Blues 2020

[KiwiMurph]

Halfback Finlay Christie is also close to a return to play from a neck injury; while forwards Gerard Cowley-Tuioti and Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa are will return next month, as will lock James Tucker from a knee injury.

[Snowy]

@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:

Might have to start watching the sevens again

Don't bother, with the "one loss and you're out" pool format and no quarter finals. It doesn't give a fair representation of the team's ability (but yes we have some good players in there again).

[Yeetyaah]

@KiwiMurph good to hear that Tuckers injury isn't too serious. Really rate him.

[Dice]

With Rieko out, I think Mark Telea will shift to the left wing and Narawa will be on the right wing. That's how it was when Rieko went off last week.

If Tanielu Telea was healthy, I'd have him and Mark on the wings and Narawa at fullback.

[Stargazer]

[Machpants]

"tomorrow they will work closely with the 1st team " maybe they'll learn a bit for the game vs Tahs?

[cgrant]

Lineup I'd like to see one day :

Tu'inukuafe or Hodgman
Niuia
Ofa T
Tuipolutu
Tucker
Robinson
Papali'i
Ioane or Sotutu
Nock
Barrett
M. Telea
Faiane
Ioane
Clarke
Narawa

[Bovidae]

More injured props?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/119418253/southland-stags-prop-joe-walsh-gets-blues-super-rugby-call-up

[KiwiMurph]

@Bovidae Mafileo looked like he took a knock on the weekend.

[Bovidae]

@KiwiMurph Walsh is a LH so would not be a like-for-like replacement. Renata might make the 23 this week.

[Steven Harris]

Southland even though they finished bottom of the table in the 2019 Mitre 10 Cup had the 3rd best scrum in the competition, can remember them dealing to the Auckland scrum on Eden Park , they were well beaten on the scoreboard,but their scrum not only on that particular day, but against much more vaunted opposition during the season dealt to many other packs at set piece scrum time ..
I think it’s refreshing that someone has obviously taken notice of Joe Walsh’s form on the loose head side of the scrum regardless of the team he is playing for.

[Bovidae]

@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2020:

I think it’s refreshing that someone has obviously taken notice of Joe Walsh’s form on the loose head side of the scrum regardless of the team he is playing for.

Walsh was part of a dominant University scrum in Waikato club rugby with Faiva and Moli before moving south. He wouldn't have had the same opportunities if he remained in the Waikato with other props ahead of him.

[OleOleOle]

@Bovidae That was a astar studded University team!

If i recall correctly there were concerns around his work ethic/ conditioning when he was in the Waikato, the change of scenery has clearly worked well for him.

[Bovidae]

@OleOleOle Yeah, IIRC Randle was the coach then. I went to the final when they lost to Marist. Koloamatangi was part of their propping rotation as well.

[Dolamite]

[KiwiMurph]

@Dolamite

All Black first five Beauden Barrett is set to make his debut for the Blues in a month's time against the South African side the Lions in Auckland.

Feb 11, 2020  /  Sport

Blues ready Beauden for the Lions

All Black first five Beauden Barrett is set to make his debut for the Blues in a month's time against the South African side the Lions in Auckland.

[Canes4life]

@KiwiMurph Booooooooooooooooooo

If he came back a week earlier it would have been a marketers dream.

[Duluth]

@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:

@Dolamite

All Black first five Beauden Barrett is set to make his debut for the Blues in a month's time against the South African side the Lions in Auckland.

Feb 11, 2020  /  Sport

Blues ready Beauden for the Lions

All Black first five Beauden Barrett is set to make his debut for the Blues in a month's time against the South African side the Lions in Auckland.

The Blues then went on to say that Coventry had made a mistake. So not round 7.. probably the original date of round 11

Or Coventry spoiled the surprise

It'll be interesting to see where he plays those 2 club games. I assume he'll be added to an Auckland club temporarily

[taniwharugby]

@Canes4life yea is odd, original date looked like v Jags, but makes sense for it to be at EP from a marketing POV rather than Whangarei, but yes, even more so v the canes.

[KiwiMurph]

@taniwharugby said in Blues 2020:

@Canes4life yea is odd, original date looked like v Jags, but makes sense for it to be at EP from a marketing POV rather than Whangarei, but yes, even more so v the canes.

that Canes game is the away game though (week before Lions). So doesn't really help Blues much (marketing wise)