Blues v Hurricanes
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@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, Forbes7 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, EvansWhat’s the predicted pack?
I think the ,Canes 23 will look something like the below with Higgins expected to make a return.
- Numia
- Aumua
- Lomax
- Delany
- Walker-Leawere
- Iose
- Kirifi
- Lakai
- Roigard
- Hohepa
- Naholo
- Umaga-Jensen
- Sullivan
- Punivai
- Love
- Devery
- Rakete-Stones
- Mafileo/Tosi
- Tucker
- Shields
- Vijoen
- Higgins
- Banks
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@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.
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@Canes4life is Gallagher injured again?
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@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.
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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)
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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
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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.
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@Duluth said in Blues v Hurricanes:
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
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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.
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@Canes4life Blues have trained , this week like no other this season, , some game this will be, maybe 1 of the best this season.
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@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.
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@Canes4life said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Just hope the Canes are on the right side of the ledger this time.
TAB has
Blues $1.45
Canes $2.60 -
@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Canes4life said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Just hope the Canes are on the right side of the ledger this time.
TAB has
Blues $1.45
Canes $2.60There will be some money coming in on the Canes at those odds.
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@Canes4life well I'll just stick with the Blues, but all good, Riley Higgins didn't he have second hand operation?, but if he's not on the injury list, perhaps he is close to returning., guys damn good, I'd have him in my AB squad.
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@george33 said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Canes4life well I'll just stick with the Blues, but all good, Riley Higgins didn't he have second hand operation?, but if he's not on the injury list, perhaps he is close to returning., guys damn good, I'd have him in my AB squad.
Yeah he did have surgery which he's now recovered from. His expected return date was this week and he's been taken off the injured list for the Canes. I expect they'll be pretty conservative with him considering it's unlikely Proctor will be back this season based on what I'm hearing so it's likely he'll get match fitness for Petone this week instead. We might see him against the Crusaders. He will come in soon I'm sure considering both Umaga-Jensen and Sullivan have featured in every game this year so there will need to be some sort of rotation soon.
A Blues Rematch in Round 8 at Eden Park
