2022 Northland Futures Squad
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@steven-harris NRU have been posting up pics/clips of these lads putting in the mahi over the past few weeks along with some of the senior fellas, promising signs.
A few extra names for me to keep an eye on at club games (where I'll probably have to sit in my car or stand 100m away...
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@steven-harris forgot to say, Kobe Walters is one to keep an eye on, has a huge engine.
2 years out of school I think (last year may have been his first year out of school?) started in the Kamo Reserves, injuries saw him get a shot in the prems at 8 and never looked back, saw him a few months back and he looks to have bulked up too, which is a surprise given his dad is more in the Ian Jones build haha
Have heard good things about Lucas Payne, but he didnt play when I saw the Sharks last year.
As I already said, the work they are putting into these guys is certainly promising!
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@steven-harris Great detail. Thanks. So much young talent. Time to retain it and turn it into a production line for the Northland team. As TR says the squad look to be working harder on fitness this year.
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Northland Futures Team to take on North Harbour Knights Development squad Saturday 12th February at 3pm on the outer oval at North Harbour Stadium.
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HT
NH 19 Nth 0
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A very windy humid Saturday afternoon at the outer ground at Albany Stadium
greeted both the visiting Northland Taniwha Futures Development team and the North Harbour Knights Development .
It was the home team with the use of a very strong north easterly that wasted little time breaking out from deep inside their own half virtually from kick off.
The ball was moved nicely to the flanks with a centering kick bouncing away from the scrambling Northland defence ,a harbour hand got the touch down for the first score.
Harbour repeated the dose several minutes later with similar move from deep , no 8 Jayden Masters recieving the final pass from 40 metres out showing some good pace to touch down, try converted and the visitors were 0-14 down after 10 minutes .Harbour were showing the benefit of a hit out the week before , for all of the Northland boys the shock of a first up start to the season was very apparent with two missed defensive reads leading to the early touch downs for the home teams.
The scrum which had been under pressure early started to gain parity and lay a platform to at least create some pressure .
Some strong carries in the forwards by Esile Fono ,Craven Martin and Tomi Baker in the forwards and in the backs Himi Manuel ran straight and direct lead which to Harbour indiscipline at breakdown.
Northland had a strong 20 minute period in the Harbour 22 ,with numerous assaults through the forwards failing to find the white line .Harbour were rewarded for their staunch defence stinging Northland 5 minutes before halftime off a lineout set piece just outside the 22
Despite their toll and hard work for a good 20 minutes , the Taniwha found themselves 0-19 down at the break.The Taniwha with the wind behind them in the 2nd half did’nt take long to get back in the game picking up a couple of converted tries in the first 15 minutes, replacement loose forward Inoke Tauvatu highlighting his power close to the tryline after some great lead up work up phase work from the forwards especially .
This period of play was also the Taniwha Futures best period of the game with Tama Anderson hitting a hole after a superb pass after sustained period of pressure.
14-19 with 20 minutes to the win was on ,unfortunately the visitors failed to secure valuable lineout possession and field position required to strike a final blow ,the last real opportunity going astray with a miss directed pass comimg off a strong Tevita Faukafa break .
North Harbour for one of the few occasions in the 2nd half icing the victory with a strong lineout drive try
The Northland Futures squad will be all the better for the hitout when they take on the NZ Barbarians at the same venue next Saturday
Full credit to visitors who fronted up with only 3 props after a late withdrawl, Esile Fono,Craven Martin and the highly promosing JT Pont Bellamy who only a year out of Kelston Boys more than held his own at scrum time and is one to watch over the coming years.
Tevita Faukafa,Inoke Tauvatu and Esile Fono were willing ball carriers with Sharks team mates Faukafa and Tauvatu alway getting over the advantage line.
Loose forwards Tomi Baker,Zac Shanks and replacement Sage Walters Hansen were willing workers , newcomers to the Taniwha region Rory Woods and Malino Fotu also displayed plenty of promise Woods who came on in the 2nd half is in the Dan Pryor mould but a tad taller around 6’3 6’4 mark , very athletic , Woods who packed down at number 8 has great game sense and makes very good decisions and is also a fantastic option at lineout time ,Malino Fotu who has represented the Chiefs U20 last year also showed some very good touches .In the backs both halfbacks Tom Strachan and Kane Pomare were both solid and good moments .
Johnny Cooper who skippered the team was solid at first five and his replacement Kobie Scutt displayed some very promising signs throwing some nice long passes and showing hes not afraid to take the line on ,further out both Himi Manuel and Kalani Going were impressive , Manuel with his no nonsense hitups and Kalani Going making a superb break which led to a try , Going who looks in condition suggested to me it was all the work he was doing on the farm.
Liam Colley,Josh Davis and Ryan Nankivell all had their moments ,the latter two in the 2nd half especially .
One player who hardly put a foot wrong was Tama Anderson, looks totally comfortable with ball in hand and has footwork to match ,capped a fine game with a try .
In summary when you compare this programe from a year ago , there will be in my opinion several youngsters on the radar for this years Blues U20 coaches to have a look at and i have no doubt several on radar for the Northland Taniwha coaches to look at before the team is eventually named.In the earlier game The Blues U20 after a slow start conceeding a couple of early tries finished over the top of the NZ Babas 22-14
A couple impressive performers in the Blues 20s were hooker Jordon Hutchings from Dargaville and former Whangarei Boys High lock Josh Beehre
Really liked the look of 2nd five Leo Gordon, (Palmerston North Boys) looks around the 95-100kg mark 6’1 ,scored a brilliant individual try showing plenty of pace..
2 lads who played for Waitemata U20s last year also showed plenty of promise ..number 8 Victor Olaaiga stands around 6’3 and his team mate from Waitemata last year Ale Aho at 6’7 118kgs is a seriously big human being
Only down side was a serious injury to flanker Cam Church ..hearing might be an ACL, hoping it is not as a bad as what i was hearing. -
@steven-harris cheers for that!
No way should Cooper be in the 'futures' squad, given he is in his 3rd? season for Norhtland, but when the coaches are in love with Hawkins, the fact he has stuck about after being messed about in the NPC side is a testament to him.
The little I have seen of Nankivell I like, is a big lad, looks to have a bit of time when he does stuff, did he play 10?
It was bad enough doing nothing in that oppressive humidity yesterday afternoon, let alone playing rugby in it!
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@taniwharugby what they did was made him captain to bring him out of his shell and have the confidence to drive a game with younger guys around him ..and you could actually hear him talking to the backs which was pleasing and a great ball which put Tama Anderson in space ,.the good thing about this programme , we have several kids on the radar for the Blues under 20 ..which is unprecedented for Northland Rugby .
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@steven-harris I'm just glad he is sticking around, certainly has the game, just needs to be given a decent run by the coaches, rather than dropped and chopped all the time, I mean if they gave him the same rope they gave Hawkins in the last few years...
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@steven-harris Hutchings was a loose forward when I have seen him play at RBHS. So he is being converted to a hooker?
