NPC - news, injuries etc

[Stargazer]

Full time: Ta$man Mako XV 19 (Tries: Jack Grooby, Jamie Spowart, Timoci Tavatavanawai; Cons: Tim O'Malley, Willy Havili) - Wellington XV 22.

[Tim]

Note Sione Havili on the bench.

[Stargazer]

@tim Is he related to David, Willi and Caleb Havili?

[Tim]

@stargazer Don't know. Sure someone on here will though!

[Daffy Jaffy]

@taniwharugby Its good two see Robinson back playing. He was excellent preseason last year with the blues before getting that bad injury and I don't think he has played since. Will also be interested to see what a decent forward coach like Whitcombe can get out of Isi Tu'ungafasi who looked a bit soft and lazy with Auckland but showed a bit more intent in one of the last games last season.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Steamers team vs Auckland Today.
Head Coach Clayton McMillan has been forced to make two last minute changes due to sickness and injury in the locks with late call ups Aaron Carrol and Lars Morrice respectively securing a starting position and spot on the bench. Other notable starters is Te Puna’s Jeff Thwaites returning to the fold and Kaleb Trask moving into the starting first five eight position.

An experienced bench will see the return of fullback Chase Tiatia following his super rugby duties, the introduction of prop Ross Geldenhyus, hooker Valentine Meachen and All Blacks Sevens representative Trael Joass on the wing.

Bay of Plenty Steamers:

1. James Lay
2. Liam Polwart
3. Jeff Thwaites
4. Aaron Carrol
5. Tyler Ardron
6. Hugh Blake
7. Mitch Karpik
8. Hoani Matenga
9. Luke Campbell
10. Kaleb Trask
11. Matt Garland
12. Terrence Hepetema
13. Liam Steel
14. Fa’asiu Fuatai
15. Bailey Simonsson

Reserves:
16. Valentine Meachen
17. Solomona Sakalia
18. Ross Geldenhyus
19. Lars Morrice
20. Ajay Mua
21. Richard Judd
22. Trael Joass
23. Chase Tiatia
24. Tevita Mafileo

[Stargazer]

Turbos preseason XV v Hawke’s Bay (Fri 10 August, Napier, k/o 1pm)

15 Junior Laloifi, 14 Jono Ihaka, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 James Tofa, 11 Te Rangatira Waitokia, 10 Hamish Northcott, 9 Kayne Hammington, 8 Brice Henderson, 7 Antonio Kiri Kiri (c), 6 Liam Mitchell, 5 Nick Crosswell, 4 Liam Hallam-Eames, 3 Sione Asi, 2 Tim Cadwallader, 1 Faalelei Sione. Reserves: 16 Sam Stewart, 17 Fraser Armstrong, 18 Sean Paranihi, 19 Brad Tucker, 20 Sam Wasley, 21 Griffin Culver, 22 Cody Hemi, 23 Shai Wiperi

https://www.turbosrugby.co.nz/news/thompson-named-for-turbos-preseason-match

I've posted the Magpies team in the Magpies forum.

[Stargazer]

2018 Ta$man Mako squad

The wider squad were called "injury replacements". Note that Sione Havili is on loan from Auckland.
David Havili named captain, Wyatt Crockett and Mitch Hunt vice-captains.

Strong looking squad. Title contender IMO.

[Tim]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/106188440/second-half-gets-away-from-turbos-in-preseason-clash-with-hawkes-bay

[cgrant]

Both new jerseys (Turbos and Magpies) are ugly ...

[Crucial]

@cgrant said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

Both new jerseys (Turbos and Magpies) are ugly ...

They must be some kind of training jersey surely? HB have one of the more iconic jerseys in NZ, why would they go away from the basic?

[Number 10]

@cgrant @Crucial

Those are the jerseys the Magpies wear as a Hawke's Bay XV for their preseason matches only.

For Mitre 10 Cup they will be wearing the traditional black and white hooped jerseys.

[Winger]

@stargazer

Good to see a few names hopefully back to full fitness

10 TJ Va’a. Last time I saw him play (2016) he lasted until he did his first sidestep. He wasn't touched but fell to the ground in pain. I wondered if he would ever recover so hopefully he is fully fit again. But he seems a bit on the small side. And fragile.

The Highlanders Umaga-Jensen (Thomas) looks the better player but both seem injury prone. And hopefully Isaia Walker-Leawere is fully fit and lasts the full season as he was class before his operation last year

Carlos Price is still young but he might be one to watch. He looked promising in the few minutes he got last year

[Stargazer]

Apparently, there was a preseason game between Taranaki and Waikato, yesterday. It was hidden at the bottom of the Taranaki squad announcement, but nothing on the Waikato (social) media as far as I can tell.
Taranaki won 31 - 14.

[Bovidae]

@williethewaiter What's the deal with Xavier Roe being named in the Taranaki squad?

I hope Waikato haven't lost him for good. Kylem O’Donnell for Roe means that Taranaki gets the better of that deal.

[Kiwidom]

Manawatu 2018 squad

Forwards:
Sam Stewart
Tim Cadwallader
Michael Alaalatoa,
Fraser Armstrong,
Sione Asi,
Sean Paranihi
Faalelei Sione
Brad Tucker
Liam Hallam Eames
Liam Mitchell
Jackson Hemopo
Nick Crosswell
Brayden Iose
Antonio Kirikiri (captain)
Bríce Henderson

Backs:
Jamie Booth
Kayne Hammington,
Otere Black
Sam Malcolm
Jade Té Rure
Ngani Laumape,
Lifeimi Mafi,
Hamish Northcott,
Rob Thompson
Michael Tagicakibau,
James Tofa,
Te Rangatira Waitokia,
Nehe Milner Skudder
Junior Lailofi

Quite a strong looking back line if Laumape and NMS take the field, plus Thompson.

The long awaited return of Otere Black from injury will be in round 3

[shark]

Did anyone know that BLK went bust? This explains why there's next to no NPC merch on the Rebel site when I looked for it. Wonder if thats why Canterbury had a weird looking jersey on in the Game of Three Halves

[chchfanatic]

@shark Canterbury were actually the cantabrians. They normally just have a under 20s team that plays in most of the rep games. They also fund the junior camp every year at burnham for high school kids.

[Stargazer]

@shark said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

Did anyone know that BLK went bust? This explains why there's next to no NPC merch on the Rebel site when I looked for it. Wonder if thats why Canterbury had a weird looking jersey on in the Game of Three Halves

The two Canterbury teams that played on Friday were wearing different jerseys; maybe one jersey for the development/age grade team and the other for the NPC squad? Or old jerseys?

This was the jerseys for the game against Otago:

And this was the jersey for the game against the ABs:

[Stargazer]

By the way, Rebels Sports isn't the only one without much gear. The Ryos and Stirling Sports websites also don't have jerseys. Maybe it will all be for sale from next week, when the competition starts?

Also, Paladin Sports now provide the gear of 4 Mitre 10 Cup teams: Hawke's Bay, North Harbour, Wellington and Northland. Plenty of gear available for those teams on the Paladin website.

@cgrant This is the Magpies jersey for this season (same as previous two seasons, only the socks seem different with more white in it and different sponsor name on the shorts); they had their photo shoot yesterday: