Blues v Highlanders
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@friedrugby said in Blues v Highlanders:
Plenty of time to talk about next season in the months ahead (in truth, probably starting next week) but if we are to extend our season for another week, what team lines up against the Blues?
Props:
EDG and Ainsley start, DLB and Ma'u to come off the bench - that won't change.Hookers:
Makalio and Marshall, doesn't matter which way around they are, though after last week's lineouts, I'd lean towards starting Marshall.Locks:
Very much injury dependent. Will Tucker is back, but I'm not sure he should come into the equation. Dickson starts next to Parkinson if he is fit for mine, if not Hicks gets the run. I would continue with two loosies on the bench.Loose Forwards:
Though I thought Frizell was poor last week, I wouldn't change the make up of the loose forwards.Halfbacks:
Though I'd be tempted to start Fakatava, I think Smith will get the nod, and probably should considering the midfield chaos...First Five:
Freddie - Best game by a Landers 10 in a while last weekMidfielders/Outside Backs:
The injury to Gilbert has really muddied the waters here. Looked a broken wrist, so hard to see him playing this week. Hunt definitely starts at fullback after last week, and Nareki joins them, but it is tough to pick the rest.If fit, TUJ plays, but considering he had compression things on both his calves, looked a little more than just a niggle. If he isn't fit, Whaanga gets the nod. These two can't play together as they are simply too slow. That leaves one midfield slot, and Paea and Gregory are the only two fit 'midfielders'. They seem to have moved on from Paea, and I'd like to make a formal apology about some of my Gregory claims last week. He isn't close to being up to scratch in the midfield, which leaves the Landers in a sticky spot.
I strongly doubt we will do it, but I think we should take the risk, and chuck either Nareki, Lowe or Bogado into the midfield. We are going to need some pace, or else Ioane and Telea will burn us on the outside channel like they did in R1, and the Chiefs also managed. Nareki and Lowe have both played 13 in club rugby I believe, no idea about Bogado, though he looks the most suited as a straight swap for Gilbert. Hard to see it, especially as he wasn't even deemed good enough for the bench last week, but I'd go with it nonetheless.
Just leaves the 14 spot to be filled, and despite how poor he was last week, I think Lowe is a superior option on the wing to everyone else who is fit and available. CGB added good energy last week, but we have seen it several times before, he is too slow to play on the wing, and is suspect defensively. If we are dropping Lowe, I'd begrudgingly chuck Gregory there.
MY TEAM FOR THIS WEEK:
- EDG
- Marshall
- Ainsley
- Parkinson
- Dickson/Hicks
- Frizell
- Harmon
- Renton
- Smith
- Burns
- Nareki
- Bogado
- TUJ/Whaanga
- Lowe
- Hunt
- Makalio
- DLB
- Ma'u
- MMT
- Withy
- Fakatava
- CGB
- Gregory
Great. TUJ and Gilbert both out... the Landers talk about going down swinging, so actually do it. Picking Southland's starting midfield, the NPC side who has won 6 games in the last 6 years and hasn't won on the road since 2015 is surely the total opposite. I don't know if could bare watching it. Lowe, Nareki, Bogado, I don't care, take the drastic option.
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@friedrugby jeez....is there a less threatening midfield than one made up of gregory, whaanga or paea......
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@Kiwiwomble Bogado is also still out according to the ODT... which is odd, because he was meant to be back about 6 weeks ago, and he isn't listed on the Highlanders injury list. There must be someone we can parachute in, ala John Afoa.
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@friedrugby Ben smith still looks fit.....
i dont think i want to parachute someone in over the top of "fit" options already in the squad only to scrape into 8th....too much pride for that, we play who we have or we sholdnt have selected them
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@Kiwiwomble But realistically, Whaanga is a wider squad member already anyway, and Paea is going overseas... if the Crusaders are doing it, why shouldn't we.
Ryan Crotty played in the Japan Top League final 10 days ago, get him in there!
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@friedrugby because we'll probably get a hiding in the finals, trying to buy our way to 8th just sounds....weak
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@Kiwiwomble I hear you, but if we are really talking about going down swinging, then I want to see them explore all their options/take a risk.
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@friedrugby thats fair, you do you...its just feels like that meme of the guys celebrating with the champagne and it zooms out and he's 3'rd and the other two guys are looking at him...getting in help to fighting our way to 8th!....wa hoo
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@Kiwiwomble 8th is better than 9th....
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@friedrugby said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Kiwiwomble Bogado is also still out according to the ODT... which is odd, because he was meant to be back about 6 weeks ago, and he isn't listed on the Highlanders injury list. There must be someone we can parachute in, ala John Afoa.
Calling Charlie Ngatai?!
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@pakman said in Blues v Highlanders:
@friedrugby said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Kiwiwomble Bogado is also still out according to the ODT... which is odd, because he was meant to be back about 6 weeks ago, and he isn't listed on the Highlanders injury list. There must be someone we can parachute in, ala John Afoa.
Calling Charlie Ngatai?!
Well you are after a miracle...
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@Jailbreak7 if we scraped into the play offs and got a 50 drumming im not sure it is....i wouldn't enjoy that
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1 Ethan de Groot
2 Andrew Makalio
3 Jermaine Ainsley
4 Pari Pari Parkinson
5 Max Hicks
6 Shannon Frizell
7 Billy Harmon (C)
8 Hugh Renton
9 Aaron Smith
10 Freddie Burns
11 Jona Nareki
12 Sam Gilbert
13 Matt Whaanga
14 Scott Gregory
15 Mitch HuntReserves: 16. Rhys Marshall 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown 18. Saula Ma’u 19. Marino Mikaele-Tu’u 20. Sean Withy 21. Folau Fakatava 22. Connor Garden-Bachop 23. Fetuli Paea
Not Available due to injury: Vili Koroi (knee) Luca Inch (thumb) Marty Banks (groin) Jeff Thwaites (back) Josh Timu (ankle) Jake Te Hiwi (ankle) Fabian Holland (hamstring) Josh Dickson (personal) Martin Bogado (leg) James Lentjes (shoulder) Thomas Umaga-Jensen (calf)
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TELEA MARKS MILESTONE — Blues Rugby
In-form Blues wing Mark Telea is set to play his 50th Super Rugby Pacific match, coinciding with the timely return of Captain Dalton Papalii, as the Blues prepare for a Friday night showdown against the Highlanders at Eden Park. The Gordon Hunter Trophy is also up for grabs on Friday night, with th
1 Ofa Tuungafasi
2 Ricky Riccitelli
3 Nepo Laulala
4 Patrick Tuipulotu
5 James Tucker
6 Tom Robinson
7 Anton Segner
8 Dalton Papalii (C)
9 Finlay Christie
10 Harry Plummer
11 Caleb Clarke
12 Bryce Heem
13 Rieko Ioane
14 Mark Telea
15 Zarn SullivanReserves:
16 Kurt Eklund
17 Jordan Lay
18 Marcel Renata
19 Rob Rush*
20 Akira Ioane
21 Sam Nock
22 Stephen Perofeta
23 AJ Lam*potential debutant
Players not considered: Beauden Barrett (cut foot), Adrian Choat (shoulder), Sam Darry (arm, season), Alex Hodgman (shoulder, season), Hoskins Sotutu (ABs rest), Tanielu Tele’a (knee)
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@Duluth ok, not as bad as thought as Gilbert is there
lowe not on injury list but Gregory pick ahead of him, sometimes selections just make you think you see the game completely differently to other people, gregory on the wing ahead of CGB or Lowe just seems weird to me
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Papalii, who slots into a rearranged loose forward trio at number eight, alongside Tom Robinson and Anton Segner, was granted an early return from suspension having completed a World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme. Fellow loose forward, Akira Ioane, will come off the bench for the match as part of a personalised All Blacks rest plan while Northland’s Rob Rush is a potential Blues debutant off the bench as well. -
I'm sure Caleb Clarke is looking forward to his match up with scott gregory
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@SouthernMann it very generous of us to help build up his confidence, play him into form ahead of the RWC, get his line break stats up
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@SouthernMann Whilst Gregory is undoubtedly crap with ball in hand, at least his edge defence is decent. Garden-Bachop gets toasted defensively on the wing. As for Lowe, not sure his form warrants selection, he has been dreadful.
Highlanders named to play Blues at Eden Park | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership
