Blues v Hurricanes

[Steven Harris]

@Canes4life Canes would have taken a lot of confidence out of Fridays result , i dont know what got Brayden Iose’s back up but than run where he charged it back was just awesome
The late Jerry Collins would have loved that ..!

[Canes4life]

@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2025:

@Canes4life Canes would have taken a lot of confidence out of Fridays result , i dont know what got Brayden Iose’s back up but than run where he charged it back was just awesome
The late Jerry Collins would have loved that ..!

Apparently a big change from last week to previous weeks is the Canes stood slightly deeper which gave a lot of their ball runners more time and space. Crazy how such a slight tweak can make such a big difference.

Great to see Iose back in form.

[Duluth]

@Canes4life said in Blues v Hurricanes:

Yep, a Blues team desperate for a result and a Canes side finding some form

Blues unlikely to have either experienced hooker back so the lineout will probably struggle again

[Duluth]

Injury relief in the backs makes for some interesting selection calls

Assuming 11,13 & 14 won't change

10 BB, Plummer, Perofeta
12 Taele, Lam, Evans
15 Evans, Perfofeta, Forbes

7 players, 3 starting spots and 2 bench spots

Barrett was excellent at 10 before getting injured. So I think that's one spot we can pencil in. The rest is wild speculation

Forbes has been dropping too much ball

AJ to come straight back in

Evans v Perofeta. A problem position for the Blues. Perofeta had a good cameo off the bench followed by a shocker starting at ten. I think they might go for him. Evans has probably been the best Bues fullback so far (a low bar unfortunately) he's used his long kicking well and had some good moments on attack.. defence, as always, has been below par

So that leaves Plummer, Evans and Taele competing for the bench spots. Do they trust Perofeta to cover ten if Plummer isn't there?

Personally I would like to see what Taele can offer late in a game. Plummer's form has dipped and as I said before the season started he should lose every 50/50 call because he's leaving

Maybe this backline?

Christie, Barrett, Clarke, AJ, Ioane, Telea, Perofeta
Bench: Nock, Taele, Evans

[Canes4life]

@Duluth said in Blues v Hurricanes:

Injury relief in the backs makes for some interesting selection calls

Assuming 11,13 & 14 won't change

10 BB, Plummer, Perofeta
12 Taele, Lam, Evans
15 Evans, Perfofeta, Forbes

7 players, 3 starting spots and 2 bench spots

Barrett was excellent at 10 before getting injured. So I think that's one spot we can pencil in. The rest is wild speculation

Forbes has been dropping too much ball

AJ to come straight back in

Evans v Perofeta. A problem position for the Blues. Perofeta had a good cameo off the bench followed by a shocker starting at ten. I think they might go for him. Evans has probably been the best Bues fullback so far (a low bar unfortunately) he's used his long kicking well and had some good moments on attack.. defence, as always, has been below par

So that leaves Plummer, Evans and Taele competing for the bench spots. Do they trust Perofeta to cover ten if Plummer isn't there?

Personally I would like to see what Taele can offer late in a game. Plummer's form has dipped and as I said before the season started he should lose every 50/50 call because he's leaving

Maybe this backline?

Christie, Barrett, Clarke, AJ, Ioane, Telea, Perofeta
Bench: Nock, Taele, Evans

What’s the predicted pack?

I think the ,Canes 23 will look something like the below with Higgins expected to make a return.

1. Numia
2. Aumua
3. Lomax
4. Delany
5. Walker-Leawere
6. Iose
7. Kirifi
8. Lakai
9. Roigard
10. Hohepa
11. Naholo
12. Umaga-Jensen
13. Sullivan
14. Punivai
15. Love
16. Devery
17. Rakete-Stones
18. Mafileo/Tosi
19. Tucker
20. Shields
21. Vijoen
22. Higgins
23. Banks

[Duluth]

@Canes4life said in Blues v Hurricanes:

What’s the predicted pack?

Depends on the injuries

Loosies I think it's reasonable to guess - Papali'i/Sotutu/Christie. Segner get the bench spot otherwise there's no openside cover

Lock McWhannell/Beehre but maybe Patrick is back?

The usual rotation at prop. We don't know if Ofa is fit though

Hooker? No idea. Still in panic mode.

[Crazy Horse]

@Canes4life is Gallagher injured again?

[george33]

@Duluth both Riccitelli and Eklund took part in training so hopefully they get the all clear. Or at least 1.

[Canes4life]

@Crazy-Horse said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@Canes4life is Gallagher injured again?

Yeah, he played 1 game for us and then pulled a hammy in training so will be out for a month or so.

[Duluth]

BLUES BOLSTERED WITH RETURNING PLAYERS FOR DOUBLE-HEADER CLASH — Blues Rugby

The Blues welcome back a host of players from injury for their home clash against the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific on Saturday. The match forms part of a double-header at Eden Park, with the finals-bound nib Blues chasing home ground advantage for the Aupiki final, when they meet with Hurrican

1. Joshua Fusitu’a (27)
2. Kurt Eklund (65)
3. Marcel Renata (59)
4. Patrick Tuipulotu© (114)
5. Josh Beehre (17)
6. Anton Segner (28)
7. Dalton Papali’i (88)
8. Hoskins Sotutu (69)
9. Finlay Christie (60)
10. Beauden Barrett (34)
11. Caleb Clarke (69)
12. AJ Lam (48)
13. Rieko Ioane (118)
14. Mark Tele’a (73)
15. Corey Evans (19).

16. Ricky Riccitelli (42)
17. Mason Tupaea (1)
18. Angus Ta’avao (72)
19. Cameron Suafoa (29)
20. Adrian Choat (47)
21. Sam Nock (77)
22. Xavi Taele (2)
23. Stephen Perofeta (70)

Players not considered with injury: Zarn Sullivan (foot), Taufa Funaki (shoulder), Reon Paul (shoulder), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (neck, season), Sam Darry (shoulder, season)

[Duluth]

Crap. Ofa's SR season is over

My backline guess just had the fullbacks around the wrong way

Cam Christie rested? Suddenly we have 3 opensides in the 23 after struggling in that position

Great to see the hookers return

[Kirwan]

Man, lots of injuries this season. Good to see some get back.

[Duluth]

A Blues Rematch in Round 8 at Eden Park

Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua (co-c), Tyrel Lomax, Caleb Delany, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Brayden Iose, Du'Plessis Kirifi (co-c), Peter Lakai, Cam Roigard, Riley Hohepa, Kini Naholo, Peter Umaga-Jensen, Bailyn Sullivan, Ngatungane Punivai, Ruben Love

Replacements: Jacob Devery, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Pasilo Tosi, Will Tucker, Brad Shields, Ereatara Enari, Callum Harkin, Fatafehi Fineanganofo

[george33]

Blues , probably best 23 , just thought Funaki may have snuck in there, he's close , and Pat is back , he did tell me 2 weeks, champion ., Plummer that's big call, and Ofa , let's get you back soon.

[Dan54]

Bugger, this looks tasty. Do I go with heart and Canes, or pick the Blues as this seems to get Canes playing real well. I genuinely not real sure who will take this game. Blues got very close to their best team available and may just cause some problems.

[Canes4life]

Interesting that Riley Higgins is off the injured list but is not selected by the Canes. Maybe coming back via the development team or club rugby. I’d prefer him over Fehi and Harkin on the bench. Also would prefer Vijoen over Enari, he added some zip coming on against the Tahs, Enari doesn’t do that so an odd selection there.

Flanders, Gallagher and Godfrey all expected back in round 12.

Proctor unlikely to feature this season.

[Landers92]

@Duluth said in Blues v Hurricanes:

BLUES BOLSTERED WITH RETURNING PLAYERS FOR DOUBLE-HEADER CLASH — Blues Rugby

The Blues welcome back a host of players from injury for their home clash against the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific on Saturday. The match forms part of a double-header at Eden Park, with the finals-bound nib Blues chasing home ground advantage for the Aupiki final, when they meet with Hurrican

1. Joshua Fusitu’a (27)
2. Kurt Eklund (65)
3. Marcel Renata (59)
4. Patrick Tuipulotu© (114)
5. Josh Beehre (17)
6. Anton Segner (28)
7. Dalton Papali’i (88)
8. Hoskins Sotutu (69)
9. Finlay Christie (60)
10. Beauden Barrett (34)
11. Caleb Clarke (69)
12. AJ Lam (48)
13. Rieko Ioane (118)
14. Mark Tele’a (73)
15. Corey Evans (19).

16. Ricky Riccitelli (42)
17. Mason Tupaea (1)
18. Angus Ta’avao (72)
19. Cameron Suafoa (29)
20. Adrian Choat (47)
21. Sam Nock (77)
22. Xavi Taele (2)
23. Stephen Perofeta (70)

Players not considered with injury: Zarn Sullivan (foot), Taufa Funaki (shoulder), Reon Paul (shoulder), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (neck, season), Sam Darry (shoulder, season)

Bit off topic but really enjoy seeing team namings with the amount of caps beside their name. Cool for the nerds who enjoy that stuff

[Canes4life]

Is this another Super Hero round? Might be hard to differentiate between the two sides with both teams wearing blue and red, the Canes ironically with more blue and the Blues with more red.

The game itself should be a cracker based on the teams selected. It will be interesting to see if the Blues players coming back from injury can hit form straight away and alternatively it will be interesting to see if the Canes can continue the rampant form they showed against the Tahs.

[george33]

@Canes4life Blues have trained , this week like no other this season, , some game this will be, maybe 1 of the best this season.

[Canes4life]

@george33 said in Blues v Hurricanes:

@Canes4life Blues have trained , this week like no other this season, , some game this will be, maybe 1 of the best this season.

If it's anything like the game last year then we're in for a treat. Just hope the Canes are on the right side of the ledger this time.