Counties vs Auckland

[Duluth]

1 Jarred Adams (Suburbs, 12 caps)
2 Leni Apisai (Loaned, 5)
3 Marcel Renata (University, 37)
4 Peter-Chanel Tagaloa (Marist, 3)
5 Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC, 32)
6 Cameron Suafoa (College Rifles, debut)
7 Blake Gibson – Co-C (Ponsonby, 29)
8 Akira Ioane (Ponsonby, 41)
9 Danny Tusitala (Ponsonby, 5)
10 Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC, 17)
11 Salesi Rayasi (Marist, 16)
12 TJ Faiane – Co-C (Pakuranga, 33)
13 Tumua Manu (College Rifles, 17)
14 Caleb Clarke (Suburbs, 15)
15 Kurt Heatherley (Loaned, 4)

16 Mike Sosene-Feagai (Marist, 12)
17 Alex Hodgman (Suburbs, 5)
18 Marco Fepulea’i (Ponsonby, 12)
19 Jamie Lane (Ponsonby, 10)
20 Adrian Choat (Waitemata, 6)
21 Jonathan Ruru (University, 16)
22 Daniel Kirkpatrick (University, 6)
23 Tanielu Tele’a (Marist, 9)

Unavailable due to injury: Scott Scrafton (jaw), Hoskins Sotutu (ankle), Dalton Papalii (ankle), Lyndon Dunshea (knee)

Steelers await determined Auckland side

Auckland were unable to complete the comeback over Canterbury last time out, eventually falling 32-22. They will...

[Duluth]

No Trainor?

Looking forward to seeing how Suafoa goes

[Duluth]

@KiwiMurph sorry about that delete.. we posted at the exact time

[KiwiMurph]

Pleased to see Ruru benched. It's about time.

[Tim]

Abel dropped?

[African Monkey]

Our season's on the brink here. We're in must win territory with the comp apart from Tasman being so tight.

[mikedogz]

[Crucial]

I thought I had read that ENS was gone for the season. An early comeback via the bench?
C-M could surprise here. The strong tight five is back together which will make for some interesting scums although that can dep nd on refs these days as back pedalling scrums with some are almost an advantage to the team going backwards.

[Tim]

Taumateine injured again?

[Stargazer]

Updated Counties squad (changes at 10, 12, 22 and 23):

[Dice]

Hopefully Tusitala takes his chance today.

Trainor is starting for the Bs today. No Abel in the Bs, so he must be injured.

[Crucial]

So the naming of ENS was premature?

[DrivingMaul]

I'm going to be at this one, anyone else going to be there?

Auckland have been involved in a lot of niggle over that last couple of games so I'm going to be keeping a look out for off the ball stuff

[Higgins]

An early tackle was a yellow card on Thursday night but that holding back from the blue 9 was equally as blatant yet just a penalty. Yet more inconsistency from the referees.

[KiwiMurph]

Take Graham Henry out of an Auckland/Blues team and look what happens. History repeating.

[Stargazer]

@KiwiMurph Is Alama Ieremia still there? Didn't he get the coach of the year award, last year, for turning things around in Auckland?

[KiwiMurph]

@Stargazer said in Counties vs Auckland:

@KiwiMurph Is Alama Ieremia still there? Didn't he get the coach of the year award, last year, for turning things around in Auckland?

He did. The truth might be coming out now.

[Tim]

What was the card for?

[Steven Harris]

@Tim series of penalties in the red zone..

[Tim]

Player losses:

Trainor
Nanai
Umaga
Fukofuka
Papalii
Seu
Olmsted
Scrafton
Fatialofa
Lemalu

That's a lot at NPC level.

[Tim]

Has it been raining? Scrappy game.

[Steven Harris]

@Tim still 50 minutes to go , bit early to pull the injury and unavailable list don’t you think...still think Auckland will win this game...Counties Manukau from what I believe have several unavailable including Sam Henwood the skipper who is massive loss for CM.
Very scrappy niggly game..!

[Duluth]

@Tim said in Counties vs Auckland:

Has it been raining? Scrappy game.

It was raining. Think it stopped around kickoff

[Tim]

@Steven-Harris Just pointing out that there are some reasons for worse performances than last year.

[Steven Harris]

@Tim ok, my apologies..

[Kirwan]

Ref is struggling to maintain control out there. Seems unsure of himself, so the players (from both sides) are trying everything.

With the conditions and that has made for a messy game.

Auckland defence has been excellent.

[Kirwan]

Interesting to hear the ref ask the teams to stop shouting at the lineout, and use the term from the commentary.

Did Goldie have a word? Not sure that’s cool.

[Kirwan]

Nice try, Auckland hold the ball for a few mins and split them open.

[Kirwan]

Blues are going to miss Caleb Clarke next year.

[Duluth]

More good play in 4mins of this half than the previous 40

Good to see a quality kick from TJ in the lead up to that try. Kicking from hand was a feature of last season, it’s been poor so far this year

[Kirwan]

Ffs, another yellow.

[Tim]

Dumb ass play.

[Kirwan]

@Tim yeah, why even do that?

[KiwiMurph]

Auckland culture this year seems all over the shop.

Mouthy, dumb offloads, foul play

[Duluth]

Silly from Manu

This is where I think judging on the outcome is wrong. If the player hadn’t put his arm out it would have been a red.
That’s not a good incentive.

[Kirwan]

Comedy hour from Counties there. Bombed a certain try

[KiwiMurph]

Faiane held by the jersey.

[Kirwan]

Perfect game for Ruru.

[KiwiMurph]

Counties should back themselves to win from here.

This Auckland side is mud.

[Kirwan]

There is nothing in that at all