Blues 2020
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South African tour squad named.
Otere and Rieko included.
Akira not included as an extra was required with Goodhue out.
https://blues.rugby/two-key-players-off-injury-list-for-south-africa-tour/
The travelling squad is: Forwards: James Parsons, Kurt Eklund, Marcel Renata, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi, Ezekiel Lindenmuth, Sione Mafileo, Patrick Tuipulotu, Jacob Pierce, Aaron Carroll, Tom Robinson, Dalton Papalii, Blake Gibson, Tony Lamborn, Hoskins Sotutu. Backs: Jonathan Ruru, Sam Nock, Stephen Perofeta, Otere Black, Harry Plummer, TJ Faiane, Joe Marchant, Rieko Ioane, Mark Telea, Jordan Hyland, Emoni Narawa, Matt Duffie. -
@KiwiMurph Who is the 8 cover in case Sotutu goes down with injury? Papali'i?
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
Akira not included
It's a very long way back from here. So frustrating as he's potentially a generational talent. We have to have our systems and processes in place to head this sort of thing off early, and get the best out of our players. It takes a while to get there, but he's showing why it's so important.
/shakes head.
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@nzzp said in Blues 2020:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
Akira not included
It's a very long way back from here. So frustrating as he's potentially a generational talent. We have to have our systems and processes in place to head this sort of thing off early, and get the best out of our players. It takes a while to get there, but he's showing why it's so important.
/shakes head.
This might actually be beneficial for him in that I assume they're working at getting his fitness up and in contrast with the last two years Rangi isn't going to work him to death. If the Blues are around at the business end this year they could have him at peak fitness.
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Or the Blues have decided to give him a long off season after playing him into the ground last year. In the Chiefs match he didn't even strip so he would not have taken the field if someone rolled an ankle 5mins before kickoff.
Remember the TSFers that watched the warmup matches said his fitness was good and he played well. -
@Nepia said in Blues 2020:
@nzzp said in Blues 2020:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
Akira not included
It's a very long way back from here. So frustrating as he's potentially a generational talent. We have to have our systems and processes in place to head this sort of thing off early, and get the best out of our players. It takes a while to get there, but he's showing why it's so important.
/shakes head.
This might actually be beneficial for him in that I assume they're working at getting his fitness up and in contrast with the last two years Rangi isn't going to work him to death. If the Blues are around at the business end this year they could have him at peak fitness.
I think you are right. He's played the most minutes for us for about three years in a row, got played into the ground by Tana (even when he had options) and he's never recovered. From all accounts he was looking fit and in form in pre-season (despite all the bitchy fat comments he gets on here).
Perhaps they are giving him a break to get the best out of him later in the season. They have to avoid doing the same grind to Sotutu (or Dalton) so he's going to get an opportunity.
Be interesting to see a backrow of Dalton, Akira and Sotutu. Get our best players all out there at the same time.
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Who will call the lineouts?
I see MacDonald confirmed that Goodhue is the regular caller (which would explain why he plays so often regardless of form)
Clearly the calling went to shite after his injury last weekMaybe Robinson?
I wonder if they'll move him to 6 this week too to add more options
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
Be interesting to see a backrow of Dalton, Akira and Sotutu. Get our best players all out there at the same time.
I think Sotutu will suffer from what Tom Robinson did last year - lots of minutes is really tough for a first year talent. Takes time for the body and mind to get used to the level of effort.
If they are managing workload, then a break for Hoskins and bringing on a fired up Akira would be great in a few weeks time.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
I see MacDonald confirmed that Goodhue is the regular caller (which would explain why he plays so often regardless of form)
yeah the Northland lineout always functioned better when he is there.
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Blues may have some major work-ons but they've also weathered one of toughest possible starts to Super Rugby
Across New Zealand, the Blues are being tagged as the disappointments of the country – it’s the same old stuff from the Auckland-based side, apparently. But that’s not quite true.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2020:
@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
I see MacDonald confirmed that Goodhue is the regular caller (which would explain why he plays so often regardless of form)
yeah the Northland lineout always functioned better when he is there.
Can someone taller than me explain why calling lineouts is considered a specialist skill?
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@antipodean said in Blues 2020:
@taniwharugby said in Blues 2020:
@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
I see MacDonald confirmed that Goodhue is the regular caller (which would explain why he plays so often regardless of form)
yeah the Northland lineout always functioned better when he is there.
Can someone taller than me explain why calling lineouts is considered a specialist skill?
because they are complicated, and require different things at different times. Not all lineout ball is the same. You need to make decisions based on game situation, field position, defensive alignment, what you have thrown at them before, where your mismatches are, where your hooker is strong, or if it's going bad, where you can just win the ball. And that needs a clear head even when tired. If you don't normally do it, it's really hard to just pick up. No matter how many lineouts you have been in, if you don't usually call, it's suddenly really hard when that is on your shoulders.
As with all aspects of rugby, it's probably different at the pro level, but in park footy, a good lineout caller can take the opposition lineout out of the game in the first half.
There is a shit load more to it than walking up and yelling 2! 4! or deciding to maul
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@mariner4life said in Blues 2020:
@antipodean said in Blues 2020:
@taniwharugby said in Blues 2020:
@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
I see MacDonald confirmed that Goodhue is the regular caller (which would explain why he plays so often regardless of form)
yeah the Northland lineout always functioned better when he is there.
Can someone taller than me explain why calling lineouts is considered a specialist skill?
because they are complicated, and require different things at different times. Not all lineout ball is the same. You need to make decisions based on game situation, field position, defensive alignment, what you have thrown at them before, where your mismatches are, where your hooker is strong, or if it's going bad, where you can just win the ball. And that needs a clear head even when tired. If you don't normally do it, it's really hard to just pick up. No matter how many lineouts you have been in, if you don't usually call, it's suddenly really hard when that is on your shoulders.
As with all aspects of rugby, it's probably different at the pro level, but in park footy, a good lineout caller can take the opposition lineout out of the game in the first half.
There is a shit load more to it than walking up and yelling 2! 4! or deciding to maul
Perhaps it would be better to get someone with an intellect to make the call then, like a back.
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@antipodean said in Blues 2020:
@mariner4life said in Blues 2020:
@antipodean said in Blues 2020:
@taniwharugby said in Blues 2020:
@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
I see MacDonald confirmed that Goodhue is the regular caller (which would explain why he plays so often regardless of form)
yeah the Northland lineout always functioned better when he is there.
Can someone taller than me explain why calling lineouts is considered a specialist skill?
because they are complicated, and require different things at different times. Not all lineout ball is the same. You need to make decisions based on game situation, field position, defensive alignment, what you have thrown at them before, where your mismatches are, where your hooker is strong, or if it's going bad, where you can just win the ball. And that needs a clear head even when tired. If you don't normally do it, it's really hard to just pick up. No matter how many lineouts you have been in, if you don't usually call, it's suddenly really hard when that is on your shoulders.
As with all aspects of rugby, it's probably different at the pro level, but in park footy, a good lineout caller can take the opposition lineout out of the game in the first half.
There is a shit load more to it than walking up and yelling 2! 4! or deciding to maul
Perhaps it would be better to get someone with an intellect to make the call then, like a back.
that sentence doesn't make sense.
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@mariner4life said in Blues 2020:
@antipodean said in Blues 2020:
@mariner4life said in Blues 2020:
@antipodean said in Blues 2020:
@taniwharugby said in Blues 2020:
@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
I see MacDonald confirmed that Goodhue is the regular caller (which would explain why he plays so often regardless of form)
yeah the Northland lineout always functioned better when he is there.
Can someone taller than me explain why calling lineouts is considered a specialist skill?
because they are complicated, and require different things at different times. Not all lineout ball is the same. You need to make decisions based on game situation, field position, defensive alignment, what you have thrown at them before, where your mismatches are, where your hooker is strong, or if it's going bad, where you can just win the ball. And that needs a clear head even when tired. If you don't normally do it, it's really hard to just pick up. No matter how many lineouts you have been in, if you don't usually call, it's suddenly really hard when that is on your shoulders.
As with all aspects of rugby, it's probably different at the pro level, but in park footy, a good lineout caller can take the opposition lineout out of the game in the first half.
There is a shit load more to it than walking up and yelling 2! 4! or deciding to maul
Perhaps it would be better to get someone with an intellect to make the call then, like a back.
that sentence doesn't make sense.
Because you're a forward.
How does a team not know their hooker can't throw to the back etc.?
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The Blues A Team will be coached by Auckland Mitre 10 Cup Coach Alama Ieremia. He will be supported by Blues Scrum Coach Ben Afeaki with Paul Gianotti to manage, and Harley Matthews will provide physio support for both sides
https://blues.rugby/blues-development-team-schedules-released/
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@Tim fantastic stats for Hoskins..these are the sort of stats I think we all wanted to see from Akira..physically he ticks so many boxes, I really do hope he can find an attitude shift , seems like such a waste ..I do wonder if it’s time for Akira to move out of Auckland .
