The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas
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My latest blog post: https://www.thesilverfern.com/post/269593-maori-all-blacks-tour-to-the-americas
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In previous years lock was a real issue... it looks ok this season
Hooker is the problem spot now
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Nice one Stargazer, good read.
Your mention of their previous tours trigger my memory that the 1988 tour match v Tucuman was an absolute cage fight, almost literally as they played in the fenced in soccer stadium.
Reading on the T2 website, The choice of the Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo was a bit of a strange choice. It is the great old stadium of that city but is old and has a track around it and is a poor stadium from spectators POV, but it is big so the Baziilian rugby union is being ambitious with this match. The city has 2 new modern rectangular soccer stadiums but one is being used for a concert on the same day.
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The 51 man AB squad is going to play absolute havoc with picking this squad.
The only mildly difficult game for them would be the first match which coincides with those extra 18 AB call-ups. I think the selectors will totally rule them out for the entire tour. Surely it would be too disruptive?
It would probably be for the best that it is a weakened tour party anyway for the South American leg.
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or Quinn Tupaea.
The surname sounds equally PI and Maori to me, so google.
A google search tells me that Tupaea was a Maori chief in the Tauranga area:
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@duluth Yes, the Māori All Blacks' hookers have been Ash Dixon and Joe Royal for years. Last year, they picked Liam Polwart instead of Royal. Now, both Dixon and Polwart are injured. With Dixon and Royal aging, it had to happen at some point that a new hooker would have to be introduced (in addition to Polwart). I never expected that it might be a 19-year-old, who was still playing for (and captaining) his 1st XV team just over a year ago. It's a big step from Hastings Boys 1st XV to the Māori All Blacks. At least, I hope they pick Kereru-Symes, who has shown a lot of class, replacing Dixon as the first choice hooker of the Mapgies in only his second NPC game, and not one of the other (very average) hookers. MacDonald was only an injury replacement for Southland (he was initially named in the Ta$man Development squad) and Apisai also can't crack the Wellington squad anymore. Picking a prop to play hooker also doesn't appeal (not that there are many props to choose from).
It will be interesting to see who will be picked.
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@rapido said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
Quinn Tupaea
He's Tainui according to this page:
http://www.hbhs.school.nz/News/2017-M-ori-and-Pasifika-Awards-Evening -
@stargazer I think Ross Wright was looking like being fit this weekend (or next if we made it that far) well thats what I heard anyway.
He is probably one, if fit, who is good enough to play hooker and prop (played both positions at M10 & Super) if required
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@taniwharugby How long has he been out of action for? I can't remember when he last played.
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@stargazer 4 or 5 weeks I think, which isnt ideal.
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Here's a shot as a best XV if all players were available ... may have missed some. The halfback depth is crazy. The lock depth is not. Neither is openside. Hopefully Hames can play tighthead?
Dagg
NMS
Proctor
Laumape
Ioane
DMac
Smith
Ioane
Pryor
Squire
Pari Pari Parkinson
Hemopo
Hames
Coles/Taylor
Moody -
@stargazer Are you questing whether he's Maori?
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@stargazer said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@nepia Yeah, thought he was Tongan.
He's both.
Edit: The link on his Wiki page for his Tongan descent is actually a link to his Maori descent. Strange no one has fixed that.
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henwood for pryor
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@nepia said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@stargazer said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@nepia Yeah, thought he was Tongan.
He's both.
1/16th bro!
Hori Kingi Tupaea - Wikipedia
