The Silver Fern

Assume this is a good sign for Ofa

Can't say I've heard too much of Jeff Mctainish commentating so will watch out for him. Rikki Swannell is really good - right mix of description and excitement and never over the top. She gets very good reviews here in the UK, esp her 7's work.

Mils is really coming along. Much as I like Marshall's passion for good rugby, Mils any day.

BOP players flopped over the ruck at the three rucks prior to the penalty. Could have been penalised four phases in a row.

Northland futures team is scheduled in for 2 x games on

Saturday 8th February 1pm at Waitemata Park
Saturday 15th February 1pm at Pohe Island in Whangarei

@taniwharugby said in Super Rugby missing the Saffas?:

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/sports/other/i-loved-having-south-africa-in-the-competition-foster-on-south-africa-s-super-rugby-exit/ar-AAWytX9?ocid=entnewsntp&cvid=b9c4ec6f199d438394f17dd5e74e9002

It's not the only franchise he'd love to have.

@bovidae yes he has , looks like his new position really dynamic with ball in hand reminds me of Dane Coles .

The priority for me is to get Moorby signed for another couple of seasons at least. We can build a backline around that guy. Personally I think it’d be a bit shit of him to run off after one year, as it would all have seemed a waste of time getting him here in the first place. We need to match the offers that he’s getting from elsewhere and pay him what he wants. He’s that good..

As for the rest I agree with the list you guys have proposed to cut. Some of those blokes have been around a little too long for my liking, some have had varying degrees of success, while others just aren’t up to it.

Would love to see us continue to try and get guys like Corey Evans, Cook-Savage, Tamaiti Williams and Josh Beehre back home as well.. I know it won’t happen overnight, but we need to stabilise for the future. I know for a fact through a good source that Evans has strong ambitions to wear the Cambridge Blue.

Looking forward to seeing who the candidates are for the head coach role next year. I hope we attract some decent names, as I really think that’s the crucial missing link right now. I think we need a bit of a clean out there, bar perhaps Veale who showed he at least has some ideas..well early on anyway.

As for the last few weeks I really hope Cam Bell has a closed door meeting with the team and management, and sets a higher standard heading into the last two matches. The guys need a fire lit under their asses and we need to bring back what we saw in rounds 1-5.

A few props from North Harbour might have been in with a chance:

Nic Mayhew
Teague McElroy
Fatongia Paea
Jimmy Roots

Would also like to have seen more of Tate Evans and Jack Heighton.

From Auckland would have been interested in the form of lock Felix Kalapu, loose forwards Kitiona Vai, Niko Jones, and Terrell Peita, and the two U20 props.

@kev no news on Tom, Tamati played about 25 mins even though he wasn't named

@taniwharugby just off the team sheets , don’t really know her by face ..interesting on the boy Colt Edwards who played in the colts game, he might be heading to Waikato to study , hope we are all this

A 5 try burst 10 minutes either side of halftime by the Blues under 20 team was enough to see off a plucky Northland Future Taniwha team 38-17 played at Onewa Domain in Takapuna on Saturday

The Blues Under 20s had a point to prove after being held to a 24 all draw by the Taniwha in the previous fixture , but it was the visitors who would score in the first 2 minutes after an impressive lineout drive and maul , Mason Hohaia picking up the try and Johnny Cooper adding the extras .

Unlike a week ago when the Taniwha dominated at set piece scrum and with possession, it would be the Blues that would dominate possession for much of the 1st half , The Taniwha showing some incredible resilience on defence especially Manny Snooks despite taking a stinger on the shoulder early in the game featuring.
Isi Manu who started at number 8 for the unavailable Sam McNamara was once again a handful in both attack and defence for the Taniwha .

The set piece scrum was solid , but the issue for the Taniwha was most of the game was being played in their own half and the other issue being the quick ball being supplied to the Blues outside backs was creating problems for the defence.

The pressure and possession finally told in the 20th Minute , with the Blues crossing from close range and then adding another 2 tries 10 minutes before halftime .
The Taniwha went into the break 7-21 down with the very real prospect of the hosts posting a large score line and that danger became even more apparent when the Blues introduced 4 Blues squad members in the 2nd half , Taine Plumtree , Emoni Narawa ,Jacob Ratumaitavuki Neepkins and Tanielu Tele’a into the frame , and it would be 3 of this group of players who would feature in the next 3 tries all scored in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half ..Plumtree throwing a superb offload for one of the wingers to score , and then he was the recipient of an offload himself and finally Neepkins scoring off a Narawa break after a Northland turnover.

At 7-38 down and 30 minutes still left on the clock , it took a few reassuring words from Taniwha head coach George Konia to his charges to sting them into action ,the words had the desires effect with a slight change of tactics using their ball runners to punch holes closer to the rucks .
With Elsie Fono and Kaliopasi Uluilakepa starting to monster their opposites at scrum time setting a much needed attacking platform giving both Jayden Kemp and Brody Tamarua at 9 and 10 an opportunity to showcase their skills .

Kemp looks a really good prospect for the future and Tamarua who plays for Te Rarawa and has come from rugby league has a very good skill set.

Rob Rush who plays with plenty of physicality crashed over after some good work and Felix Rayasi after some excellent ball movement out to the flank touched down for the Taniwha’s 3rd try

For the Futures Taniwha , full credit to Kaliopasi Uluilakepa who played out the entire 80 minutes , Isi Manu on the back of these 2 games has sent a clear message to the Northland coaches that he is the right condition to go to the next level .
Terepai King who has put on 10kgs since last year has also impressed over the last 2 weeks with his lineout work and his effort around the paddock complimenting what will be his locking team mate at Mid Northern Allan Craig for this upcoming 2021 club season.

Not the result the team wanted , but it has been great seeing the next group of young Taniwha players pitting themselves against quality opposition over these last 2 weeks and it would not surprise me if several don’t force their way in the 2021 Northland Mitre 10 Cup squad if they can maintain and improve during the season.

Score
Northland Future Taniwha 17 (3 x tries Hohaia,Rush,Rayasi,con:Cooper)

Blues 20s 38 (6 x tries, 4 x con)

H/T 7-21 Blues 20s

Footnote
Kaliopasi Uluilakepa has been really impressive in these 2 fixtures, with both his scrummaging and work around the paddock, incredible ball skills for a big man , could develop very nicely into a Charle Famauina type player ..
Had a good chat to Pasi, great kid with an even better attitude
Leka Tuangafasi. I suspect will also be right in contention for a mitre 10 cup contract along with Isi Manu who was an absolute beast at number 8 , finally Northland may have a number 8 that’s gives them gainline..
Was also really impressed with Terepai King , has stuck on 10 kgs and if he can keep developing is probably an outside chance for a Mitre 10 contract .

Will b keeping an eye on tamati tua c how he goes has he made the blues for coming season..

Northland Development beat NP East Coast 43 - 19 on Saturday.

Link to video of the match

@Gunner is it arrogance or plain dumbness as to why these former Northland players are getting turned away?

I was shocked when Windleborn got the nod over Tony Monaghan. Ironically the Northland 7’s crashed to their worst finish in some time last season. Go figure.

NRU need to pull their heads out of their backsides and plan properly and wisely.

@taniwharugby and so the Waipu dynasty begins.

My apologies for the biased slant of this report ,but I wrote it for the Northland Rugby Union website

Northland Under 19 (24)Auckland Under 19 Development (20)

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog could easily have been one of the catch cries that was written on the changing sheds at the Northland Events Centre when Northland under 19s created there own piece of history by beating an Auckland Under 19 Development team for the very first time in a seeding round prior to the National Under 19 tournament

When playing Auckland age group teams staying in the fight is always a key point no matter the pedigree or the size of the opposition,and on that level Northland took the fight to their more illustrious and sizeable opponents who were expected to be too strong after going down to the top Auckland Under 19 side by one point the previous week.

Auckland started the game strongly scoring 3 unconverted tries in the opening 20 minutes and looked like they were capable of scoring more tries whenever they had ball.
However Northland worked out if they held on to possession for long periods they would create some scoring opportunities, the indiscipline of the Auckland team who kept giving away penalties within kicking distance to which promising player and goal kicker Nikau Graham from Kerikeri gladly accepted stepping up and nailing 5 penalties to keep Northland in the hunt at halftime going in at 15 all.

Auckland once again started the 2nd half strongly scoring their 4th try,but once again the try was unconverted.
Northland who were lead by skipper Sadius Cook Savage at no 8 and with halfback Wil Grant and first five Royce Sanderson playing to a solid game plan into wind they eventually got themselves in to field position forcing Auckland to infringe within kicking range
Graham stepped up again nailing another 3 penalties in the second half to set up a frantic and pulsating last five minutes

Northland held on to take the victory over Auckland 24-20 and the joy at end when the referee blew the final whistle from players and coaching staff was palpable

The Northland forward pack deserved a ton credit for standing up to a very big Auckland pack at breakdown and at scrumtime where they held their own ,something that head coach Mark Kapa and his assistants Tui Raeli and former Northland prop Bronson Murray will be extremely proud of.

It’s always hard to single out one particular player , but Nikau Graham returning from injury in his first start in a seeding game for 2018 landing 8 penalties out of 9 attempts in breezy conditions would be a real contender for player of the day.

A very good win for the Northland Under 19s which will give them plenty of confidence going into the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under 19 Tournament in Taupo next Sunday 9th September 2018.

@muddyriver I have liked guys like Aorangi Stokes and Josh Larsen last two years. Size may be a factor but we will expect Jacobsen to be a lot better than those two given quick signing.