Taranaki v Hawkes Bay

[Stargazer]

@number-10 Strong line-up! Good to see MMT on the team sheet. I had seen him on photos of training, but wasn't sure he was ready to play. His leg injury must have healed fast!

[Nepia]

I must admit I don't know anything about Tuitavuki. Is he any good?

[Higgins]

@nepia Watchyed him live against the Coast so it was a little hard to judge how he might go against the professional teams. He looked kind of the size of Lolagi Visinia ie quite tall and well built in a good kind of way. I would pick him to be more your forceful bustling type of winger rather than your Terry Wright type although he did seem to be quite quick off the mark but whether he has the 90 metre runaway try type of sustained speed I am unsure. Guess we will not know until we see him in action where he needs to display it, if he has got it that is.

[Nepia]

@higgins I assume, @Stargazer might know, he's a fill in until Makene/Fomai and Sapsford come back in?

[Number 10]

@nepia said in Taranaki v Hawkes Bay:

I must admit I don't know anything about Tuitavuki. Is he any good?

He was in the 2020 HB Academy team and played once for the Magpies last year.

Played for Havelock North last year and switched to Clive this year. He is a fulltime member of this year's Magpies squad.

[Nepia]

@number-10 said in Taranaki v Hawkes Bay:

@nepia said in Taranaki v Hawkes Bay:

I must admit I don't know anything about Tuitavuki. Is he any good?

He was in the 2020 HB Academy team and played once for the Magpies last year.

Played for Havelock North last year and switched to Clive this year. He is a fulltime member of this year's Magpies squad.

Cheers, although you missed the key question in my post.

[bayimports]

out of curiousity where is Folau Fakatava? ..injured?

[Tim]

@bayimports Yep, out for season with ACL injury.

[bayimports]

@tim said in Taranaki v Hawkes Bay:

@bayimports Yep, out for season with ACL injury.

ouch..poor guy, never wish an ACL on anyone.. seriously good young player

[Nepia]

@bayimports said in Taranaki v Hawkes Bay:

@tim said in Taranaki v Hawkes Bay:

@bayimports Yep, out for season with ACL injury.

ouch..poor guy, never wish an ACL on anyone.. seriously good young player

Pretty sure we wouldn't have had him anyway as he would have been with the ABs.

[KiwiMurph]

Great weather. Cool ground. Enjoying this.

[Higgins]

Holy crap, I know the boundaries for cricket at Pukekura Park are pathetically short but hell look at the miniscule in goal areas here, they would be considered small even by rugby league standards.

[Nepia]

Not a great start by the Magpies.

[Higgins]

We are looking somewhat out of sorts but have had practically no ball so hopefully things will change when/if we get our hands on it. Having the wind behind us is not being of any benefit at this stage.
Taranaki 06 - 00 HB after about a dozen minutes

[Higgins]

Five penalties against the Magpies already. This guy is whistling them up as often as he does when refereeing netball. Things get worse as the 'Naki drive over for a try. Hotly disputed by the visiting team and referred to TMO

[KiwiMurph]

Great work Evans.

[Nepia]

WTF!

[Higgins]

Goodness me, that looked a dicey award of the try after not seeing any grounding on the replay.

[TJ]

That's the risk a ref runs awarding a try without seeing it. The TMO had no choice really

[Higgins]

@tj But the ref did. By referring it is a clear indication the he saw the grounding. WHy the need to refer it if he allegedy saw a grounding. PLayers do not usually blow up against refs decisions without good reason.