NPC - news, injuries etc

[Stargazer]

@taniwharugby You'd think so. Not sure what the rules are.

Edit:
Thinking of it, I'd probably find the consequences of that a bit disproportionate. It's way worse to be suspended from a test match than a club rugby game. While players should foresee and suffer the consequence of their actions, the consequences for players involved in international test matches are way more serious than for players only playing club rugby & NPC if these sanctions apply to test matches.

[Higgins]

The laws are the same for all senior games and do not differ despite what grade a player might be playing at hence suspension should not differentiate. Foul play is foul play be it in a senior reserve grade game or a test match thus should apply to all matches a player could be expected to take part in.

[taniwharugby]

@stargazer not really, he is being paid to play rugby in a NZR Competition, which adheres to rules and laws governed by the IRB, therefore he has breached rules of both bodies so any ban would apply over any games he may be available to play...you are banned from all forms of competitive rugby.

[Stargazer]

Great battle in the women's final between Counties and Canterbury. Not always the best rugby - not surprising if there are several U17 & U18 sevens players on the field, spring chickens - but it's entertaining.

[Stargazer]

Steve Hansen's daughter is a big unit.

[Stargazer]

Canterbury has won the Farah Palmer Cup Premiership as well. They beat a very ill-disciplined Counties Manukau 13 to 7 (2 tries to 1). Counties had two players with a spell in the bin, but that could easily have been more.

Some good skills in this game, and entertaining to watch. It's clear there's quite a gap between the better Premiership teams and the rest.

Canterbury has been in the final 7 times, and this is their first title. Unsure, but this was probably the first time Auckland wasn't in the final.

[Higgins]

What was the crowd attendance like?

[Bovidae]

It's a joke that most of the Black Ferns/Sevens reps weren't allowed to play in the Farah Palmer Cup. The best players need to be involved.

[Stargazer]

@higgins I didn't really pay attention to that while watching and I can't remember hearing a number. Sky used a very limited number of cameras to televise this game (TMO had a difficult job because of that), so there was only a limited view of the stadium. There was quite a bit of noise; lots of kids, I think. Can't remember seeing people on the embankment though, I think they were all in the stands.

[Stargazer]

 Ta$man No 8 Jordan Taufua is headed for a well-earned rest following on operation on his broken left arm in the wake of Saturday's Mitre 10 Cup rugby final.

 Ta$man lost 35-13 to Canterbury in Saturday's premiership decider in Christchurch, with Taufua having to be replaced in the 41st minute after suffering what appeared to be a broken arm in the game's opening minutes.

 Ta$man Rugby Union chief executive Tony Lewis confirmed that Taufua had an operation on Sunday and that he could be out of action for up to 12 weeks.

Lewis didn't believe the injury would have any real impact on Taufua's commitments with the Crusaders who didn't reassemble until January in their quest for back to back Super Rugby titles.

"It's a chance now for Jordan to get his body right and the rest will do him good. He's one hell of a rugby player and one hell of a human being."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/98350707/jordan-taufua-looking-forward-to-well-earned-rest-following-broken-arm

[Tim]

Harbour Rugby Win Over Auckland Tom Coventry’s Highlight of 2017

[Daffy Jaffy]

.Halfback Johnathan Ruru is a new 2018-19 Mitre 10 Cup signing for Auckland. Currently on the Maori All Blacks’ northern tour, the 24-year-old is fresh off two seasons for Otago and has also played for the All Blacks Sevens.
Auckland has 21 players signed for the 2018 season, and is in the process of contracting several others. Those re-signed earlier in the season were Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Scott Scrafton, TJ Faiane and New Zealand Under 20s prop Ezekiel Lindenmuth. – Campbell Burnes

[Tim]

@daffy-jaffy said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

Johnathan Ruru

Good news. He and Costa should be an improvement.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@tim I wonder who the new coach is? Any chance Jon Preston who is looking for a head coach gig.

[Tim]

@daffy-jaffy Yeah, he was one of the first I thought of - meets the championship requirement due to the Highlanders' 2015 title.

[KiwiMurph]

Thats brilliant. Auckland desperately need an upgrade at 9.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@tim Get Preston in the system and then a Coventry, Whitcome, Preston Blues regime, post Tana, would have potential!

[Tim]

Auckland super rugby contracts (18 including Ruru):

Blues:

Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Scott Scrafton
Patrick Tuipulotu
Blake Gibson
Akira Ioane
Jerome Kaino
Dalton Papali’i *
Jonathan Ruru *
TJ Faiane
George Moala
Caleb Clarke *
Rieko Ioane
Melani Nanai
Jordan Trainor

Chiefs:

Taleni Seu

Hurricanes:

Michael Fatialofa
Vince Aso

Crusaders:

N/A

Highlanders:

Greg Pleasants-Tate

*Super Rugby rookies

Should be the basis of a good Mitre 10 Cup team, if they have a good coach.

[KiwiMurph]

@tim I endorse your decision to rule Akira out for the 2018 NPC as he'll be busy with the ABs.

[Tim]

@kiwimurph He already missed half the season this year by training with them, so not too optimistic.