Auckland 2018

[KiwiMurph]

@tim I'm glad it looks like it was in some decent conditions after that near-washout a month or so back with Northland and Harbour.

[Tim]

Wellington was up 26 - 14 at halftime.

[African Monkey]

@tim The Blues/SR players in the last few years have been awful/disinterested and have really held the team back. Would love to see more youngsters given a crack this season.

[Tim]

@african-monkey Have heard that from someone, and from some podcasts too. Glad to see things are changing.

[Duluth]

[Tim]

@duluth Who was the guy with no jersey number on the left wing? Salesi Rayasi?

[KiwiMurph]

@tim yep that was Rayasi.

[Duluth]

Some tough decisions about who to pick on the wing - Nanai, Aso, Manu, Clarke, Rayasi, Ravouvou etc
A couple of those guys should be in the midfield of course.

[Duluth]

A big year for Fukofuka. The Blues spot is wide open.

I really rated him when he first played in Pivac's Auckland side. Since then he's been injured or behind a terrible pack in 2016.
Then he didn't impress with limited game time at the Crusaders

Hopefully he gets a good run of games this year

[African Monkey]

@kiwimurph He reminds me of Charles Piutau running down the wing.

[KiwiMurph]

@african-monkey good call. Similar styles.

Some good looking scrums and some nice backline moves and passing skills from Auckland.

[Tim]

Match report:

Auckland XV defeats Wellington XV in NPC warm-up match

An Auckland XV boasting a high profile coaching staff of Sir Graham Henry, Filo Tiatia and Alama Ieremia have beaten a Wellington XV 50-33 at Evans Bay Park this afternoon. In a National Provincial Championship warm-up fixture, Auckland never trailed in an affair which featured a chance for 50...

[Tim]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/106017170/a-new-approach-but-a-nod-to-the-past-for-auckland-rugby

[Tim]

Seems that Mike Sosene didn't play against Wellington.

[KiwiMurph]

@tim not much actual detail in that article but some promising signs. I believe the squad is named next Sunday?

[KiwiMurph]

so Auckland will have services of Tuipulotu and Akira for the season by the looks.

[African Monkey]

@kiwimurph They've only picked 3 specialist locks so will Tuipulotu be on standby for a lot of the season?

I also expect Akira to be away for a lot of the season to go and sit in the stands for most of the ABs tests.

[KiwiMurph]

@african-monkey said in Auckland 2018:

@kiwimurph They've only picked 3 specialist locks so will Tuipulotu be on standby for a lot of the season?

I also expect Akira to be away for a lot of the season to go and sit in the stands for most of the ABs tests.

Fair point on Tuipulotu but it depends whether they include Akira to train with the ABs like they have in the past. There's been no word on that yet. With Read back there's less need to have Akira there like there was in June.

[Duluth]

@kiwimurph said in Auckland 2018:

depends whether they include Akira to train with the ABs like they have in the past. There's been no word on that yet. With Read back there's less need to have Akira there like there was in June.

There are 7 loosies. They should let him play NPC

They've basically said they weren't happy with the coaching he was getting at Tana's Blues and were trying to correct things in tiny 3 week windows.
Now they have an opportunity to let him play a full competition with Graham Henry as one of his coaches

[KiwiMurph]

@duluth Exactly. Plus the Blues weren't doing anything in June anyway so it's not like he was taken out of games.