Tasman v Counties Manukau
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Counties
1 Howard Sililoto, 2. Joseph Royal, 3. Coree Te Whata-Colley, 4. Viliame Rarasea, 5. Matiaha Martin ©, 6. Mathew Vaai, 7. Fotu Lokotui, 8. Daniel Hyatt; 9. Te Aihe Toma, 10. Latiume Fosita, 11. Tevita Nabura, 12. Orbyn Leger, 13. Nigel Ah Wong, 14. Toni Pulu, 15. Etene Nanai-Seturo.
Reserves: 16. Gafatasi Su’a, 17. Sean Bagshaw, 18. Jarrod Firth, 19. Daymon Leasuasu, 20. Sikeli Nabou, 21. Liam Daniela 22. Luteru Laulala 23. Sione Molia.
Lock Sikeli Nabou will come off the bench for his 50 game for the province. The Fijian representative, who has also had experience playing in France, has provided strong input as a replacement player this season. At the other end is 19-year-old Etene Nanai-Seturo, who set the Sevens world alight with his exciting running game, will be given his first start at fullback. The other changes are all forced by injury with Coree Te Whata-Colley to start in place of Kololo Tuiloma, with Howard Sililoto to start on the other side of the scrum with Sean Bagshaw to come off the bench. -
Makos by 50
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Tasman
1 Wyatt Crockett
2 Ray Niuia
3 Tyrel Lomax
4 Quin Strange
5 Pari Pari Parkinson
6 Ethan Blackadder
7 Jed Brown
8 Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta
9 Finlay Christie
10 Mitch Hunt
11 Solomon Alaimalo
12 David Havili
13 Levi Aumua
14 Tima Faingaanuku
15 Will JordanReserves
16 Andrew Makalio
17 Ryan Coxon
18 Isaac Salmon
19 John Akau'ola-Laula
20 Sione Havili
21 Jack Grooby
22 Alex Nankivell
23 Willy Havili -
John Akau'ola-Laula
Another Auckland player (NZ U20 2018). Hope we have a good deal with Tasman over this.
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@tim Yeah he played midweek for them as well. Make what you will of it but it's quite impressive that we can give the competition favourites 3 loose forwards on loan. Our depth in the back row is ridiculous.
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@african-monkey So is ours, but it's not bottomless - but, we're missing Squire, Frizell, Taufua, Fredericks, and Miller - plus Pete Samu if the Australians hadn't snaffled him.
Edit: There is a Facebook post on the Mako page that says Fredericks and Miller both have season ending injuries.
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Tim said:
John Akau'ola-Laula
Another Auckland player (NZ U20 2018). Hope we have a good deal with Tasman over this.
They are all interest payments on the several years of use you've had from Sam "The Rock" Prattley!
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@tim More seriously, probably seeing a bit of bias from Leon in pulling in players from Auckland rather Christchurch.
People who might be of use to him next year or the year after, rather than people who won't.
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@chris-b Good point, he's likely to have one eye on the Auckland squad.
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A few interesting selections in that team.
Mainly a full strength starting XV - except Niuia is starting and Makalio is on the bench. Not sure of the logic in that - maybe concerned that a bench of Coxon/Niuia/Salmon would be excessively weak.
Not sure what they're thinking in the Salmon/Princep battle for reserve tighthead. Neither very impressive so far.
Cirikidaveta comes into the starting loose-forwards - he was a WTG selection, so fair enough - but Fox-Matamua disappears completely.
In the backs, the only surprise is David's little brother Willy (After-David?) on the bench instead of Tim O'Malley. I'm quite interested to see how he goes if he gets a run. Seems like a bit of a star at club level.
Edit: Not sure that team is right - the Mako website has Spowart in the team instead of Alaimalo, who is listed as "battered and bruised".
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Nanai looks special.
Tai Lavea needs to get him back to Auckland.
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Counties Midfield are poos. Not setting the platform for the back three and defending shit.
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Tasman dominating.
Will Jordan going well, although I agree with Justin that he has been passing too late.
Counties need to get Nanai involved more somehow.
Counties probably need Vaega in the midfield. He rejuvenated the Counties' attack when he was put in the starting line-up a few weeks back, now the attack is back to being poor.
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What a line by Jordan. He sprints away to score a 40m try.
He's broken the line several times today.
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@dice also agree but he has just turned 20! haha. future looks bright
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better players subbed on for counties
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Chris B must be getting a tad nervous now the score has closed to Tasman 21 - 14 Counties with sixteen minutes still left to play.
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That Counties No 18 reminds me of the good old days when props looked like props should. Great to see, big ups to that man.
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What a 2nd half by Counties.
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Great comeback from Counties but just fell short. They looked like they lacked a bit of belief until they got their first try. Will Jordan was outstanding for the first 60.
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Daniela is a terrible passer.
Nanai has been called Pulu, Toma and Molia in this game.
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Next week they need Molia and L Laulala starting and Ah Wong and Leger dropped. I hope Nepo Laulala can get a game by the end of the season. We miss Taumateine too.
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ACT Crusader said:
Makos by 50
Way off
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Dice said:
Nanai looks special.
Tai Lavea needs to get him back to Auckland.
Piss off he is ours, we poached him fair and square thanks to Cousin TNW.
A team with a core of TNW relations would be rather useful
Nick Williams - Half brother
Sonny Bill Williams - Cousin
Future All Black Etene Nanai-Seturo (FAENS) - CousinI wonder if Melani Nanai is related.
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Higgins said:
That Counties No 18 reminds me of the good old days when props looked like props should. Great to see, big ups to that man.
Jarrod Firth, Came in to the team Under Umaga, who was pumping him up for a Super Contract. Had a season each in Scotland and France. He looks nearly 40 but is only 26 and has looked like that since his early twenties. A real rugby, racing and beer type guy. He has interests and hosts a podcast to do with the thoroughbred racing industry. Coming back from Neck Surgery last October. Was with Taranaki a few weeks ago. Last played in NZ in 2015.
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Thanks, you have just described him to be as what some of us still refer to as the quintessential good kiwi bloke.
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Only watched the 2nd half. What happened to Parkinson? Injured?
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mikedogz said:
Dice said:
Nanai looks special.
Tai Lavea needs to get him back to Auckland.
Piss off he is ours, we poached him fair and square thanks to Cousin TNW.
A team with a core of TNW relations would be rather useful
Nick Williams - Half brother
Sonny Bill Williams - Cousin
Future All Black Etene Nanai-Seturo (FAENS) - CousinI wonder if Melani Nanai is related.
With the cousin now in France, there's little reason to stay around now
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Higgins said:
Chris B must be getting a tad nervous now the score has closed to Tasman 21 - 14 Counties with sixteen minutes still left to play.
I was nervous at 21-5.
There was actually a decent breeze behind Tasman in the first half and Counties in the second - plus bombs were coming out of the sun for the team without the wind.
I knew we would lose Crockett and Lomax at some point, Parkinson had gone off injured, and Leon was subbing on random and inferior backs....
Game SHOULD have been put to bed in the first half. Who dropped the ball with the line open? Spowart? He wasn't the only offender - some very profligate rugby played!
@Tim - you should have flown down for the game - they had a special farewell for Billy Guyton who is retiring. I presume it is injury enforced, because he's only 28. Just when I was expecting a return to the Blues!
p.s. Unless Fukofuka has improved markedly from when I last saw him, you should be backing Ruru as halfback. He looks like he's becoming good to me!
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@dice Give them Jordan Trainor in return. Sounds fair doesn't it?
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I think Will Jordan will start at 15 for the crusaders next year. Havilli to be readied for taking over Crottys spot at 12 in the long term.
Mitch Hunt is having a great season too
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Just saw the game. Will Jordan is o for awesome.
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Will Jordan looks an outstanding prospect. He reminds me of BFA for his ability to accelerate carrying the ball in both hands and to step off either foot.
The next stage will be for him to work on his frame and his passing game. I'd love to see the All Blacks take Will Jordan with them as an apprentice on their EOYT. -
@sammyc I think he might start out on Seta's wing?
If I were David, I'd be pretty keen to hold onto that fullback slot, because he's a bit small for a Super rugby midfielder.
I think he'll struggle to deny Jordan, though. "Bigger, stronger, faster"! Still plenty of work- ons for Jordan in terms of accuracy, but he's an exciting prospect!
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sparky said:
The next stage will be for him to work on his frame and his passing game. I'd love to see the All Blacks take Will Jordan with them as an apprentice on their EOYT.
I think he's been working on his frame. He already looks bigger this year and is a pretty solid unit in real life.
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Chris B. said:
@sammyc I think he might start out on Seta's wing?
If I were David, I'd be pretty keen to hold onto that fullback slot, because he's a bit small for a Super rugby midfielder.
I think he'll struggle to deny Jordan, though. "Bigger, stronger, faster"! Still plenty of work- ons for Jordan in terms of accuracy, but he's an exciting prospect!
Surely there isn't a huge difference in size between Havili and Ryan Crotty?
Tim Bateman is even more of a shrimp and he did pretty well at 12 for us last year.
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What are Israel Dagg's chances of making a comeback? Seems to me like he should have signed overseas after the last World Cup.
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Canes4life said:
What are Israel Dagg's chances of making a comeback? Seems to me like he should have signed overseas after the last World Cup.
He basically became our number 1 right wing before injury after the RWC - although I'd assume his injury has pushed him quite far out of the reckoning. But TBF we do move BFA to 14 so if he has a good Super campaign with the evil empire he could push himself back into the reckoning.
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SammyC said:
Chris B. said:
@sammyc I think he might start out on Seta's wing?
If I were David, I'd be pretty keen to hold onto that fullback slot, because he's a bit small for a Super rugby midfielder.
I think he'll struggle to deny Jordan, though. "Bigger, stronger, faster"! Still plenty of work- ons for Jordan in terms of accuracy, but he's an exciting prospect!
Surely there isn't a huge difference in size between Havili and Ryan Crotty?
Tim Bateman is even more of a shrimp and he did pretty well at 12 for us last year.
David's pretty consistently listed at 88kgs on the internet. Even smaller than Bateman. Crotty is listed variously at 91kg and 96kg.
I'd guess he's more likely the latter. Saw him running on the sidelines with SBW at Traf. Park and he's quite a solid unit - though by no means a big midfielder.
David marking up against people like Nonu and SBW is giving away 20kgs.
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@chris-b There's no way he's only 88kg, he's Tongan FFS!
