Crusaders v Chiefs
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Squad Announcement | Crusaders vs Chiefs
Our first squad for Super Rugby Aupiki 2023 is here! The Crusaders take on the Chiefs this Friday at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch at 7:05pm.
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Gallagher Chiefs name powerful and experienced line-up for opener
The Gallagher Chiefs have named an experienced line-up boasting more than 1000 caps for the club against the Crusaders in the opening round of DHL Super Rugby Pacific.
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I am a little surprised that Sowakula is starting as I thought he would be used for impact.
The backline is as expected.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
I am a little surprised that Sowakula is starting as I thought he would be used for impact.
The backline is as expected.
Nice to see DMac confirmed at 10 and I wasn't sure if Alaimalo would be a starter given that we can't find if he is fully contracted.
Two excellent lineups. Almost an AB trial game in many areas.
Bring it on.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
I am a little surprised that Sowakula is starting as I thought he would be used for impact.
The backline is as expected.
Is it? I expected Nankivell at 12 and ALB at 13.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
The backline is as expected.
Is it? Alaimalo isn't even listed in the squad, I expected Narawa at 14. He surely must be injured as he was in career best form last season on the right wing.
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@Crucial said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Nice to see DMac confirmed at 10 and I wasn't sure if Alaimalo would be a starter given that we can't find if he is fully contracted.
I expected Alaimalo to start given the injuries to the other wingers, unless Stevenson wasn't going to start at fullback.
Players not considered because of injury: Angus Ta’avao (season), Atu Moli, Josh Lord, Quinn Tupaea, Emoni Narawa, Ngatungane Punivai.
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@Stargazer said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
I expected Nankivell at 12 and ALB at 13.
ALB was at 12 and Nankivell was 13 against the Blues, so that combo seemed obvious to me.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@Crucial said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Nice to see DMac confirmed at 10 and I wasn't sure if Alaimalo would be a starter given that we can't find if he is fully contracted.
I expected Alaimalo to start given the injuries to the other wingers, unless Stevenson wasn't going to start at fullback.
Players not considered because of injury: Angus Ta’avao (season), Atu Moli, Josh Lord, Quinn Tupaea, Emoni Narawa, Ngatungane Punivai.
isn't the Ruakura training field notoriously uneven? heard it's been source of injuries in the past.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Gallagher Chiefs name powerful and experienced line-up for opener
The Gallagher Chiefs have named an experienced line-up boasting more than 1000 caps for the club against the Crusaders in the opening round of DHL Super Rugby Pacific.
Alaimalo managed one game in two years for the landers start back into the chiefs starting lineup
where is gatland? he and Ioane go from fighting it out for the Highlanders 10 jersey...to one of them being on the bench and the other not even in the squad
what are we doing wrong down south
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Whitelock to miss Crusaders' opener against Chiefs due to head knock
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Coach Scott Robertson says All Blacks and Crusaders veteran Whitelock will sit out round one of Super Rugby Pacific as a precaution.
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@kiwi_expat said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
isn't the Ruakura training field notoriously uneven? heard it's been source of injuries in the past.
I haven't heard that before. The Chiefs spent a lot of money on the field and it's looked good whenever I've seen the field up close.
We'd need to know what type of injury Narawa and Punivai have. Narawa played MP in the first pre-season game but Punivai hasn't been involved in either pre-season game.
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Fuck me dead what a great starting Chiefs team.
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This article answers the question about Alaimalo and the other wingers:
The backline also features the return of 47-cap Chief Solomon Alaimalo on the right wing, the 27-year-old having last represented the club in 2020 prior to joining the Highlanders, but playing just two games for them before taking an extended period out of the game due to mental health issues. He isn’t part of the 38-man contracted squad but with Emoni Narawa sick and Ngane Punivai copping an injury in an internal hitout, a chance has come quickly.
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@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@kiwi_expat said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
isn't the Ruakura training field notoriously uneven? heard it's been source of injuries in the past.
I haven't heard that before. The Chiefs spent a lot of money on the field and it's looked good whenever I've seen the field up close.
We'd need to know what type of injury Narawa and Punivai have. Narawa played MP in the first pre-season game but Punivai hasn't been involved in either pre-season game.
I remember reading it was originally a cricket oval built over a boggy swamp, often waterlogged and didn't drain properly, ground very soft & uneven in places (maybe it was a factor towards those massive injury tolls during the Rennie/Cooper era?) which contributed to leg injuries. think they've since done work to make the ground firmer.
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@Yeetyaah said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Fuck me dead what a great starting Chiefs team.
Impressive side, hopefully they can do the business.
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@Canes4life well the crusaders look pretty fucking impressive to
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Chiefs by a thousand
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@kiwi_expat said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@kiwi_expat said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
isn't the Ruakura training field notoriously uneven? heard it's been source of injuries in the past.
I haven't heard that before. The Chiefs spent a lot of money on the field and it's looked good whenever I've seen the field up close.
We'd need to know what type of injury Narawa and Punivai have. Narawa played MP in the first pre-season game but Punivai hasn't been involved in either pre-season game.
I remember reading it was originally a cricket oval built over a boggy swamp, often waterlogged and didn't drain properly, ground very soft & uneven in places (maybe it was a factor towards those massive injury tolls during the Rennie/Cooper era?) which contributed to leg injuries. think they've since done work to make the ground firmer.
Everything in Waikato is built on a boggy swamp. The original “oval” has been there for a very long time. Probably from the days of being NZs first farm school.
Looks mint to me
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@Machpants said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@Canes4life well the crusaders look pretty fucking impressive to
That they do. Should be a cracker.
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@kiwi_expat said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
I remember reading it was originally a cricket oval built over a boggy swamp, often waterlogged and didn't drain properly, ground very soft & uneven in places
Yes, the original ground used to retain a lot of water after it rained and was soft underfoot. I played numerous games on that field myself before the Chiefs started using it.
However, the Chiefs completely resurfaced the field, it is sand-based and much firmer. As a comparison, it is much better playing surface than the no.2 field (Fred Jones Park) used at the recent Hamilton Sevens.
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Expect the Crusaders to win. Esp with the home advantage. But hope the Chiefs can pull of a upset
2 VG sides. Looking forward to it
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@kiwi_expat said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@Bovidae said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@kiwi_expat said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
isn't the Ruakura training field notoriously uneven? heard it's been source of injuries in the past.
I haven't heard that before. The Chiefs spent a lot of money on the field and it's looked good whenever I've seen the field up close.
We'd need to know what type of injury Narawa and Punivai have. Narawa played MP in the first pre-season game but Punivai hasn't been involved in either pre-season game.
built over a boggy swamp
The entire Waikato
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As a neutral, this game looks epic
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As the former groundsman of the Chiefs Ruakura training ground ,I can assure you that after the renovation it was and still is a perfect surface.The other training ground on the campus was uneven but didn’t stop Tom Coventry using it to work his forwards relentlessly.Bust ups among the front rows very common. My brother voluntarily maintains Fred Jones and a better club ground in Hamilton would be hard to find. By the way the Chiefs won their first Super title using the old soccer field.,before the renovation.,and the Council’s Beetham Park wasn’t up to standard for the recent World Sevens.
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@trodthesod you do know that coming in with actual knowledge isn’t the done thing on the fern
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@Crucial Sorry couldn’t let it go past ! Halcyon Chief years for me .
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@trodthesod One day my brother was watching Tom working the forwards on the railway line field and to his horror saw a right real bust up amongst Tom’s forwards Liam Messam,and Josh Honeck getting stuck into each other.When approached later on about the incident Tom said he was happy with both players,one for flaring up and the other retaliating,all good he said.
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@trodthesod said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@trodthesod One day my brother was watching Tom working the forwards on the railway line field and to his horror saw a right real bust up amongst Tom’s forwards Liam Messam,and Josh Honeck getting stuck into each other.When approached later on about the incident Tom said he was happy with both players,one for flaring up and the other retaliating,all good he said.
Sounds like he still encourages bust ups going by the stories in the Blues thread.
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@Crucial Hard to get some players aggravated these days he bemoans. No disharmony in the camp,so just gossip.
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@trodthesod I was hoping you'd comment on this subject.
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@Bovidae Hi mate ,so sorry we took your soccer field off you,but must say you handled it with great grace.
You never got to play on it anyway,I always had the closed sign up. -
@Bovidae Think this could be the Chiefs year again.They looked strong at Pukekohe.
Come to the Ruakura cafe on the last Tuesday each month for a coffee and catch up 10.am.Has been going for nearly a year now..Former staff,good fun. -
Think we lose this game, but will hopefully see them later on in the season and be a bit more dangerous.
It looks like McMillan has finally figured out how to select a backline. Let's hope some asshole doesn't do a flying dive on Alaimalo and put him out for a year - I'm hoping that he'll be the winger we've been looking to match alongside Stevenson.
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DMac is best when he doesn’t have to do it all himself and there could be an excellent partnership with Stevenson brewing.
If we can get something like the old DMac/Lowe days going it will be fireworks.
Defences need to stay back a little with Stevenson’s boot which opens a bit of space for the little guy. -
@gt12 said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Think we lose this game, but will hopefully see them later on in the season and be a bit more dangerous.
It looks like McMillan has finally figured out how to select a backline. Let's hope some asshole doesn't do a flying dive on Alaimalo and put him out for a year - I'm hoping that he'll be the winger we've been looking to match alongside Stevenson.
don't write off Narawa who injured, he's 4 years younger than Alaimalo. Emoni was the one of the more dangerous wingers in SR last year and was better than many of the players who made All Blacks & AB XV squads IMO. Alaimalo is already 27, I don't see him ahead of Narawa going forward.
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@kiwi_expat said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
@gt12 said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Think we lose this game, but will hopefully see them later on in the season and be a bit more dangerous.
It looks like McMillan has finally figured out how to select a backline. Let's hope some asshole doesn't do a flying dive on Alaimalo and put him out for a year - I'm hoping that he'll be the winger we've been looking to match alongside Stevenson.
don't write off Narawa who injured, he's 4 years younger than Alaimalo. Emoni was the one of the more dangerous wingers in SR last year and was better than many of the players who made All Blacks & AB XV squads IMO. Alaimalo is already 27, I don't see him ahead of Narawa going forward.
I'm not.
I only mentioned two names from the back three.
I'd have Narawa in competition with ENS if Alaimalo works out, but if he's better, then that's great too. -
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There was a Stuff article about that yesterday.
The other stat:
Friday night’s opening-round contest against the Crusaders in Christchurch will be the first time in 62 Chiefs games, and just the second in the last 71, that McKenzie and fellow All Blacks Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane – three of the club’s five-most-capped current players – will have played alongside one another.
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@Crucial said in Crusaders v Chiefs:
Those Chiefs jerseys seem to be a little more red and black than I remember them being.
