Highlanders v Force
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Highlanders' game against Force to be season-defining
Clarke Dermody will not attempt to play down the significance of this week. The Highlanders assistant coach freely admits Friday night’s match...
Force are probably the only side that are a realistic (but unlikely) chance of knocking the Highlanders out of the 8
Win this and the Highlanders should be safe
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does anyone really want so many team to make the "playoffs" only to get hammered? if we play the blues that is a very real likelyhood
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@Kiwiwomble WTF? Blues bogey team ready to turn the competition upside down and knock one of the favourites out of the competition. Marty Banks to carve up!
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Highlanders v Force:
@Kiwiwomble WTF? Blues bogey team ready to turn the competition upside down and knock one of the favourites out of the competition. Marty Banks to carve up!
Blues will be total underdogs
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@Machpants You know it.
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Really raised my eyebrows when I saw this team named!
Gilbert at 10, Paea on the wing and Timu at centre!
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Ethan de Groot
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Andrew Makalio
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Jermaine Ainsley
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Bryn Evans
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Josh Dickson
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James Lentjes (CC)
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Billy Harmon
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Marino Mikaele-Tu’u
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Aaron Smith (CC)
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Sam Gilbert
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Scott Gregory
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Thomas Umaga-Jensen
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Josh Timu
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Fetuli Paea
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Connor Garden-Bachop
Reserves
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Rhys Marshall
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Daniel Lienert-Brown
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Saula Mau
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Fabian Holland
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Hugh Renton
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Folau Fakatava
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Mitch Hunt
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Liam Coombes-Fabling
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WTF, Gilbert at 10?....i know we'd talked about it but late in the season for a change, i dont mind that midfield....dont know if it will work but i dont mind seeing it, what is gregory doing to keep a spot over someone like koroi
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LCF is obviously fit again. I don't see him as an impact sub on the wing though.
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@Kiwiwomble they don't see Koroi as a winger. So won't be picked in the back three. Turns out he is now the 4th choice 10. Fascinated to see Gilbert at 10
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@SouthernMann he obviously is though, that where he probably played the most along with 15 for Otago, im pretty sure he was named as an outside back in the squad announcement because we talked about them only naming 2 10's
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Force:
@SouthernMann he obviously is though, that where he probably played the most along with 15 for Otago, im pretty sure he was named as an outside back in the squad announcement because we talked about them only naming 2 10's
He is considered one of the 10s from this quote here and not in the conversation around being a winger. Which is strange especially as Coombes-Fabling can't be bigger than him?
from this article here. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/128479023/highlanders-coach-tony-brown-says-passion-hasnt-waned-despite-poor-results
"For example, Brown revealed that the Highlanders were in the gradual process of converting talented outside back Vilimoni Koroi from an outside back to a genuine No 10 option, while similar patience was being afforded to jet-heeled winger Vereniki Tikoisolomone.
“He's trying to learn 15s and where he fits in the 15s game,” Brown said of Koroi, who spent most of last season's NPC campaign on the left wing for Otago.
“Obviously, a lot of power wingers operate in Super Rugby, and Vili's not the biggest man. We're trying to develop him as a first five-eighth who can cover fullback.”
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Is Hunt injured or suffering a crisis of confidence?
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@Tim he's on the bench so i assume just a little rest before playoffs if we're going to make it
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Highlanders media release:
Highlanders to welcome Force to Forsyth Barr Stadium | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership
After three weeks on tour, the Highlanders return to their home ground of Forsyth Barr Stadium to play the Western Force at home for the first time since 2016. This round 13 game with be played on Friday 13th May at 7:05pm and instead of a Black Friday it will be Maroon Friday with the home team...
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@SouthernMann what's going on with koroi seems fishy to me, he was playing Wing just this past weekend for Alhambra.. and I remember twitter acct by the name of NicholasFriedl3 saying awhile back he had heard koroi was on the naughty step🤔
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Fucking yes! Go Gilbert!
Wouldn't have minded seeing Smith there outside Fakatava either.
Paea shuffled out to where he can cause the least amount of plays to break down.
Love it.
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Force
Tom Robertson, Andrew Ready, Santiago Medrano, Jeremy Thrush, Izack Rodda, Fergus Lee-Warner, Ollie Callan, Tim Anstee, Ian Prior, Reesjan Pasitoa, Manasa Mataele, Bayley Kuenzle, Kyle Godwin, Bryon Ralston, Jake Strachan
Reserves: Feleti Kaitu'u, Angus Wagner, Bo Abra, Ryan McCauley, Brynard Stander, Michael McDonald, Jake McIntyre, Richard Kahui
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@Bones said in Highlanders v Force:
Fucking yes! Go Gilbert!
Wouldn't have minded seeing Smith there outside Fakatava either.
Paea shuffled out to where he can cause the least amount of plays to break down.
Love it.
I just wish they could have changed Gregory's position to.. Left right out..
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@Mattasaurus said in Highlanders v Force:
@Bones said in Highlanders v Force:
Fucking yes! Go Gilbert!
Wouldn't have minded seeing Smith there outside Fakatava either.
Paea shuffled out to where he can cause the least amount of plays to break down.
Love it.
I just wish they could have changed Gregory's position to.. Left right out..
At least we know what to expect when the ball gets to the wing. Ruck or turnover.
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@Duluth here's hoping paea will be able to shut down former Mainlander Manasa Mataele
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Is Gilbert is decent goal kicker? I suppose he can't be any worse than Hunt has been this season.
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@Bones either wing with those wingers...
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Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 1: Brendon Pickerill
Assistant Ref 2: Angus Mabey
TMO: Shane McDermott -
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Can always count on Andrew!
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How many times will Marshall use the word synergy tonight 🙄
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@FakatavaFuture said in Highlanders v Force:
Can always count on Andrew!
Loving his resurgence. He's Taukieaho lite
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Force looked clearly over the ball there with the Highlanders not releasing. Unless the Force were off their feet, they should have won the penalty.
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Force very hard done by there..
Felt it was a penalty to them at that ruck..Happy to get 1st blood though..
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Yeah the boys
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Loving the resurgence of MMT too! Gilbert is having a cracking year.
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Gilbert's started well, and even Gregory has made a tackle and caught the ball 😁
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I'm not really sure how that ruck where the ball came free should have been refereed, but Smith inadvertently kicks it and I am not sure he came through the gate. Still good play by the Highlanders to take advantage.
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Is being held up from a kick off different than being held up from a kick?
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@Bones said in Highlanders v Force:
Is being held up from a kick off different than being held up from a kick?
Unconscious biase 😉
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@Bones said in Highlanders v Force:
Is being held up from a kick off different than being held up from a kick?
I didn't think so but obviously I'm mistaken!
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@hydro11 said in Highlanders v Force:
I'm not really sure how that ruck where the ball came free should have been refereed, but Smith inadvertently kicks it and I am not sure he came through the gate. Still good play by the Highlanders to take advantage.
🙄 I think you're in the wrong thread, the I hate the Highlanders thread is somewhere else. Besides which Smith played it backwards with his foot.
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Jeez defence optional game
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Forced screwed over by the official in the lead up to both tries ,
Makalio was so isolated on his first carry , at least 3 WF players over the ball ..
Smith retreated from offside position thru the turnover ruck and played the ball with his foot
And then a very suspect forward pass from Mikaele Tu’u to Harmon .. -
@Machpants said in Highlanders v Force:
@Bones said in Highlanders v Force:
Is being held up from a kick off different than being held up from a kick?
I didn't think so but obviously I'm mistaken!
And now they score from it. Where's hydro when you need him?
