Bay of Plenty v Wellington

[Higgins]

https://www.wellingtonlions.co.nz/news/news-single/post/ben-lam-returns-to-wellington-lions-starting-line-up-to-face-steamers/
The Wellington Lions squad to meet Bay of Plenty is:

15 Billy Proctor (Marist St Pats)
14 Wes Goosen (Old Boys University)
13 Vince Aso (Paremata-Plimmerton)
12 Peter Umaga-Jensen (Wainuiomata)
11 Ben Lam (Tawa)
10 Jackson Garden-Bachop (Northern United)
9 Connor Collins (Northern United)
8 Teariki Ben-Nicholas (Old Boys University)
7 Du'Plessis Kirifi (Northern United) (c)
6 Mateaki Kafatolu (Petone)
5 James Blackwell (Petone)
4 Josh Furno (Western Suburbs)
3 Alex Fidow (Oriental-Rongotai)
2 Asafo Aumua (Avalon)
1 Xavier Numia (Oriental-Rongotai)

Reserves

16 James O'Reilly (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
17 Kaliopasi Uluilakepa (Petone)
18 Sef Fa'agase (Johnsonville)
19 Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Marist St Pats)
20 Luke Tau'alupe (Oriental-Rongotai)
21 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara (Tawa)
22 Trent Renata (Oriental Rongotai)
23 Pepesana Patafilo (Tawa)

[Donsteppa]

Good of the All Blacks to agree to be one of the curtain raisers for us today.

[Higgins]

Three scrums so far, two have been demolition derbies and WEllington just holding on in the third, albeit under pressure. Canes4Life is still happy that his front row are very promising players.

[Stargazer]

That looked like they have dipped the ball in liquid soap.

[Higgins]

Yet another scrum demolition allows a try under the posts to Steamers halfback Richard Judd. Steamers 10 - 06 after 27 minutes of mostly BoP ascendency.

[Canes4life]

@Higgins lol these guys are 21. To expect them to be the full package yet is just moronic.

If they are 26/27 and still scrummaging like this, then yeah I would be pissed off.

[Higgins]

@Canes4life If they are the best props available in Wellington and being selected on current merit, rather than what they might be like in five years time, then there must be a serious shortage of scrummaging props available for the selectors to pick from.

[Canes4life]

@Higgins if you can’t see the upside of having these guys in the team atm, then I don’t know what to say. The NPC is a development competition for Super Rugby now and these games are the perfect opportunity for guys like Fidow and Numia to learn facing up to vets like Geldenhuys.

The mobility of those three front rowers is outstanding, if they can improve their scrummaging then they will be close to A.Bs level based on Hansen’s assessment of the modern game.

[Stargazer]

JGB

[Canes4life]

@Stargazer the most hot and cold player in NZ rugby.

[Stargazer]

@Canes4life said in Bay of Plenty v Wellington:

@Stargazer the most hot and cold player in NZ rugby.

Fixed.

[Canes4life]

@Stargazer haha I will give you that.

[Steven Harris]

Not even a warning ...?

[Stargazer]

@Steven-Harris I think they got one, now

[Stargazer]

I like what I'm seeing from Trask. Promising.

Judd leaving for Japan is unfortunate for the Canes.

[Canes4life]

@Stargazer yeah massive shame, he was outstanding for the Canes this year.

Trask looking class, thought he was a Fullback, looks better at First Five.

[Steven Harris]

@Stargazer Got a lot of time for Trask..he’s classy

[Canes4life]

Wellington need to stop using Kafatolu as a main ball carrier. Old man getting dominated.

[Steven Harris]

@Canes4life from the Parsons project school of ball carrying

[Canes4life]

Gibbes needs to replace Fidow, he looks injured.