Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki
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It will be FREE entry to the Hawke's Bay Magpies semifinal against Taranaki on Saturday afternoon at McLean Park, Napier.
It’s been a challenging year for many people in Hawke’s Bay who have faced a severe drought, Covid -19 and most recently the flooding, which had particular impact on the communities surrounding McLean Park. So a group of local businesses along with the Napier City council have banded together to let Hawke’s Bay know “this ones on us”.Hawke’s Bay is renowned for loyally supporting its team, the Magpies, so the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union have decided to repay that support and attempt to bring some joy to everyone who could do with a little good in their lives at the moment.
Hawke’s Bay rugby Chief Executive Jay Campbell said ‘2020 has been a real challenge with tough times for many. Our farmers have been hit hard with droughts, Napier smashed last week with flooding and all business sectors and communities have been affected by Covid and the lockdown.
Campbell continued ‘Therefore, with the support of fantastic partners and the Napier City Council we are privileged to be able to make this weekend’s semifinal free and of charge so that everyone can forget about all the challenges for a couple of hours and come along and enjoy some semi-final footy in the sun’
Following the Magpies victory against Wellington, the HBRU started working with several partners to try and make ‘free entry’ a reality.Napier City Council, Unison and Napier Businessman Rodney Green have all contributed to support the HBRU in covering the costs to open the gates and make the event free of charge for both stand and general admission areas.
‘To have such generous supporters agree so quickly to support this initiative and make it a reality just shows how much they all value, appreciate and support this province. My thanks to all of these very special partners especially Kirsten Wise and the Napier City Council who were so supportive right from the get-go to get this off the ground for a community that has been hit hard over recent months’ said Campbell.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise confirmed ‘“The rain event last week highlights the ongoing resilience shown by our community in times of adversity. Good on the Magpies for opening the semi-final up for our residents! As a city, we’re happy to get completely behind this and help it happen.”
Unison Group Chief Executive Ken Sutherland added “Following a difficult year for our communities, we are pleased to be in a position where we can assist our people to support our team. The Magpies have galvanised so many this year and we hope they can continue to give a Hawke’s Bay crowd something to celebrate this weekend.”
And Napier Businessman Rodney Green was delighted to be supporting what he says is ‘a great initiative that will give this community something to cheer about considering the hardships everyone has faced during the year and if I can do my small part to make it happen, then I am more than happy to do so’Hawke’s Bay Rugby will allocate sections in the stands for their season members and sponsors to thank them for their loyal support in addition to a large number of tickets being provided to those families directly affected by the recent floods and/or are currently displaced and living at Kennedy Park. However, with over 8,500 seats and a ground capacity of 16,500 there will be plenty of room for everyone to enjoy the experience.
The match kicks off at 4:35pm this Saturday the 21st November. Gates will open from 3pm and available stand seating will be allocated on a first in first served basis. If the Magpies win they will host the Mitre 10 Cup Championship final back at McLean Park on Friday 27th November at 7:05pm.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Hawkes Bay v Taranaki:
The match kicks off at 4:35pm this Saturday the 21st November. Gates will open from 3pm and available stand seating will be allocated on a first in first served basis.
IfWhen the Magpies win they will host the Mitre 10 Cup Championship final back at McLean Park on Friday 27th November at 7:05pm.Corrected!
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Hawke’s Bay v Taranaki – Championship semi-final 2
Saturday 21 November
4.35pm, McLean Park NapierDowner Referee: Nick Briant
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HAWKE'S BAY
15 Kurt Baker
14 Lolagi Visinia
13 Stacey Ili
12 Neria Fomai
11 Jonah Lowe
10 Caleb Makene
9 Folau Fakatava
8 Devan Flanders
7 Solomone Funaki
6 Marino Mikaele-Tu'u
5 Tom Parsons
4 Geoff Cridge
3 Joe Apikotoa
2 Ash Dixon (capt)
1 Pouri Rakete-Stones16 Jacob Devery
17 Jason Long
18 Namatahi Waa
19 Isaia Walker-Leawere
20 Gareth Evans
21 Connor McLeod
22 Lincoln McClutchie
23 Ollie SapsfordBrendon O'Connor not recovered from head knock v Wellington. Ollie Sapsford fit again and returns to bench. No mention in HB Today of why Kianu Kereru-Symes is not in the 23.
Forecast for tomorrow is 25 degrees.
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@Number-10 I assume Kereru-Symes is injured? Devery will be seriously undercooked. I guess Dixon will play the full 80, if needed. Funaki was great, last week, so good to see him get the 7 jersey again in the absence of O'Connor. I hoped to see McClutchie back at 10 and I keep hoping to see Makene in the 15 jersey, but I guess it's not going to happen. No Danny Toala.
Putting IWL and Evans on the bench, in almost every game, seems a tactical decision. Maybe to have some leadership on the field when the other subs come on, and some added punch against tiring opposition? Maybe McClutchie on the bench is a tactical decision, too? He's a better 10 than Makene, although the latter hasn't been bad in the last few games.
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Magpies head coach Mark Ozich pointed out Funaki's selection ahead of Evans is the result of a combinaton of two factors - Funaki's impressiver form and the top job Evans is doing as an impact player while managing his return from a niggly ankle injury collected while playing for the Hurricanes.
Ozich agreed it was a tough call naming All Black Sevens squad member Ollie Sapsford as the substitute outside back ahead of Hurricane Danny Toala.
"Ollie performed well during the early part of the season and will bring a lot of physicality on both sides of the ball."
As expected Ozich has shifted Geoff Cridge (pictured below) back to a locking berth after playing at blindside flanker in last weekend's win against Taranaki in Inglewood. Jacob Devery has been given the substitute hooker's role after last weekend's skipper Kianu Kereru-Symes failed to shake off concussion symptoms.
Funaki gets Magpies No 7 jersey for semifinal
Give this season's big improver's award in the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby side to loosie Solomone Funaki. The former Tonga A rep and 2013 and '14 Tonga under-20s captain has made so much progress he has been given the No 7 jersey for tomorrow's Mitre...
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Players unavailable due to injury
• Sean Wainui
• Daniel Waite
• Kaylum Boshier
• Josh Lord
• Lachlan BoshierPotential debut
• Rhodes Featherstone -
@Stargazer said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:
Magpies head coach Mark Ozich pointed out Funaki's selection ahead of Evans is the result of a combinaton of two factors - Funaki's impressiver form and the top job Evans is doing as an impact player while managing his return from a niggly ankle injury collected while playing for the Hurricanes.
Ozich agreed it was a tough call naming All Black Sevens squad member Ollie Sapsford as the substitute outside back ahead of Hurricane Danny Toala.
"Ollie performed well during the early part of the season and will bring a lot of physicality on both sides of the ball."
As expected Ozich has shifted Geoff Cridge (pictured below) back to a locking berth after playing at blindside flanker in last weekend's win against Taranaki in Inglewood. Jacob Devery has been given the substitute hooker's role after last weekend's skipper Kianu Kereru-Symes failed to shake off concussion symptoms.
Funaki gets Magpies No 7 jersey for semifinal
Give this season's big improver's award in the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby side to loosie Solomone Funaki. The former Tonga A rep and 2013 and '14 Tonga under-20s captain has made so much progress he has been given the No 7 jersey for tomorrow's Mitre...
Would be a surprise if Kereru-Symes non-selection was due to anything other than some kind of injury.
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@Number-10 Yeah and the only reason he's had relatively little game time is because Ash Dixon has been so great and influential. In many other teams Kereru-Symes would be a starter.
It was interesting hearing James Parsons talk about him a few weeks ago during the radio commentary (it may have been the game against Wellington, but not sure). He was really impressed with Kereru-Symes when he replaced Parsons in the Blues' squad, earlier this year. He really rated him as a player, and also said he fitted in immediately. A quiet guy who doesn't say much, works hard, does his job and gets along with everyone. Parsons thought he deserved a Super Rugby contract. It's a pity that his limited game time may result in that not happening.
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Cloudy. No wind. Warm.
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over 100 seconds to get away from that scrum
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Damn, how did the Naki not score then?
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good to see a decent crowd in too
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@taniwharugby said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:
good to see a decent crowd in too
I think it's free - sponsors paid for tickets.
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@Nepia people still need to go though!!
I think they do better giving people free tickets as opposed to saying it's free
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@taniwharugby said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:
@Nepia people still need to go though!!
Jesus, are things that bad up north that people wouldn't go to a free match.
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Hoeata's gunna Hoeata
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Sweet, angry blonde Maori boy Hoeata gives up a penalty.
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@Nepia well it was free for kids in Kaikohe last week, and there was only about 1000 there.
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@taniwharugby said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:
@Nepia well it was free for kids in Kaikohe last week, and there was only about 1000 there.
That would be all the kids on Kaikohe wouldn't it?
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Give us that for the one they stole last week from Funaki
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balance of probability you'd say he had to have touched the grass, but the evidence is inconclusive he got it down to me
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that was 1000% a try
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Why did we have to use that scrum ball? It was stable.
The fix is in already.
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@Nepia reckon you were probably lucky he didnt give them the ball after the first scrum, went past 90 before it went up
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referees are the real problem of modern rugby nowadays.
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@taniwharugby said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:
@Nepia reckon you were probably lucky he didnt give them the ball after the first scrum, went past 90 before it went up
I must have blinked my one eye when that happened.
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Dixon needs to tell the ref they're driving straight up in the scrums to get it into his head.
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Hopefully Hoeata stays on
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silly by Baker
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@taniwharugby said in Championship Semi: Hawke's Bay v Taranaki:
silly by Baker
You'll have to more specific.
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@Nepia blind pass out the back of his hand
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what a kick that was
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wow, man in front...that coulda been a huge play
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Cridge scores! Yes.
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good maul try
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Sheesh, we can't tackle Halls and we're making Perofeta look like DC.
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What's the story with the Naki centre Halls?
Tough ball carrier.
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wow, another great try
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I had forgotten about Perofeta. Hopefully he gets an injury free Super season to show what he can do. The best of the next 10s?
