Auckland 2018

[Duluth]

@taniwharugby said in Auckland 2018:

ah I thought he had gone there but wasnt on the staff list?

He was there for a few weeks before it became official

[Dice]

Just a bit of fun.

An Auckland XV playing for other Mitre 10 Cup teams.

1 Angus Ta'avao
2 Andrew Makalio
3 Kalolo Tuiloma
4.Sam Lousi
5 Vaea Fifita
6 Kara Pryor
7 Mitchell Karpik
8 Sione Havili
9 Tayler Adams
10 Josh Ioane
11 Ben Lam
12 Braydon Ennor
13 Seta Tamanivalu
14 Matt Duffie
15 Etene Nanai

I included a couple of guys like Fifita and Tamanivalu who came to Auckland via the islands. I avoided selecting anyone who schooled here but are from other provinces though.

A bit weak at loosehead, so just threw Ta'avao there. Maybe someone can think of a better option.

Weak at halfback as well. Enari might've been an option as he was born in Auckland and schooled here for a bit, but I think he was mostly raised in Gisborne. He is the nephew of two Auckland legends(Iceman and Eroni), so maybe he should automatically qualify

A bit on the small side in the backrow, but they should be able to manage against most backrows at NPC level.

I might've missed some other options that could be in there.

[KiwiMurph]

@dice Fifita would not be happy playing lock....

Loketi Manu at 13?

Slade at lock?

Chris Eves prop?

[Nepia]

@dice So you've picked a team of poaches and have included international poaches to fill out.

As much as I hate the Poo, they could probably have thrown together a decent team in the last few years if all their poaches were returned.

[Tim]

At lock you could have Gerard Cowley-Tuioti (Kelston, but started at Massey), Pari Pari Parkinson (St Kents, Whakatane originally), Ben Nee Nee, or Jacob Pierce (did he go to school in Harbour, came through the Auckland system).

Sione Mafileo at tight head.

Few other props around, though they are mostly injured this season?

[Dice]

@kiwimurph haha

Along with Loketi Manu, Cardiff Vaega and Stacy Ili are other midfield options.

I was thinking of locks and forgot about Slade.

There's our loosehead. I forgot Eves was a Henderson boy.

[Dice]

@nepia Team didn't look as cool without them

The Poo would be decent, but would they have enough players to fill out a XV?

[Nepia]

@dice said in Auckland 2018:

@nepia Team didn't look as cool without them

The Poo would be decent, but would they have enough players to fill out a XV?

You'd have to fill it out with current Poo players. But a few years back they could have rolled out a team that started with three Whitelocks, Smith, Cruden, Squire and Hadleigh Parkes.

[Bovidae]

@dice Out of interest, where did those non PI St Kents players originally come from?

You could select Carlos Price at halfback, another ex St Kents player, but he's from BOP I believe.

[Bovidae]

@nepia The Poo could claim Codie Taylor as well.

[Stargazer]

@bovidae Hmmm, he's from Levin (Horowhenua-Kapiti). Does that make the Poo his Mitre 10 Cup province?

[Bovidae]

@stargazer Spent time at Fielding HS. That's enough isn't it?

[Nepia]

@bovidae said in Auckland 2018:

@stargazer Spent time at Fielding HS. That's enough isn't it?

That's like the southern states of the Poo.

Who am I kidding, the entire Poo is the southern states.

[Dice]

@bovidae I'd say anywhere from the upper North Island, including Auckland.

[Bovidae]

@dice It wasn't really a dig at St Kents, just wondering if your Auckland XV was based only on those players who were born in Auckland, or educated there too. Hence my suggestion of Price as the halfback. To be honest I've never heard of Tayler Adams. I see he plays for Southland so that's why.

[African Monkey]

@bovidae Adams played for them for a few seasons a little while back and even managed a SR contract with the Rebels this year.

[Tim]

Auckland B team to play Counties Manukau B:

Franck Friconnet (Eden)
Leif Schwencke (Suburbs)
Herman Huch (Ponsonby)
Max East - Captain (Pakuranga)
Jamie Lane (Ponsonby)
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Ponsonby)
Adrian Choat (Waitemata)
Ezra Meleisea (Pakuranga)
Pele Cowley (Suburbs)
Harry Miller (University)
AJ Lam (Grammar TEC)
Nikolai Foliaki (GRammar TEC)
Tevita Latu (University)
Hawaii Ahokovi (Pakuranga)
Freedom Vaha'akolo (Ponsonby)
Te Ariki Te Puni (University)
Jerry Samania (Pakuranga)
AJ Sagaga (Waitemata)
Aleks Dabek (Ponsonby)
Desma Liaina (Eden)
TBC
Caleb Clarke (Suburbs)

[Bovidae]

Not sure where to post this, but what has happened to the Auckland women's team? Last year was the first time they failed to make the final after being winners from 2007-15.

This year they've been thrashed by Manawatu and today Waikato beat them 45-14.

[Steven Harris]

@tim spoke to Auckland B assistant coach Tani Fuga,reckons the red headed lock Max East is the real deal,very similar to Northland Lock Tom Robinson,very physical at breakdown,he’s on Auckland’s radar ,also Adrian Choat the Waitemata loose forward, former NZ under 20s has been outstanding ..also Waimana Reidlinger Kapa has been very good, but is a Northland boy and with Auckland very strong in the looseforward area,the Taniwha might be a good fit for the young man

[Tim]

@steven-harris Nice. East is a young captain for Pakuranga, and looked pretty good in the game I watched this year.