Wellington v Southland
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Wellington
15 Wes Goosen (Old Boys University)
14 Ben Lam (Tawa)
13 Matt Proctor (Oriental-Rongotai) (c)
12 Thomas Umaga-Jensen (Wainuiomata)
11 Malo Tuitama (Oriental-Rongotai)
10 Jackson Garden-Bachop (Northern United)
9 TJ Perenara (Northern United)
8 Teariki Ben-Nicholas (Old Boys University)
7 Ardie Savea (Oriental-Rongotai)
6 Vaea Fifita (Wellington)
5 Will Mangos (Old Boys University)
4 James Blackwell (Petone)
3 Joel Hintz (Old Boys University)
2 Asafo Aumua (Avalon)
1 Tolu Fahamokioa (Tawa)Reserves
16 James O'Reilly (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
17 Xavier Numia (Oriental-Rongotai)
18 Kaliopasi Uluilakepa (Petone)
19 Galu Taufale (Poneke)
20 Greg Foe (Poneke)
21 Carlos Price (Petone)
22 TJ Va'a (Wainuiomata)
23 Billy Proctor (Marist St Pats)All Blacks TJ Perenara and Ardie Savea will start for the Wellington Lions when they meet Southland in Friday's Mitre 10 Cup cross-over match at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.Two of the changes are in the front row where Asafo Aumua gets his first start of the season after coming off the bench in the opening two games while prop Joel Hintz replaces Jeff To'omaga-Allen. Most of the changes are in the forwards where Will Mangos, who impressed off the bench against Canterbury, gets a start along with Savea and No 8 Teariki Ben-Nicholas. In the backline, Wes Goosen moves from the wing to fullback with Malo Tuitama coming into the side after he started in the Lions first match against Otago. There has also been a number of changes to the bench, including the inclusion of prop Xavier Numia who is in line to make his debut.https://www.wrfu.co.nz/news/post/all-blacks-to-start-for-wellington-lions-against-southland/
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last minute change at 9...could be a big score
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I want to see Price and Va'a get game time to see how they front up so good to see them in the reserves at least. Hopefully they get a start soon. Ive only seen Va'a play for about 10 minutes yet he still has a super rugby contract (maybe it runs out this year?)
Lam did little in the last match. Likewise Renata. I would like to see Lam at FB (he was good there last year whereas on the wing he is often too quiet) and Goosen have a run at 2nd 5. Unsure what they are doing with Goosen. He wants to play in the midfield and if he ever wants to move beyond super rugby that's where he will make it if he is good enough. But not at FB. I can see that they want to play the Umaga-Jenson's but.
And I hope they work on defense this week. It was poor against Canterbury (maybe that's why Goosen is at FB)
Xavier Numia >>> born 11/1998. Coach Craig Philpott has made four changes to his starting XV (semi v France), one enforced after loose-head prop Rob Cobb was ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury. His place is taken by Xavier Numia with the only other change in the forward seeing Will Tucker coming into the second-row.
Was the NZ scrum a strength in this match?
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@cgrant doesn't really seem outlandish, although you don't often see a prop under 110kg these days. How big are Hintz (ex champion weightlifter apparently) and Mangos?
How long has M10 cup been going? Coles would've been lucky to crack a hundy when he started. Aumua is a fat prop compared to him.
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Southland utterly uninterested in tackling. This could be a rout.
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@gunner said in Wellington v Southland:
Jaysus, 45-0, still 20 to play.
Southland well and truely stinking up the joint these days.
Know how their fans must be feeling, as unfortunately it’s often been the Taniwha rotting in the corner.
Southland are lucky to even be hanging in there as a championship union. Their problems run deep with a club scene that has to adjust every year due to a lack of playing numbers and potential huge mismatches. The scene is more a Heartland one than a top flight one with most players being weekend warriors at best.
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Aumua's a class player. Its only when he starts for the ABs.
Perenara. VG first half. Not so good in the second. Until replaced by Price who I want to see more of. He needs to bulk up though but otherwise looks (from the little I have seen off him) potentially very good. And not a quiet shy HB either
Shame Blackwell is on the small side. But likewise Hintz. But he only moved to wellington to get game time as his chances were limited in Christchurch
I don't know what to make of TJ Va'a. He must be rated highly by someone so hope he can show why this year. It doesn't seem to be his cross field kicking ability though that got him a super rugby contract
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@winger said in Wellington v Southland:
I don't know what to make of TJ Va'a. He must be rated highly by someone so hope he can show why this year. It doesn't seem to be his cross field kicking ability though that got him a super rugby contract
Also second choice behind Jackson Garden-Bachop which clearly does not put him very high up the rating pecking order. Were you the guy that vocally heckled Va'a after that unusual cross field kick? It drew a few chuckles amongst the people (all three of us who had virtually the entire block to ourselves - and we weren't that far away from the half way line) I was sitting with!
Could well be one of those situations of being given a multi year contract when he got that one whilst still at school when the former coach was in the drivers seat. It's got me stuffed too how he keeps getting in the Lions and Hurricanes despite virtually nil time on the paying field.As a neutral the highlight of the night was JGB stuffing a conversion attempt from almost right in front into the right hand upright. For an unabashed non admirer of the Wellington Lions it was well worth the $25.00 admission just to see that.
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@winger you do realise Hintz is originally from Wellington and went to Stream before going down to Canterbury? A bit on the small side for a prop but does the job at scrum time.
Standouts for me were Aumua, Tuitama and I thought Ben Nicholas had a tidy game at no8.
With Numia going off injured, the Lions depth at prop is going to be tested as the season progresses.
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@mimic said in Wellington v Southland:
Va'a was rated highly at schoolboy level (got signed by Wellington while still at school iirc), but then had that horrible injury afterwards. Give him time to develop, he's still young.
His old man was also the NPC coach at the time, though.
So, there's an asterisk about his teenage elevation.
He's probably an NPC level potential player though. Careerwise - He should probably declare for Samoa, get some test caps on his CV, and try to get an overseas gig.
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Funny how alot of Ferners are judging Va'a on 20 mins of footy in the last two years. I agree he probably wasn't worthy of a Super contract, but atleast let him show his worth over an extended period of time before making judgements. He was excellent at school boy level and nearly guided Scots College to back to back National titles. Give the bloke a chance fellas.
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@canes4life aren't they saying he's not worthy of a super contract? Which is what you just said.
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@bones I am saying he wasn't worthy based on his injury, not his playing ability over 20 mins of ITM Cup. I am willing to give him a chance to show his true colours over an extended playing period and only then can a proper judgement be made.
Now, looking for a third option ..
