Auckland vs Wellington
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1 Alex Hodgman (Suburbs, 6 caps)
2 Leni Apisai (Loaned, 6)
3 Marcel Renata (University, 38)
4 Scott Scrafton (Grammar TEC, 25)
5 Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC, 33)
6 Adrian Choat (Waitemata, 7)
7 Blake Gibson – Co-C (Ponsonby, 30)
8 Akira Ioane (Ponsonby, 42)
9 Jonathan Ruru (University, 17)
10 Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC, 18)
11 Salesi Rayasi (Marist, 17)
12 TJ Faiane – Co-C (Pakuranga, 34)
13 Tumua Manu (College Rifles, 18)
14 Caleb Clarke (Suburbs, 16)
15 Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby, 19)16 Mike Sosene-Feagai (Marist, 13)
17 Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Suburbs, 7)
18 Marco Fepulea’i (Ponsonby, 13)
19 Jamie Lane (Ponsonby, 11)
20 Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Ponsonby, 7)
21 Danny Tusitala (Ponsonby, 6)
22 D’Angelo Leuila (Papatoetoe, 4)
23 Tanielu Tele’a (Marist, 10)Unavailable due to injury: Hoskins Sotutu (ankle), Dalton Papalii (ankle), Lyndon Dunshea (knee), Cameron Suafoa (shoulder)
Lions to enter Auckland’s den
Scott Scrafton and Jordan Trainor return from injury to take their place in the starting side Victory on Sunday...
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15 Billy Proctor (Marist St Pats)
14 Wes Goosen (Old Boys University)
13 Vince Aso (Paremata-Plimmerton)
12 Peter Umaga-Jensen (Wainuiomata)
11 Ben Lam (Tawa)
10 Jackson Garden-Bachop (Northern United)
9 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara (Tawa)
8 Vaea Fifita (Wellington)
7 Du'Plessis Kirifi (Northern United) (c)
6 Mateaki Kafatolu (Petone)
5 James Blackwell (Petone)
4 Josh Furno (Western Suburbs)
3 Alex Fidow (Oriental-Rongotai)
2 Asafo Aumua (Avalon)
1 Xavier Numia (Oriental-Rongotai)16 James O'Reilly (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
17 Sitiveni Paongo (Tawa)
18 Kaliopasi Uluilakepa (Petone)
19 Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Marist St Pats)
20 Teariki Ben-Nicholas (Old Boys University)
21 Campbell Woodmass (Northern United)
22 Trent Renata (Oriental-Rongotai)
23 Pepesana Patafilo (Tawa)Fifita and Gardon-Bachop returing are the chagnes from last week
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Good to see Scrafton and Trainor back.
That backline looks really good on paper, but hopefully we use them more this week. We were all excited about getting Manu back, but he's hardly touched the ball since coming back. Our attack has been too tight and too forward orientated.
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I will be keen to see how Fifita goes at 8. His best position is not lock and hes just not quite right for 6. But he could be very good at 8
Surprised that TBN was dropped from the starting team though. Not a rest but dropped it seems
"It's tough on Teariki Ben-Nicholas who has been in really good form but we know he will provide us with some real energy off the bench, along with a number of other players, against a quality Auckland side." -
@Winger After watching him initially play No. 8 in club rugby before being switched to blindside, I think you will find that he is not overly assured in the No. 8 position where scrums are concerned. The main downside being a struggle to tidy his own team's feed when the scrum was back pedaling under pressure and I would be surprised if much had changed in that over the intervening five years or so since the switch in positions was made. We will get a good chance to evaluate that if the Wellington scrum has not improved since it was rather shown up by the BoP team a couple of weeks back and with the same tight five fronting again, indicating it probably hasn't, things might get a bit scary for them on Sunday afternoon. However having said that here is something that sort of contradicts the above. Incidentally the green number 19 outpaced by Fifita is none other than Ben-Nicholas.
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The quality of Auckland's performances this year has been consistent. Unfortunately that's not a good thing. Apart from the Northland game the attack has misfired and scrambling defence has kept us in matches
We'll need more against Wellington
Canterbury losing, Waikato and Harbour getting zeros points - the results have fallen our way this weekend. Hopefully we capitalise on that.
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Good patience from us after a poor start. Looks like Gibson's injured again. Probably season ending knowing his injury record.
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@African-Monkey It doesn't look good for him.
We're running out of backrowers. Papali'i and Sotutu shouldn't be too far away though.
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Good hustle there from Ruru to get that try.
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@African-Monkey said in Auckland vs Wellington:
Good hustle there from Ruru to get that try.
I'm an Auckland supporter and don't like those being awarded. Holding off the ball annoys the hell out of me. Still, there's a lot I'm grumpy about these days it appears
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Apart from the first try and Redinger-Kapa being just a fraction too slow getting off the scrum for the 2nd try, our defence has been good in general. Trainor's kicking game has been good from the back too.
I feel that Teariki Ben-Nicholas could be key when he comes on with Fifita moving to 6.
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@African-Monkey MCL 🙁
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My God our attack is a mess this year.
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The score could realy blow out here. Wellington getting stronger and stronger, Auckland haven't come out of the sheds.
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@African-Monkey said in Auckland vs Wellington:
The score could realy blow out here. Wellington getting stronger and stronger, Auckland haven't come out of the sheds.
Bullshit! Ruru is running the short side on his own.
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Wellington could give this comp a real shake I feel. They're getting stronger and stronger with every performance. Auckland are in no mans and to the point where even if we do scrape into the semis, we're only making up the numbers.
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@Stargazer Don't start that shit haha. He was beaten on the outside anyway.
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@Stargazer said in Auckland vs Wellington:
Nothing seems to work for Auckland. Not their game.
Not their season. Auckland have been poor the whole competition.
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Man what a hiding. Not looking forward to watching what Tasman will do to us next week. Wellington used the breeze and the sun very well in the 2nd half, and strangled us on D, to the point where the chip over the top was our only option. Yes, our backs are all over the place, but we also have a severe lack ball carriers in our pack where we barely broke the advantage line all day.
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@KiwiMurph said in Auckland vs Wellington:
Auckland have been poor the whole competition.
Same as every game this year. Wellington were just the first team to punish us for the inaccuracies
Really struggling to get the ball beyond the first pod and when we do go out the back the passes are just slightly off... then the rush defence kills us
There was only a slight breeze, so there's no excuse for the passing skillsIt was good to have a kicking option from fullback for the first time this year
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@Stargazer said in Auckland vs Wellington:
Has he been signed by anyone? Also Ben-Nicholas?
I guess we will have to wait for the official squad announcement but surely there must be whispers.
