SR starter in this line up.
We've coughed up so many games to those fellas I'm stoked to get the win. Brightest start to the season for a bloody decade I reckon.
Importantly, they look well coached! Ted still has it in him
Look very organised, for sure. Be interesting how we go against the better sides.
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Auckland hasn't really been tested yet. It will be interesting to see how they go against Tasman next week.
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@stargazer said in Auckland v Waikato:
Auckland hasn't really been tested yet. It will be interesting to see how they go against Tasman next week.
Last year we were losing to teams like this.
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@stargazer said in Auckland v Waikato:
@shark said in Auckland v Waikato:
What's Plummers' season goalkicking percentage I wonder? All I ever seem to see is him missing.
However, Waikato are dross. I think Lincoln Uni would give them a dust up. Not one player close to being a regular SR starter in this line up.
That's probably because they have very few SR players in the squad. Prop Toby Smith is probably the one with most SR caps.
Umm yeah. I didn't think they were holding back all their SR players.....
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@stargazer said in Auckland v Waikato:
Auckland hasn't really been tested yet. It will be interesting to see how they go against Tasman next week.
Bwahahaha.
We've got as many wins after three weeks that we got all last season. We probably won't win the comp, but by fark we're playing competitive heads up footy at times.
I'll take it. Also, I'm yelling at the TV again - a good sign. Have been far too 'meh' for too many years. Will definitely get down to the next game to support them.
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Waikato score from a maul from an obvious not straight throw.
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@stargazer No we haven't but compared to last year we probably would have lost all 3.
