BOP v Otago
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<p><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">The team is as follows:</span><br><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">1. Siegfried Fisi’ihoi</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">2. Liam Polwart</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">3. Pingi Tala’apitaga</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">4. Keepa Mewett</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">5. Troy Callander</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">6. Jesse Parete</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">7. Hugh Blake</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">8. Joe Tupe</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">9. Te Aihe Toma</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">10. Kelly Haimona</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">11. Regan Ware</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">12. Terrence Hepetema</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">13. Lalakai Foketi</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">14. Monty Ioane</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">15. Te Rangi Fraser</span><br><br><strong>Reserves:</strong><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">16. James O’Reilly</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">17. Aidan Ross</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">18. Jeff Thwaites</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">19. Culum Retallick</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">20. Matty Axtens</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">21. Henry Stowers</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">22. Luke Campbell</span><br><span style="color:rgb(74,74,74);">23. Isaac Te Aute</span><br><br><b>Okay, no excuses now. If they are really serious about making it into the Premier division they need to nail this.</b></p>
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<p>Yes this is a must win although in theory they can make the top 4 without doing so. McMillan is being fairly loyal to selected players so hopefully we see improvement all season.</p>
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Okay, with all the changes around here it seems that everyone isn't bothering to reset passwords etc and hence the lack of comments. Or is it simply they have given up on The Team ?
Anyway, back to Saturdays game. I thought it was the best they have played in a long while especially considering the quality of Otago. Otago are a pretty handy team and their record thus far emphasises that. But we can't escape the fact that its our third loss on the trot albeit by small margins, but a good team wouldn't be making those errors that are losing it for us.
On paper many of the teams we are yet to play are beatable and , given our improvement so far, I'm still optimistic of making the play offs. What is really throwing a spanner in the works is our injuries. I'm hearing that there are 12 players injured at the moment and 8 of them are season ending ones which will definitely effect results.
So roll on Northland.......the first team so far this season who the TAB thinks we can beat.
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I think it is just taking time for everyone to arrive. Hopefully the bus turns up soon.
We are certainly bright in attack, we looked like scoring every time we had the ball in their half. Unfortunately so did they in our half.
After the sparkling first half, our second half performance was really frustrating - Otago kept kicking it to us and we kept cocking it up. 2 penalties in front of the kicker and a ball dropped cold not to mention a few drops when we tried to run the ball. To only lose by a point was a good effort given that level of error. The only time we held the ball for a while in the second half we scored a try .....
Individually, I thought Tupe and Foketi were outstanding, a few others were solid. Shame Karpik was injured for the season, given how he played last season it would be good to have an all action 7 running around causing carnage.
