Highlanders v Blues
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@Tim said in Blues 2023:
Heading down to Dunedin for the game. Should be a goody but still feels too early for rugby. Summer is just starting here...
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@JK said in Blues 2023:
@Tim said in Blues 2023:
Heading down to Dunedin for the game. Should be a goody but still feels too early for rugby. Summer is just starting here...
Go the Highlanders.
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@Tim said in Highlanders v Blues:
you know other forums allow more reactions that just "upvote"....this would get a
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Hinton suggesting a predictable backline:
9 Christie
10 Barrrett
11 Clarke
12 RTS
13 Ioane
14 Telea
15 PerofetaThoughts on starting pack? Might be:
1 Hodgman
2 Eklund
3 Laulala
4 Tucker
5 Tuipulotu
6 Ioane
7 Papalii
8 SotutuBased on availability, bench might be:
16 Riccitelli
17 Lay
18 Tu'ungufasi
19 Suafoa
20 Choat
21 Nock
22 Heem
23 Sullivan -
@Tim jesus that backline!
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim jesus that backline!
Classic eh, 5-15 could probably almost have been down in an EOYT starting sheet.
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@mariner4life said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim jesus that backline!
swap the fucking 10 and 15 FFS
No way. Better for us this game and for when BB stays next year and Stevie says fuck this I'm going down south to play outside the starting AB halfback.
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@Tim we'll wait for whichever one of Sullivan or Perofeta can't get a start.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim jesus that backline!
According to AB threads that backline contains a useless halfback, a scattergun 10, a wannabe 12, a 13 that makes poor decisions, a stopgap wing, a wing with terrible defence that trips over his own feet and a fullback that isn’t good enough to get a game.
Just saying. -
@Crucial big difference between playing france or ireland....and the Highlanders...just saying
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@Crucial fair point, I'd definitely take our left wing.
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@Tim Suafoa to start. Funaki, Heem and Lam back reserves
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@Crucial said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim jesus that backline!
According to AB threads that backline contains a useless halfback, a scattergun 10, a wannabe 12, a 13 that makes poor decisions, a stopgap wing, a wing with terrible defence that trips over his own feet and a fullback that isn’t good enough to get a game.
Just saying.I see that and raise you an; injury prone halfback with an experimental knee revovery, a midget a 10 whp has barely played in the last year, our main threat on the wing, can he see out a game at 12 or will we see another month on the sidelines? a tough battler at centre, Jonah MK11, and a Canterbury reject at fullback. Your batch sounds a lot better than ours
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Crucial said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim jesus that backline!
According to AB threads that backline contains a useless halfback, a scattergun 10, a wannabe 12, a 13 that makes poor decisions, a stopgap wing, a wing with terrible defence that trips over his own feet and a fullback that isn’t good enough to get a game.
Just saying.I see that and raise you an; injury prone halfback with an experimental knee revovery, a midget a 10 whp has barely played in the last year, our main threat on the wing, can he see out a game at 12 or will we see another month on the sidelines? a tough battler at centre, Jonah MK11, and a Canterbury reject at fullback. Your batch sounds a lot better than ours
That's cos they are
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@Machpants well aware of this...
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Machpants well aware of this...
Thank goodness someone pointed it out though eh.
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@Bones said in Highlanders v Blues:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Machpants well aware of this...
Thank goodness someone pointed it out though eh.
We would have never known Rieko Ioane is a better player than Josh Timu
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*arguably
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our XV is fairly predictable except unsure who starts at Hooker Makalio or Marshall
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@FakatavaAllBlack you say that....and i remember saying the same thing last year...and then we fielded teams completely different to those we used in pre season
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LAULALA CELEBRATES CENTURY IN SEASON OPENER — Blues Rugby
Blues prop, Nepo Laulala is poised to bring up 100 Super Rugby games this weekend with his side set to face the Highlanders in the opening game of the DHL Super Rugby Pacific 2023 season on Saturday, February 25, at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. Laulala, who has previousl
1 Ofa Tuungafasi
2 Kurt Eklund
3 Nepo Laulala
4 Patrick Tuipulotu
5 Cameron Suafoa
6 Akira Ioane
7 Dalton Papalii
8 Hoskins Sotutu
9 Finlay Christie
10 Beauden Barrett
11 Caleb Clarke
12 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
13 Rieko Ioane
14 Mark Telea
15 Stephen PerofetaReserves:
16 Ricky Riccitelli
17 Joshua Fusitu’a
18 Marcel Renata
19 James Tucker
20 Adrian Choat
21 Taufa Funaki
22 Bryce Heem
23 AJ LamInjured
Sam Darry (knee), Alex Hodgman (illness), James Lay (ankle), Sam Nock (calf), Harry Plummer (ribs), Tom Robinson (illness) -
No Zarn Sullivan.
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Predictable XV the questions were more on the bench
Good to see Choat ahead of Segner. Shame that we have Ricky above Vikena
Sullivan vs AJ on the bench was the other decision. Sullivan gives better cover if there's an injury early, AJ more impact in the last 20. Zarn probably suffered by playing 10 behind a poor pack where ironically the only time he got to show anything was when he was returning the ball from deep, like a fullback
Big chance for Joshua Fusitu’a he could move up the rankings fast this year
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Zarn struggled a bit under the roof last year so i wonder if it's horses for courses with the game being so high paced.
Not sure Blues have the depth to make the final this year but they should be there or thereabouts.
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Highlanders side; Man for man clearly better than their opposite. Landers by 25+
Ethan de Groot
Rhys Marshall
Jermaine Ainsley
Paripari Parkinson
Josh Dickson
Shannon Frizell
Billy Harmon ©
Marino Mikaele Tu’u
Folau Fakatava
Mitch Hunt
Jona Nareki
Thomas Umaga-Jensen
Josh Timu
Jonah Lowe
Sam Gilbert
Reserves: 16. Andrew Makalio, 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18. Saula Ma'u, 19. Will Tucker, 20. Sean Withy, 21. Kemara Hauiti Parapara, 22. Freddie Burns, 23. Connor Garden-BachopNot Available due to injury: James Arscott (knee), Marty Banks (groin), Fabian Holland (knee), Vili Koroi (knee), Fetuli Paea (calf)
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@Stargazer said in Highlanders v Blues:
No Zarn Sullivan.
Come and join your bro at the Canes son, we could do with a class first five. Plus, the Blues owe us for stealing Beaudy.
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@Canes4life Getting Zarn wouldn't even be stealing, considering he's from the Canes' catchment.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Blues:
Highlanders side; Man for man clearly better than their opposite. Landers by 25+
Ethan de Groot
Rhys Marshall
Jermaine Ainsley
Paripari Parkinson
Josh Dickson
Shannon Frizell
Billy Harmon ©
Marino Mikaele Tu’u
Folau Fakatava
Mitch Hunt
Jona Nareki
Thomas Umaga-Jensen
Josh Timu
Jonah Lowe
Sam Gilbert
Reserves: 16. Andrew Makalio, 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18. Saula Ma'u, 19. Will Tucker, 20. Sean Withy, 21. Kemara Hauiti Parapara, 22. Freddie Burns, 23. Connor Garden-BachopNot Available due to injury: James Arscott (knee), Marty Banks (groin), Fabian Holland (knee), Vili Koroi (knee), Fetuli Paea (calf)
that has to be pretty close to full strength, if they can fire we cold be in with a good chance
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
Reserves: 16. Andrew Makalio, 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18. Saula Ma'u, 19. Will Tucker, 20. Sean Withy, 21. Kemara Hauiti Parapara, 22. Freddie Burns, 23. Connor Garden-Bachop
Top backline at the moment.
Would suggest Holland would be in the mixer for our lock rotation, Arscott as the third nine and that would be the top unit.
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@Crucial said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim jesus that backline!
According to AB threads that backline contains a useless halfback, a scattergun 10, a wannabe 12, a 13 that makes poor decisions, a stopgap wing, a wing with terrible defence that trips over his own feet and a fullback that isn’t good enough to get a game.
Just saying.Still better than the opposition
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@antipodean said in Highlanders v Blues:
According to AB threads that backline contains a useless halfback, a scattergun 10, a wannabe 12, a 13 that makes poor decisions, a stopgap wing, a wing with terrible defence that trips over his own feet and a fullback that isn’t good enough to get a game.
No chance. Every Highlander is a superior player to their Blues opposite.
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all jokes aside, obviously the Blues have better options on paper in almost every position, 9? maybe but fakatave is coming back from injury, i would say possibly close at 12 and our locks are very good...our only hope is if we can come together as a better unit.....but in saying that most of that blues team has been playing together for a while....so...a tough ask
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Should be a great battle in the loose forwards
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders v Blues:
@antipodean said in Highlanders v Blues:
According to AB threads that backline contains a useless halfback, a scattergun 10, a wannabe 12, a 13 that makes poor decisions, a stopgap wing, a wing with terrible defence that trips over his own feet and a fullback that isn’t good enough to get a game.
No chance. Every Highlander is a superior player to their Blues opposite.
It was more that I was taking the piss out of AB critics who then say 'what an awesome side'. Same players.
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@Crucial you didn't address my reply earlier...you do get there is a HUGE difference between test rugby against Ireland and France....and the Highlanders....our whole backline has 2 caps
