Otago v Magpies - Championship semi-final
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Otago
1 Jonah Aoina, 2 Seko Pole, 3 Hisa Sasagi, 4 Sione Misiloi, 5 Josh Dickson, 6 Joketani Koroi, 7 Slade McDowall, 8 Dylan Nel, 9 Kurt Hammer, 10 Josh Ioane, 11 Vilimoni Koroi, 12 Sio Tomkinson, 13 Matt Faddes, 14 Mitchell Scott, 15 Michael Collines (c).
Reserves:
16 Liam Coltman, 17 Tom Hill, 18 George Bower, 19 Tom Rowe, 20 James Lentjes, 21 Naulia Dawai, 22 Josh Renton, 23 Taylor Haugh. -
So Otago get their All Black Coltman back. Hopefully, Ash Dixon will be back for us; although Kereru-Symes has been good, we need Ash' experience in the finals. Having said that, Ben May should be back. The extra weight will be much needed in the scrum.
We need Gareth Evans back, too. We were lacking leadership in the pack last week. Not sure how bad his foot injury was.
They're missing Jona Nareki, one of their most dangerous backs, which is good news for us. I keep hoping for it every week and this week is not different, but I really hope Lowe to get his hands on the ball more. He'll mark Koroi, so that will be interesting. Please, no more Ili at 10 and a start for McClutchie. Don't think it will happen, but if Lowe doesn't get to wear the 13 jersey, I'd rather see Buckley in it than Tofilau.
I hope we don't have to wait until Saturday morning again before they announce the squad. I also hope that Otago has celebrated their Shield win hard.
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@stargazer TBH I'd rather they play Buckley instead of Emerson. Emerson has been pretty average this year.
Foxtel aren't showing this match live.
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@stargazer said in Otago v Magpies - Championship semi-final:
@nepia Agree, Emerson hasn't had his best season. Geez, that's really shit that you can't watch the game. Can't you use Rugby pass with a VPN?
I can find ahem, a feed - but I prefer to watch on my TV and was supposed to meeting some old mates from London for dinner and drinks. I might have to bump up the data on my phone plan if we go out early.
The idiots at Foxtel are only playing one of the semi's live as far as I can see.
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Magpies:
1.Mark Braidwood, 2.Kianu Kereru-Symes, 3.Ben May, 4.Tom Parsons, 5.Michael Allardice, 6.Geoff Cridge, 7.Gareth Evans, 8.Marino Mikaele Tu'u, 9.Brad Weber, 10.Lincoln McClutchie, 11.Mason Emerson, 12.Pasqualle Dunn, 13.Stacy Ili, 14.Jonah Lowe, 15.Jamie-Jerry Taulagi.
Substitutes: 16.Ben Power, 17.Jason Long, 18.Joe Apikotoa, 19.Josh Kalifa, 20.Devan Flanders, 21.Folau Fakatava, 22.Danny Toala, 23.Michael Buckley.
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Squad according to the Mitre 10 Cup website.
No Ash Dixon.
It looks like Danny Toala has leapfrogged Sasa Tofilau in the pecking order.Otagao must be favourites for this game, having won more games this season and probably on a high after winning the Shield. The Shield can also distract though, so hopefully that's the case and they've celebrated a bit too hard.
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Hey @Nepia if you have slide into my DM's
Foxtel you literally have one job. Play all the rugby I watch...
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found one
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Im sitting at home screaming at the screen. FABGE with an amazing turnover. Im still trying to figure Ben Mays value. He has lacklustre pick and go's feet for hands. Finds himself mismatched in the midfield and we don't dominate the scrum. Can only assume he is brought in as a specialist tall lifter(similar to jamie Macintosh)
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Just saw that second try. Man that was nice.
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@stargazer said in Otago v Magpies - Championship semi-final:
@higgins I don't think the defence on our line has been our problem. Usually our midfield missed the tackles.
You are probably right about the goal line defence but overall our defence has been about a D+ to a C-. There were times that it was downright cringeworthy, the Northland game and the first forty against the 'Poo being spectacular examples of this.
We are looking OK so far tonight and it would be disappointing not to finish it off with victory still a lot can happen in forty minutes that might not please us. Hopefully not tonight though.
