Auckland 2018

[Tim]

BTW, this was the last injury update from the Blues (12 July):

Otere Black (knee – season), George Moala (chest – season), Matt Johnson (surgery – season), Jimmy Tupou (knee – season), Josh Goodhue (concussion), Patrick Tuipulotu (shoulder – season), Glenn Preston (groin, season), Scott Scrafton (knee – season), Sonny Bill Williams (shoulder), Dalton Papalii (hamstring), Terrence Hepetema (back strain), Mike Tamoaieta (knee), Leni Apisai (hamstring), Jordan Trainor (hand), Lyndon Dunshea (shoulder), Matiaha Martin (shoulder), James Parsons (neck).

[Tim]

@stargazer Aha! Cheers.

[Nogusta]

@tim Apparently Tele'a got called in by the Blues when he got back from France and aggravated his knee injury. He was held back by ARFU from playing the last couple of rounds of the club season to ensure the knee was 100%
Word is he will get a run against BOP on Friday.
Also hearing Sione Havili has been loaned out?

[Dice]

I don't get loaning out Havili, he's the perfect bench guy for us this season as he can play all 3 backrow positions. With Gibson and Papali'i being injury prone, it'd make even more sense to keep him around.

I hope we don't keep the ancient Auva'a around instead.

[Duluth]

Super players return for final pre-season hit out

Final pre-season hit out for Auckland on Friday against Bay of Plenty Returning Super Rugby players add firepower...

1 Jarred Adams
2 Lief Schwencke
3 Marco Fepulea’i
4 Jamie Lane
5 Jack Whetton
6 Dalton Papalii
7 Blake Gibson
8 Akira Ioane
9 Jonathan Ruru
10 Harry Plummer
11 Salesi Rayasi
12 TJ Faiane
13 Tanielu Tele’a
14 Melani Nanai
15 Jordan Trainor

16 Penisoni Fineanganofo/Rob Abel
17 Ezekiel Lindenmuth
18 Taniela Koroi
19 Evan Olmstead
20 Faatiga Lemalu
21 Ezra Meleisea
22 Taina Fox-Matamua/Hoskins Sotutu
23 Adrian Choat
24 Desma Liaina
25 Daniel Kirkpatrick
26 Nikolai Foliaki
27 AJ Lam
28 Jacob Umaga

[KiwiMurph]

Nice. Happy with some fresh blood in the front row.

Good to see Taina Fox-Matamua on the bench - I read he was very strong in the club final.

[Tim]

Patrick Tuipulotu and Caleb Clarke were Auckland's reps for the NPC launch promo this week, so they'll be in the squad. That leaves Michael Fatialofa, Marcel Renata, Vince Aso, Taleni Seu, Sam Prattley, Lyndon Dunshea, Scott Scrafton, and Sione Havili as the Super Rugby players yet to make an appearance.

I assume that Seu, Aso, and Scrafton are out injured, Dunshea was probably fringe, and may be injured, and Havili might be on loan. Perhaps Fatialofa won't be available after all - there are a lot of locks in these trial games. I wonder if Prattley has gone back to Ta$man? Not sure why Renata hasn't been playing - expect him to be in the squad.

Pele Cowley has yet to make an appearance, so I assume that he'll miss out on the 3rd halfback spot.

Will Umaga make the squad as a fullback, or be competing with George Taina and D'Angelo Leuila for 3rd 1st 5?

[Tim]

@duluth A couple of minor changes to that line up, with Penisoni Fineanganofo bracketed with Robbie Abel and Taina Fox-Matamua with Hoskins Sotutu on the bench.

Robbie Abel plays for the Brumbies.

Looks like Mike Sosene will miss out?

[Tim]

Nikolai Foliaki was attended the NZ U20 training camps for the 2017 squad, but didn't make the cut. He was in the Blues U20 squad in 2017 too.

Currently he plays in the midfield for Grammar TEC.

[Tim]

I'm guessing the following will be the squad:

Props

Jarred Adams
Ezekiel Lindenmuth
Marco Fepulea’i
Taniela Koroi
Sam Prattley
Marcel Renata

Hookers

Lief Schwencke
Robbie Abel
Penisoni Fineanganofo

Locks

Patrick Tuipulotu
Jamie Lane
Jack Whetton
Faatiga Lemalu

Loose Forwards

Dalton Papali'i
Blake Gibson
Akira Ioane
Hoskins Sotutu
Adrian Choat
Evan Olmstead
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa

Halfbacks

Leon Fukofuka
Jonathan Ruru
Desma Liaina

First Five Eighths

Harry Plummer
Daniel Kirkpatrick
Jacob Umaga

Midfield

TJ Fiane
Tanielu Tele’a
Tumua Manu
Nikolai Foliaki

Outside Backs

Caleb Clarke
Melani Nanai
Salesi Rayasi
Jordan Trainor
AJ Lam

That's 35, so a few will probably drop out. AJ Lam might miss out from the backs, with Umaga covering fullback and first five. Prattley, one of the halfbacks, one of the locks (probably Lemalu), and one or two of the loose forwards (Choat, Olmstead) might too. That leaves at least 29 players. 32 sounds likely, so loose Lam, Prattley, and one loose forward or lock.

Lindenmuth covers both sides, and Renata should be able to cover loosehead too.

Could do with another quality lock!

[KiwiMurph]

nice job @Tim

Riedlinger-Kapa would also be able to cover lock.

I wonder if say Joe Ravouvou might edge out AJ Lam?

[Duluth]

@tim said in Auckland 2018:

or be competing with George Taina and D'Angelo Leuila for 3rd 1st 5?

Is Leuila injured? I just assumed he would be in the squad given Ieremia has picked him at Test level before.

[Tim]

@kiwimurph Ah yeah, forgot to add Joe Ravouvou.

[Tim]

@duluth Yeah, you'd think that must be why he hasn't been in either preseason game team.

[cgrant]

What about Slade (lock - 6) ?

[Tim]

@cgrant Was in the initial squad, but hasn't been named in either of the two preseason game squads.

[African Monkey]

@tim Doesn't look a terrible side on paper, better than I thought originally put it that way.

My lineup from that list would be

1. Prattley

2. Abel

3. Renata

4. Tuipulotu

5. Whetton

6. Papali'i

7. Gibson

8. Ioane

9. Ruru

10. Plummer

11. Clarke

12. Faiane

13. Manu

14. Ravouvou

15. Nanai

16. Schwencke

17. Lindenmuth

18. Koroi

19. Lemalu

20. Olmstad/Sotutu

21. Fukofuka

22. Umaga

23. Trainor

I'm sure the side will change a lot throughout the season.

[trooa]

Any word on where Havili is heading?

[Steven Harris]

Is Abel the same hooker that plays for the Brumbies..?

[Tim]

@steven-harris Yep.