Maori Tour

[Rapido]

Northland posters.
What's the deal with Josh Larsen, is he a genuine Canuck? Or a kiwi with Canadian heritage?

[Gunner]

@rapido pretty sure he’s from Kerikeri, so must have Canadian heritage.

[Chiefy07]

Born in Canada, raised in the Bay of Islands

[cgrant]

@arhs
If Ngatai plays at FB for the Chiefs, than the midfield should be Nankivell (12) / Lienert-Brown (13).

[Bovidae]

@cgrant said in Maori Tour:

@arhs
If Ngatai plays at FB for the Chiefs, than the midfield should be Nankivell (12) / Lienert-Brown (13).

If the Chiefs had a player like Conrad Smith in the midfield then Ngatai could move to the back, but we don't. The options at fullback are greater than in the midfield.

[gt12]

@bovidae

Yep, and Charlie can make use of his kicking game (as he showed a bit last week) from 12 or 13 anyway. Would be good to see him use it, with Lowe gone

[MN5]

@nepia said in Maori Tour:

@mikedogz said in Maori Tour:

The first five is the son of Émile Ntamack. Only 18 years old.

It's very encouraging that even sons of rugby legends have the 'my Dad is a douche and I'm smiling as politely as I can' expression down pat.

[MN5]

@rapido said in Maori Tour:

@tewaio said in Maori Tour:

Every time I see Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi's name I think of Triple-T, aka TTT, the office linebacker:

I always think of Triple J and twice the T. Which then makes me think of Fenella Bathfield. From some reason I'm not sure if I have them linked.

Maybe she was in their video? Or maybe her after school tv show was where I always saw that video?

Either way. Mmmmm. Fenella.

Amazing to see a ferner have lustful thoughts over someone who isn't Charlie Ngatai on this thread.

[Stargazer]

BARBARIANS FRANÇAIS - team to play the Māori All Blacks:

[pakman]

A few names I recognise of tidy, say, NZA standard. The TH is a pretty knarly operator and could give Eves give a lot to think about. When he played Clermont their LH, who plays for France, was sent to the bin for repeated offending.

[cgrant]

This is a very big pack of forwards but they will probably lack some cohesion.
Couilloud is a snipy, lively scrumhalf. The back three has speed to burn but is short on experience. It will be a tough game for the Maoris, IMO.

[KiwiMurph]

Maori All Blacks team to face the French Barbarians

1 Chris Eves

2 Ash Dixon (Captain)

3 Marcel Renata

4 Jackson Hemopo

5 Keepa Mewett*

6 Tom Franklin

7 Sam Henwood

8 Akira Ioane

9 Brad Weber

10 Jackson Garden-Bachop

11 Shaun Stevenson

12 Rob Thompson

13 Tim Bateman

14 Sean Wainui

15 Charlie Ngatai

16 Liam Polwart

17 Ross Wright

18 Tyrel Lomax

19 Jordan Manihera

20 Dan Pryor

21 Jonathan Ruru*

22 Ihaia West

23 Teihorangi Walden*

http://www.allblacks.com/News/31745/maori-all-blacks-team-to-face-the-french-barbarians

[Stargazer]

So Mewett has come in for Hoeata, Pryor and Henwood have swapped starting and bench spot, Garden-Bachop and West have made the same swap, Curtis has given up his starting spot to Stevenson and Stevenson's bench spot has gone to Walden. TTT has given up his bench spot to Ruru.

That means Hoeata, Curtis and TTT are out, and Mewett, Walden and Ruru in. Late addition Paranihi doesn't seem to get any game time.

[Bovidae]

So the Maori would want to be scoring tries near the goalposts.

A Japanese ref which could make things interesting for both teams.

[pakman]

Maori up for this one. Scrum and maul good so far.

[Donsteppa]

Poor minute of play from Garden-Bachop. Missed tackle and coudn’t clear.

[Stockcar86]

Ngatai looking very good - all class

[pakman]

Maori seem to have butterfingers tonight.

[Stockcar86]

JGB showing all the skills that drove Rebels to last place in Super Rugby this year

[Stockcar86]

Bullshit yellow card. Tacking from behind is not an offence