Blues vs Crusaders
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15 Matt Duffie, 14 Melani Nanai, 13 Orbyn Leger, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Augustine Pulu (c); 8 Akira Ioane, 7 Dalton Papalii or Murphy Taramai, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Matiaha Martin, 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Pauliasi Manu
Reserves: 16 Matt Moulds, 17 Ross Wright, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Ben Nee-Nee, 20 Murphy Taramai or Antonio Kiri Kiri, 21 Jonathan Ruru, 22 Dan Kirkpatrick, 23 Michael CollinsNot considered because of injury: Otere Black (knee – season), Blake Gibson (shoulder), Glenn Preston (groin, season), Scott Scrafton (knee – season), Matt Johnson (surgery – season), George Moala (chest – season), Tamati Tua (hand), Jimmy Tupou (knee – season), Josh Goodhue (concussion), Isaac Salmon (hand), Patrick Tuipulotu (shoulder), Kara Pryor (ankle), Alex Hodgman (hand).
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The Blues has a more settled and experienced look to its team to take on the Crusaders in the Investec Super Rugby clash at Eden Park on Saturday night. Pauliasi Manu is reunited in the front row with James Parsons and Ofa Tuungafasi, with the trio sporting 213 Super Rugby caps between them. The change comes in the second row with Counties Manukau replacement lock Matiaha Martin selected for his debut, coming in for injured All Black Patrick Tuipulotu, to join Gerard Cowley-Tuioti. Fellow locks Scott Scrafton and Jimmy Tupou are out with season-ending injuries. Fellow locks Scott Scrafton and Jimmy Tupou are out with season-ending injuries. There is a potent loose forward trio with Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii (bracketed with Murphy Taramai) and Jerome Kaino, who plays his 135th game for the Blues, closing in on the 137 caps achieved by Tony Woodcock, who sits second on the all-time list behind Keven Mealamu. Melani Nanai, who missed five games with injury, comes back into the starting line-up on the right wing allowing Rieko Ioane to play on his preferred left wing, with the in-form Orbyn Leger again pairing with Sonny Bill Williams in midfield. Captain Augustine Pulu starts at halfback again inside Stephen Perofeta. Michael Collins returns after missing four games through injury, listed on the bench that includes Northland captain Matt Moulds, who will earn his 20th and blazer game should he get on. Coach Tana Umaga said he was pleased to welcome some of his experienced players back into the team, noting that Caleb Clarke has not been selected after receiving a slight knock in last week’s game. He leaves the team on Sunday to join the New Zealand Under-20 squad before they fly out next week for the Rugby World Championship in France. Umaga said that Martin had impressed since coming in as a replacement and earned his start -
wow, really testing depth on the locking front now, I watch a decent amount of M10 Cup, but Matiaha Martin never stood out or struck me as someone to keep an eye on.
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@taniwharugby He was involved with the Chiefs wider squad previously.
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Be interesting to see the Crusaders team. It would be a lot better if fucking Joe Moody was available! Nonetheless, I think Razor probably needs to give Codie Taylor his second rest.
If I were picking I'd go:
Perry, Makalio, Franks, Whitelock, Barrett, Samu, Todd, Taufua, Hall, Mo'unga, Crotty, Goodhue, Bridge, Tamanivalu, Havili. Res. Crockett, hooker, Alaalatoa, Strange, Bedwell-Curtis, Drummond, Hunt, MataeleEdit: If the article quoted in the Highlanders thread is correct and teams now don't have to rest everyone twice before the French tests then I definitely wouldn't rest Taylor - in case he gets an enforced rest through those tests.
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Crusaders
1 Tim Perry
2 Codie Taylor
3 Owen Franks
4 Scott Barrett
5 Quinten Strange
6 Heiden Bedwell-Curtis
7 Matt Todd (c)
8 Jordan Taufua
9 Bryn Hall
10 Richie Mo'unga
11 George Bridge
12 Ryan Crotty (vc)
13 Jack Goodhue
14 Seta Tamanivalu
15 David HaviliReserves
16 Andrew Makalio
17 Wyatt Crockett
18 Michael Alaalatoa
19 Mitchell Dunshea
20 Pete Samu
21 Mitchell Drummond
22 Mitchell Hunt
23 Manasa MataeleBNZ Crusaders team named to take on the Blues at Eden Park
The BNZ Crusaders now prepare for a series of New Zealand derbies leading in to the June international window, starting this weekend with the Blues at Eden Park. Head Coach Scott Robertson has named his starting side for this match, which features six changes and one positional switch from the side that took the field against the Waratahs on Saturday night. In the front row, Tim Perry makes his return from the hamstring injury he sustained against the Brumbies in round 11, and will start at loosehead prop. Owen Franks also returns to the starting side this week, and Mike Alaalatoa moves to the reserves. Quinten Strange steps in to the starting team this week in place of regular captain Sam Whitelock, with Matt Todd to lead the side in his absence. The only other change in the forward pack sees Heiden Bedwell-Curtis take the starting spot in the No. 6 jersey, and Pete Samu will provide cover on the bench. In the backs, Vice-Captain Ryan Crotty returns this week, and will line up in the midfield alongside Jack Goodhue. Outside back George Bridge will shift from fullback to the left wing for this game, and David Havili will wear the No. 15 jersey. Manasa Mataele, having recovered from the head knock he suffered against the Waratahs, takes a spot on the bench. -
Interesting call on Sam Whitelock given that Scott Barrett (I think) hasn't yet missed his quota of games, while Sam's missed two.
Hopefully, (i) it's not an injury and just Razor wanting to freshen him up before the big clash with the Canes; and hopefully (ii) it doesn't bite us on the arse!
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Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock has been ruled out of the match against the Blues in Auckland on Saturday night because of illness. -
It’s seems you need a chisel and hammer to prize James Parsons out of this Blues starting lineup,it pisses me off no end..
I have heard through a few sources he’s not overly liked,but seems to have crawled so far up the backside of the coaching staff,they can’t see past him..what’s the definition of stupidity,doing the same thing and expecting different result..!And given we are just playing for pride and nothing else ,give Matt Moulds a go,he can scrum just as well as Parsons,and with his bigger body can run into contact and actually shift somebody..throwing might be a issue,but for the life of me,give Moulds a go so we can at least see what he’s got.
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@steven-harris yeah the fact that he is only looking at his 20th cap this weekend, is this into his 4th season at the blues?
Although from what I've heard Parsons seems like a good full.
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@steven-harris said in Blues vs Crusaders:
It’s seems you need a chisel and hammer to prize James Parsons out of this Blues starting lineup,it pisses me off no end..
I have heard through a few sources he’s not overly liked,but seems to have crawled so far up the backside of the coaching staff,they can’t see past him..what’s the definition of stupidity,doing the same thing and expecting different result..!And given we are just playing for pride and nothing else ,give Matt Moulds a go,he can scrum just as well as Parsons,and with his bigger body can run into contact and actually shift somebody..throwing might be a issue,but for the life of me,give Moulds a go so we can at least see what he’s got.
You can't just ignore a whole set piece like that. If your hooker can't throw well (and Moulds has had significant issues with this) it's a huge problem. There are usually more lineouts than scrums too.
If he wants to dislodge Parsons he has to improve this area, not enough of a difference in around the field play otherwise.
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@kirwan blues lineout success sits at 11th...like above for some reason Parsons seems immune to being dropped regardless of form, whether it has been Moulds or whoever else has spent time getting splinters behind him often only given 5 or 10 mins at the end.
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While Moulds hasnt had a mountain of minutes - he has never shown anything to suggest he is deserving of any more than he is getting.
Moulds is better than Apisai but that isnt saying much.
The best bench impact from a hooker this season came from Ross Wright off the bench v the Lions in Joburg
Someone who hasnt had any chances is Kurt Eklund - who was the real improver in a poor Auckland team last year and played really well in the Blues development team win over the Chiefs development team.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues vs Crusaders:
@kirwan blues lineout success sits at 11th...like above for some reason Parsons seems immune to being dropped regardless of form, whether it has been Moulds or whoever else has spent time getting splinters behind him often only given 5 or 10 mins at the end.
It’s up to the other hookers to force him out. Moulds doesn’t get a lot of minutes, but has had many opportunities to show he’s better and hasn’t taken them.
All that means to me is we have lots of shit hookers.
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@kiwimurph Kurt Eklund has had a major knee injury. Will not feature at all this year
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@kirwan he has had 19 opportunities in 3.5 seasons, so.e of these less than 5 mins, so not really lots of opportunities
Parsons isn't that good that he shouldn't be dropped which is the point of this, how does a player take opportunities when rarely given them?
To me it's not about moulds or whoever that hasn't stepped up, even when Parsons has been average he hasn't been dropped when others have, thus giving an opportunity to actually seize.
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@kiwimurph Ross Wright showed what sort of person he is,showed up to Kaiwaka last night to support the Northland HP squad,even though he’s based down here in Auckland.
I asked him what the deal was when he came off in the first half,he had taken a knock on the knee and came off as a precaution..
He’s with the squad for one more game,but with returning players ,it’s pretty much his lot unless there are injuries.. -
Whether he has a good or poor game Parsons goes full noise. He isn't the most talented guy, but he seems to work hard. A poor man's Monty bethem I reckon. But no one appears to have come close to tipping him. If Coles had had a faster rehab we may have seen a young hooker from the canes heading north... like really north.
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@taniwharugby would not make another NZ franchise team,should never have been an All Black,was fortunate to have been in Britain when he was called into the ABs..mind you he’s got the losing speech downpad
