Crusaders v Sunwolves

[Stargazer]

@antipodean Yes, great to have some All Blacks back playing again! I don't like it all that so many are still not playing with the June Series starting in less than 2 months!

The Saders are resting quite a few players at the same time: All Blacks Taylor, Whitelock & Havili, but also Alaalatoa & Hall. Not confirmed, but I assume Taufua is injured (and that Alaalatoa & Hall are not).
Also still injured: Moody, Jager, Read, Mo'unga, Goodhue & maybe some of the fringe players (not sure whether Dunshea is still injured).

[Machpants]

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:

Owen and Izzy are back!

Yes Boy!

It'll be a cricket score, that's a good looking saders - injuries permitting. Just lack of Mo'unga will hold them back a bit.

[Siam]

@chris-b 2 Collingwood boys starting, that's neat.

[Chris B.]

@siam Golden Bay-Motueka - should've held out as it's own union - glory was just round the corner - though I'm not sure Ethan identifies with his heritage. Or is there a third?

[Siam]

@chris-b last one. Both with strong rugby pedigree, Quinten's grandad was a former NZRU President, great man too was Murray.

[Stargazer]

Sunwolves
15 William Tupou, 14 Hosea Saumaki, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Michael Little, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Lappies Labuschagne (c), 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 James Moore, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Craig Millar

Reserves: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Shintaro Ishihara, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Sam Wykes, 20 Edward Quirk, 21 Yutaka Nagare, 22 Ryoto Nakamura, 23 Semisi Masirewa

[ShadowTrooper]

@stargazer That's a pretty international-looking Sunwolves starting 15 to face the Saders.
Be interesting to see how Little goes.

[MN5]

@stargazer said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:

Sunwolves
15 William Tupou, 14 Hosea Saumaki, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Michael Little, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Lappies Labuschagne (c), 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 James Moore, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Craig Millar

Reserves: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Shintaro Ishihara, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Sam Wykes, 20 Edward Quirk, 21 Yutaka Nagare, 22 Ryoto Nakamura, 23 Semisi Masirewa

Must be awkward for the captain to be named after something a stripper does.

[Chris B.]

@machpants said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:

@antipodean said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:

Owen and Izzy are back!

Yes Boy!

It'll be a cricket score, that's a good looking saders - injuries permitting. Just lack of Mo'unga will hold them back a bit.

Interestingly, this week I'm certain we can pick a better starting XV from the guys who aren't playing:

Moody, Taylor, Alaalatoa, Whitelock, Dunshea, Taufua, Harmon, Read, Hall, Mo'unga, Havili, Goodhue, Macilai, Ennor, Jordan

[gt12]

Goddamn Sunwolves have already scored. Fucking up my tipping again.

14-5 after 17.

[MajorRage]

Game is 15 mins old, 2 tries to 1, Saders up ...

And nobody has written a thing on the game so far.

Man, the sun wolves have REALLY added a lot to this tournament ...

[Bones]

That's even a harsh penalty. He pretty much put cushions down for Dagg.

[gt12]

@majorrage

Snap.

Yep, I appreciate them, but only because I can occasionally go to games. They need to get a better recruitment policy, and they’d be at least less uncompetitive...

[Bones]

Thunder, lightning, hail.

@MajorRage Parker and Little are good SW players...

[Donsteppa]

Sunwolves like lifting in the tackle...

[gt12]

I don’t know how Little missed out on a contract.

Bit of a lift there.

[Machpants]

What lovely weather, wolves making the most of it!

[Bones]

@gt12 did he miss out or did he move? I can't see any typical starters at any kiwi sides who he'd be ahead of.

[gt12]

@bones

I doubt he was looking to start in NZ (but I could be wrong). My understanding is that he went to the SWs because of a lack of interest in NZ, mainly by the Blues, I guess.

I’d have him about Faiane (who is slowly getting better), or as a squaddie in the Chiefs.

[Tordah]

Crusaders lineout an absolute shitshow so far