NPC - news, injuries etc
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Experienced players unavailable for Port Taranaki Bulls
The 2017 Port Taranaki Bulls squad will be named by coach Colin Cooper early next month, but season-ending injuries mean 2016 captain and loose forward Mitchell Crosswell, loose forwards Blade Thomson and Berny Hall, Australian lock Ben Matwijow, and outside back Jackson Ormond are unavailable for selection. Crosswell, who led Tukapa to the Taranaki premier club title this month, has an ongoing knee injury that requires rest and rehabilitation, while work commitments have also influenced his decision. ... Thomson has been out of rugby since May having re-dislocated a shoulder he had surgery on during the 2016 Super Rugby season. He missed all of Taranaki’s 2016 Mitre 10 Cup season and will miss the 2017 season after having another operation about 10 weeks ago. He is now in rehabilitation mode and hopes to return to rugby at the start of the 2018 Super Rugby season. ... Ormond broke his leg in two places while playing for Southern in the Taranaki premier club semifinals two weeks ago. ... After suffering several head knocks and a busy playing schedule in the past couple of years, hard-working flanker Hall has decided to take a year out of the game and will make a decision on his future early next year. ... Australian Matwijow, who performed well in his first season for the Port Taranaki Bulls in 2016, suffered a season-ending neck injury in a pre-season training session with the Western Force. Scans revealed damage to some discs and he had surgery in February. Matwijow is now rehabilitating but won’t return to rugby until next year.
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Israel Dagg (end of 2019) and Tiaan Falcon (end of 2020) have re-signed with the Shield Snorters.
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If One News is right, Waisake Naholo's younger brother Kini has signed with Taranaki for 2018.
Signed with Taranaki next year does Kini Naholo ...
Could Naholo 2.0 be the next sibling success in the black jersey?
Full interview on One News, TV1 tonight.
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Well the good news is Auckland have got a young halfback Milo-Harris in the mix and a young 10 Otu Mausia (as mentioned by @Steven-Harris ) in this squad. That's at least something to go alongside the mediocrity (Jono Hickey, Elkington-Macdonald).
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The Auckland Mitre 10 Cup wider group has today embarked on a preseason tour to Japan in preparation for the upcoming season.
28 players have been selected from Super and Club rugby will play matches against Sanix, Coca Cola and Kuden over the next two weeks.
The tour was proposed by Dream Rugby Fukufoka and celebrates the 30th anniversary ‘sister city’ relationship between Auckland and Fukufoka.
While several players were unable to travel the trip due to Super Rugby commitments or injuries, an exciting group has been assembled the will form the core of the Mitre 10 Cup squad.
Lock Scott Scrafton will be the tour captain and is expected to continue on his fine form from Super Rugby.
Five players from the Gallaher Shield winning University club are included, with a total of nine premier clubs represented in the group.
Auckland will play the Carlos Spencer coached Sanix on August 5th and take on Coca Cola and Kuden in a ‘game of three havles’ on August 9th.
They will return to New Zealand the following day and kick off the Mitre 10 Cup against Counties Manukau on August 19th.
Forwards
Sam Prattley (Pakuranga), Marcel Renata (University), Isi Tu’ungafasi (Suburbs), Dexter Fa’amoana (College Rifles), Emersen Tamura-Paki (College Rifles), Kurt Eklund (University), JP Sauni (College Rifles), Ben Nee Nee (Pakuranga), Scott Scrafton (Grammar TEC), Jamie Lane (Ponsonby), Adrian Choat (Waitemata), Blake Gibson (Ponsonby), Sam Slade (Ponsonby), Josh Kaifa (Manukau Rovers), Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (Suburbs), Sinclair Dominikovich-Murray (University)Backs
Jono Hickey (Grammar TEC), Lisati Milo-Harris (Gramamr TEC), Dan Bowden (Ponsonby), Otumaka Mausia (College Rifles), Tyrone Elkington-MacDonald (University), Caleb Clarke (Suburbs), Tumua Manu (College Rifles), Amos Pogia (University), Loketi Manu (College Rifles), Salesi Rayasi (Marist), Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby), Joe Ravouvou (College Rifles)Players unavailable: Jerome Kaino, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Rieko Ioane, Michael Fatialofa, Tom McHugh, Taleni Seu, Akira Ioane, Leon Fukofuka, Vince Aso, George Moala, Greg Pleasants-Tate, Malakai Fekitoa, Wiseguy Faiane, Pisi Leilua, Lolohea Loco, Rodrigo Costa, Broc Hooper, Dalton Papalii, Melani Nanai, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Uluofnua, TJ Faiane.
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Rodrigo Costa is one the Costa brothers from Rosmini, and plays 10 for Eden. Has been in the North Harbour squad.
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@Tim said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Rodrigo Costa is one the Costa brothers from Rosmini, and plays 10 for Eden. Has been in the North Harbour squad.
Eden get an Auckland rep??
Not that I've followed closely in the interveing years but last I recall was Lindsay Harris before my time there.
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@Tim said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Rodrigo Costa is one the Costa brothers from Rosmini, and plays 10 for Eden. Has been in the North Harbour squad.
There's also something wrong with the photo in that article ... there's grass on Gribblehirst
.. in June ... and you can tell the teams apart ...