Auckland v Harbour
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Auckland line-up to face North Harbour:
(1-23)Alex Hodgman (Suburbs, debut)
Robbie Abel (College Rifles, 10 caps)
Marcel Renata (University, 32)
Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC, 27)
Jamie Lane (Ponsonby, 5)
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Ponsonby, 3)
Blake Gibson – Co-C (Ponsonby, 25)
Hoskins Sotutu (Marist, 10)
Jonathan Ruru (University, 12)
Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC, 15)
Caleb Clarke (Suburbs, 10)
TJ Faiane – Co-C (Pakuranga, 28)
Tanielu Tele’a (Marist, 4)
AJ Lam (Grammar TEC, debut)
Salesi Rayasi (Marist, 11)
Leni Apisai (Loaned, debut)
Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Suburbs, 5)
Marco Fepulea’i (Ponsonby, 11)
Lyndon Dunshea (University, 2)
Adrian Choat (Waitemata, 3)
Danny Tusitala (Ponsonby, debut)
D’Angelo Leuila (Papatoetoe, debut)
Kurt Heatherley (Loaned, debut)Unavailable due to injury: Scott Scrafton (jaw), Tumua Manu (ankle), Michael Lea, Jordan Trainor (thigh)
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Pleased to see Lam get a start - have heard good things.
Conditions don't look great.
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Conditions look awful! Expecting a fair bit of rain, possibly clearing during the game. But it's going to be wet.
not going to stop me going, though, and taking my boy. Will be bloody good fun; he got hooked last year with the run through the finals. That'll last him a few years yet
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Good to see the young backrowers getting some decent game time early.
Will be interesting to see who goes better between Sotutu and Riedlinger-Kapa, because that probably determines who gets the backrow bench spot when Papali'i and Akira come back.
New midfield and outside back combos to start the season. Not sure how much they can do if it's wet, but Rayasi's boot should come in handy.
Hopefully Plummer's kicking has improved, because we might be relying on it on Friday.
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Trainor has been listed with that thigh injury since Blues preseason. He played no Blues or development games, no club and now not starting M10. I didn't think he had enough thigh muscle to be injured so long!
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Was listening to the Karl Tuinukuafe interview on the radio today and they mentioned that James Parsons is out injured for a bit.
Karl also confirmed that he got viral meningitis which took him out for about 10 weeks.
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@Dice It'll be good to see Luteru Tolai get a decent run.
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@Tim Was just thinking the same thing. He impressed me in the two Blues dev. games I saw him play. Similar thoughts re: Lewis Gjaltema who impressed me but always struggles for minutes stuck behind Bryn Hall.
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Some good footage of D'Angelo Leuila playing for Manu Samoa. At 12 in the Japan game then 10 after that. Seems to have a strong left footed kicking game.
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@Daffy-Jaffy He always has. I remember seeing him playing at high school for Papatoetoe High and he was nailing goals from everywhere within 50 metres.
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@African-Monkey I wonder why he didn't make the PC squad this year, missing out to AJ ALATIMU – Western Force and Ulupano SEUTENI – Borderaux. I don't know them at all. Maybe an experience thing as they are playing at a higher level where he's come straight out of Auckland club rugby.
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Prime TV will be showing this game live tomorrow. It seems they'll be showing the Friday night game live every week.
First time in a long time that an NPC game is live on free-to-air TV. And on at a prime time slot of 7:30pm too.
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@Dice said in Auckland v Harbour:
Prime TV will be showing this game live tomorrow. It seems they'll be showing the Friday night game live every week.
First time in a long time that an NPC game is live on free-to-air TV. And on at a prime time slot of 7:30pm too.
First time since the 1994 NPC final. The infamous battle of Onewa.
Edit actually no, it would be the first time since the 1995 final. Was that the Otago / Colin Hawke/ penalty try game.? (Would actually be a very uncontroversial penalty try in this day and age, where being a bit shit at scrummaging is a sending off offence)
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@Rapido said in Auckland v Harbour:
Edit actually no, it would be the first time since the 1995 final. Was that the Otago / Colin Hawke/ penalty try game.? (Would actually be a very uncontroversial penalty try in this day and age, where being a bit shit at scrummaging is a sending off offence)
Yes that was 1995
4:43 for the penalty try
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@JK Should be a good scrum battle, that Harbour frontrow is good!
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@Tim said in Auckland v Harbour:
@JK Should be a good scrum battle, that Harbour frontrow is good!
Just need to hope Tolai throws it straight in the bloody line outs
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Really lacking at 10. Harbour are too tho
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Actually looking forward to this game. Both sides have a level of quality to them, and look fairly evenly matched. Four guys with AB experience for Harbour (and my wifes' bosses' son on the bench for extra interest) while Auckland doesn't have any ABs but they have a heap of SR players.
