Magpies 2021
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Also signed for 2021: Anzelo Tuitavuki. I'm a bit disappointed. Couldn't they find anyone better? Last year, he was on an injury replacment contract for Sam McNicol. Is he on a short-term contract again and for whom? Surely not a full contract?
I hope they give more (complete) info when the team is officially named, whenever that will be.
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@stargazer 100% Agree
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The HBRU have posted photos of training (clearly not all of the same day) on their FB page:
Hawkes Bay Magpies
First two weeks of training are just about over! Prepping well for Ngati Porou East Coast this weekend! Saturday 24th July, 3:05pm kick off at McLean Park! Tickets available from:...
I see a big guy (must be a frontrower) that I don't recognise in this photo:
Also can't see who is standing to the left of Joel Hintz in this photo (it isn't Gareth Evans, is it?):
Not sure, but Jason Long (who was injured for the club final) seems to be there, but not training?
Tiaki Fabish clearly visible on the photos.
Almost all are on the photos, but I don't see: Ash Dixon, Bryn Evans, Gareth Evans, Brendon O'Connor, Anzelo Tuitavuki, IWL (injured), Funaki (injured & still with Tonga squad), and obviously Brad Weber & Folau Fakatava.
Also don't see Sapsford. Not signed?
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@stargazer said in Magpies 2021:
The HBRU have posted photos of training (clearly not all of the same day) on their FB page:
First two weeks of training are just about over! Prepping well for Ngati Porou East Coast this weekend! Saturday 24th July, 3:05pm kick off at McLean Park! Tickets available from:...
I see a big guy (must be a frontrower) that I don't recognise in this photo:
Also can't see who is standing to the left of Joel Hintz in this photo (it isn't Gareth Evans, is it?):
Not sure, but Jason Long (who was injured for the club final) seems to be there, but not training?
Tiaki Fabish clearly visible on the photos.
Almost all are on the photos, but I don't see: Ash Dixon, Bryn Evans, Gareth Evans, Brendon O'Connor, Anzelo Tuitavuki, IWL (injured), Funaki (injured & still with Tonga squad), and obviously Brad Weber & Folau Fakatava.
Also don't see Sapsford. Not signed?
The big prop is Dennis Tapusoa who played against NP East Coast.
Bryn Evans and Ash Dixon were at the aftermatch.
Brendon O'Connor I saw in New World supermarket last Friday!
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This article has Caleb Makene listed.
It says Lolani Faleiva is a LH prop.
Magpies' team of homegrowns ready for NPC and the Shield
At least 21 players from the Super Rugby competition will p[lay for the Magpies in 2021
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@stargazer said in Magpies 2021:
Lolani Faleiva
Not much I can find either but out of NBHS https://www.hudl.com/profile/10245851/Lolani-Faleiva/about
and played for the combined Napier Old Boys-Marist outfit for a couple of years and been at Taradale for the last two. Scored a try in the Madison Trophy semi against the Doolies as it turned out!Has been at Bessets in The Netherlands as well (in 2019 at least) where he played as a prop weighing in at 120kg and standing at 1.97m tall in his socks (almost as tall as Ardie Savea) when aged 20 https://www.bassets.nl/heren/bassets-1/ There looks to be a few others there with Kiwi looking names amongst the playing roster and coaching staff as well.
I think these are some highlights of his time at The Bassets
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@stargazer Whilst there is really no standout there that is a specialist fullback there looks to be massive competition to take the second five and centre jerseys. Robinson Bartlett played on the wing against the Coast on Saturday. IS that his usual spot or is he more suited to one of the mid field spots? We seem to have plenty of power amongst the wingers (or outside backs as the graphic describes them) named but there maybe questions about whether the can streak away for a 90metre try against some of the fastest blokes in other teams.
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@higgins Makene played fullback during his first Magpies season; Visinia has played a lot at fullback; and Falcon can play at fullback as well. I was more looking at our wings: Lowe, Visinia, Tuitavuki, but Fomai and Robinson-Bartlett can play there as well.
I assume they have Zach Donaldson on standbye (in the development squad), in case Enari or McLeod goes down. Only two halfbacks available. That stupid "inside back" listing is masking that we only have two available halfbacks in the squad.
Edited to add that U20 rookie Godfrey can play fullback as well.
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@stargazer Most of those you mention would have me shaking a bit if they had to punt the ball out over the sideline in a hurry when needed on defence. And by over the sideline I mean a decent distance up field to help relieve pressure and not just a slice of the side of the boot ten metres type of clearance. They might be capable but I can't recall seeing it. Maybe we are just soo good that we have always been able to run our way out of trouble!!!!!!!!!!
From where I was sitting on Saturday (in the Centennial Stand on the first half and in the far eastern end of whatever the old McKenzie Stand is called these days) it looked like L. McLutchie still needs to work on gaining another ten or fifteen metres on his punting from hand. He seemed to have improved on that last season but looks to have lost some of that extra distance he found last season. Still I suppose that it is probably better to find the touchline rather than go for too much territory and not find the line. That he did once midway in the second half when he hoofed a penalty over the touch in goal line from a penalty and costing us a certain lineout drive try and the magical 100 points milestone.
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If all players were available for selection, this could be our Super Rugby team:
1 Rakete-Stones
2 Dixon
3 'Apikotoa
4 Retallick
5 B Evans/Walker-Leawere
6 Mikaele-Tu'u
7 G Evans
8 Flanders
9 Fakatava/Weber
10 Makene
11 Lowe
12 Toala
13 Ili
14 Visinia
15 Falcon16 (Kereru-Symes)
17 Waa
18
19 Walker-Leawere/B Evans and Cridge
20 O'Connor
21 Weber/Fakatava
22 Enari: not at SR level, but he has played at first five
23 (Fomai)Funaki and Fomai had SR (injury replacement) contracts in 2021, but didn't get to play.
Kereru-Symes had an injury replacement contract in 2020, but also didn't get game time.
That only leaves the 18 jersey. -
Answering this here:
@nepia said in Taranaki v Hawkes Bay:
I must admit I don't know anything about Tuitavuki. Is he any good?
@nepia said in Taranaki v Hawkes Bay:
@higgins I assume, @Stargazer might know, he's a fill in until Makene/Fomai and Sapsford come back in?
Tuitavuki was on an injury replacement contract, last year (for Sam McNicol). He got game time - off the bench - in one game only, IIRC in one of the games we threw in the towel in advance (the Harbour game?). He's a 22 or 23 years old Liston College Old Boy, but has been in Hawke's Bay for a few years now.
He played for the Blues U18 in 2016 and the Auckland U19s team that won the Jock Hobbs U19 Tournament in 2017 (the same squad as - among others - Caleb Clarke, Hoskins Sotutu, Harry Plummer and MVP Sione Havili). Since his arrival in Hawke's Bay, he has mostly played XVs and sevens for Havelock North (as @Number-10 said, he moved to Clive this year) and has represented Hawke's Bay in sevens. Last year, he participated in the Ignite 7s, but didn't really stand out IIRC.
Interestingly, I found his name also in a match report from a Perth based amateur club called Nedlands from April 2017, so he must have done some travelling and playing after leaving school and before returning to Auckland. His name also appears in an article about "departing players" from Shelford RFC in the UK of May 2018, so he probably joined our Academy upon his return to NZ.
I don't know whether he's on a full or injury replacement contract, this year. Mason Emerson and Sam McNicol have left, but we have 3 newbies in Tuitavuki, Robinson-Bartlett and Higgins (I'm assuming Falcon has taken Baker's spot). That suggests that at least one of them doesn't have a full contract, but who? My guess is Robinson-Bartlett, but I may be wrong.
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From the HBT preview of Taranaki v Magpies:
He said big victories over Heartland Championship opposition in the Magpies' preseason Ranfurly Shield defences somewhat glossed over a few cracks in their game that they have tried to address.
"Playing Counties [Manukau Steelers in Taupō] last week exposed us a little bit around our physicality and our detail," Ozich said.
"There's been a fair bit of work gone in this week to try and get up to speed."Since midfielder/wing Neria Fomai only recently joined the group from Manu Samoa's tour of New Zealand, the coach rewarded Anzelo Tuitavuki and Kienan Higgins for their good form and training with places on the wing and bench respectively.
Otherwise it's a fairly predictable lineup with Caleb Makene, Solomone Funaki and Brendon O'Connor still to return from injury.Pay-walled:
Sellout crowd for Hawke's Bay Magpies versus Taranaki
It's a sellout crowd in Taranaki for the Magpies first game
