Hurricanes v Blues
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Players not considered with injury: Soane Vikena (Pec), Ray Niuia (knee), TI Faiane (leg), Dillon Hunt (concussion), Finlay Christie (leg), Alex Hodgman (ankle), Blake Gibson (ribs), Jone Macalai (season-ending).
https://blues.rugby/debutants-and-all-blacks-combine-in-opening-line-up/
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@tim said in Hurricanes v Blues:
However, MacDonald will be able to call on the services of Karl Tu’inukuafe and Ofa Tuumgafasi during the game, giving him a luxury in propping depth that other Super Rugby coaches could only dream of and that’s not even mentioning All Black Alex Hodgman, who is recovering from an ankle injury and should be back by round.
More marvelous reporting, first sentence "So stacked are the Blues with their props that Leon MacDonald has been able to put two off them on the bench for Saturday’s Super Rugby Aotearoa game against the Hurricanes."
So the blues are the only ones that can put props on their bench? Golden oldies scrums, here we come!
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Blake Gibson (ribs)
The most consistently broken player in NZ? An endless stream of relatively small injuries. He must be so frustrated.
Huge opportunity for Choat with Hunt missing as well. I expect him to be in the full squad next year.. probably pushing Gibson out
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@labcat Because they're a bunch of Julian Savea fanboys, and expect him to get more bums on seats and be a crowd favourite again. Stuck in the past. Reactions on their social media posts are very mixed ...
Rayasi was expected to be NZ's next star winger ... by some Aucklanders.
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@duluth said in Hurricanes v Blues:
Blake Gibson (ribs)
The most consistently broken player in NZ? An endless stream of relatively small injuries. He must be so frustrated.
Huge opportunity for Choat with Hunt missing as well. I expect him to be in the full squad next year.. probably pushing Gibson out
No, he has nothing on the likes of Hugh Renton and Sam McNichol who seem to have been permanently injured over the last four or five seasons. Geoff Cridge also makes the list with an honourable mention.
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@tim said in Hurricanes v Blues:
For who can't be bothered to go through the entire article:Holland still expects Ardie Savea to play a lot at No 8, where he featured exclusively for the Hurricanes and All Blacks last year, but felt openside flanker was the best fit for round one. The Savea, Fifita, Flanders loose trio will counter the Blues’ bruisers and provides more lineout options, too. Holland said Kirifi, who was one of their standouts last year, was unlucky but this was horses for courses. “We’re aware of the threat the Blues have and how we counter them and meet them head on around physicality.” Last year’s regular No 6 Reed Prinsep will come off the bench, while hooker Dane Coles remains on ice as he regains full fitness from a calf strain. Asafo Aumua dons No 2 again.Umaga-Jensen on the bench raises some eyebrows after his electric form alongside Ngani Laumape in 2020. With Umaga-Jensen having stayed home for last Friday’s pre-season defeat to the Highlanders on paternity leave, Billy Proctor seized his chance and gets first crack at No 13. Said Holland: “Billy’s gone really well, he’s been awesome in the pre-season and really put the pressure on, and Pete missed a few days after becoming a father late last week. To be fair, Billy’s earned it and it’s going to be a good battle in that midfield this season.” -
@stargazer said in Hurricanes v Blues:
@labcat Because they're a bunch of Julian Savea fanboys, and expect him to get more bums on seats and be a crowd favourite again. Stuck in the past. Reactions on their social media posts are very mixed ...
Rayasi was expected to be NZ's next star winger ... by some Aucklanders.
We'll happily have him too haha. What a waste not starting him.
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@canes4life said in Hurricanes v Blues:
@canes4life interesting to see PUJ on the bench and wtf is Prinsep doing as reserve lock. I’d assume Fifita would move to lock....
Maybe one day (hopefully soon) we will all see why the coaches rate Proctor so highly. But I just don't see it. But the same with Blackwell. And Tiatia. I don't rate Prinsep but at least I can see why some might rate him
Barrett is covering 1st I assume. So who is the FB cover. Proctor, Goosen and I think PUJ (or was it his brother) have all played there during the NPC. Or Rayasi maybe.
and the two I will watch with interest is Flanders and Fifita. Falnders as its his first start but hoping for big things from him. And Fifita to see if he's got the fire back. I guess he starts though due to having a 1.90 lock in the team. And the need for more quality line-out options
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Looking at both teams I’m picking Canes 12- as they have home advantage.
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@winger said in Hurricanes v Blues:
@canes4life said in Hurricanes v Blues:
@canes4life interesting to see PUJ on the bench and wtf is Prinsep doing as reserve lock. I’d assume Fifita would move to lock....
Maybe one day (hopefully soon) we will all see why the coaches rate Proctor so highly. But I just don't see it. But the same with Blackwell. And Tiatia. I don't rate Prinsep but at least I can see why some might rate him
Barrett is covering 1st I assume. So who is the FB cover. Proctor, Goosen and I think PUJ (or was it his brother) have all played there during the NPC. Or Rayasi maybe.
and the two I will watch with interest is Flanders and Fifita. Falnders as its his first start but hoping for big things from him. And Fifita to see if he's got the fire back. I guess he starts though due to having a 1.90 lock in the team. And the need for more quality line-out options.
@winger It seems like the Hurricanes coaches (Chris Gibbes in particular) tend to value toilers/hard workers, fitness & work-rate over the more flashy, purely big-boppers, hence Princep, Scrafton, Blackwell etc.. over the likes of Isaiah Walker-Leawere (who's still carrying a bit of weight to be fair) etc.. And I can't really object, as it worked for them so well last year, (their forwards were probably the best performing of all franchises by the business end of SRA 2020), but we'll see what happens on Saturday.
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@stargazer said in Hurricanes v Blues:
@labcat Because they're a bunch of Julian Savea fanboys, and expect him to get more bums on seats and be a crowd favourite again. Stuck in the past. Reactions on their social media posts are very mixed ...
Rayasi was expected to be NZ's next star winger ... by some Aucklanders.
I'm not from Auckland, and he is quality.
Even the Chief's coaches would probably work out that he is a starting quality Super winger.
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Looks like it's going to be a tough season for the Canes and Ardie should be on the phone to Cane to ask how to deal with a donut at seasons end (looks like the Chiefs have tried to lighten the load for Cane this year).
Looking forward to seeing how Flanders goes this year. He looks to have used the off season well and bulked up a bit.
Excited to see AIoane this year too. Appeared to get his head straight last year and was fizzing by year end. He looks like he's going to hit the ground running this year and deliver on his potential. Hopefully anyway as the AB's are screaming out for a unit in the forward pack.
Maybe this year will be Billy's year......
