Force v Blues

[Daffy Jaffy]

[Machpants]

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force V Blues:

Do they have any players without covid!?

[Tim]

Team naming tonight 6pm

[Daffy Jaffy]

[Duluth]

CAPTAIN RETURNS TO LEAD BLUES TROOPS BACK INTO ACTION AGAINST WESTERN FORCE — Blues Rugby

The Blues welcome back some key players as they take on the testing challenge against the Western Force in Perth on Friday evening. Several players with minor niggles or on All Black leave, who missed the Super Round in Melbourne, have joined the team for Friday’s clash. They include captain Dalto

1 Alex Hodgman (49)
2 Kurt Eklund (31)
3 Ofa Tuungafasi (114)
4 Luke Romano (8)
5 Sam Darry (12)
6 Akira Ioane (88)
7 Dalton Papalii© (51)
8 Anton Segner (4)
9 Finlay Christie (24)
10 Beauden Barrett (12)
11 Caleb Clarke (32)
12 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (5)
13 Bryce Heem (14)
14 AJ Lam (15)
15 Zarn Sullivan (12)

16 Ricky Riccitelli (7)
17 Karl Tu’inukuafe (36)
18 Marcel Renata (5)
19 James Tucker (6)
20 Adrian Choat (13)
21 Taufa Funaki (5)
22 Tanielu Tele’a (19)
23 Mark Telea (33)

Players not considered: Harry Plummer, Sam Nock, Rieko Ioane, Hoskins Sotutu, Nepo Laulala, Tom Robinson, Stephen Perofeta.

[Nepia]

@Daffy-Jaffy I don't know which Tele'a/Telea is which.

I assume by their placement that the one with ' is the midfielder.

Good to see Ioane back. Although I thought they may have given him a run at his old position of 8.

[taniwharugby]

I thought Clarke wasn't due back until next week, or did his get downgraded?

He says without reading anything...

[Duluth]

Akira finally gets to start his season

I like that backline. Swap Heem for RI and that's the Blues best backline IMO

[Grooter]

@Duluth I've liked what I've seen from Segner so far this season, don't know why razor wasn't interested? the young man cleary has a big future🙂

[Tim]

@Duluth Hell of a team.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Internationals Rieko Ioane, Nepo Laulala and Hoskins Sotutu are on All Blacks rest week while abrasive loose forward Tom Robinson is spelled after a minor knock in last weekend’s clash against the Fijian Drua.

[KiwiMurph]

@taniwharugby said in Force v Blues:

I thought Clarke wasn't due back until next week, or did his get downgraded?

He says without reading anything...

No Clarke missed his full 3 games. Chiefs away, Crusaders away, Drua in Melbourne.

I like the balance of that team.

[taniwharugby]

@KiwiMurph ha I thought we'd only had 2 games 🤣

Where does the time go!

[mariner4life]

assuming the Force show up, the Blues should win this by a thousand if they decide this week to play with even a smidgeon of patience.

[Duluth]

Force

Tom Robertson, Feleti Kaitu'u (c), Santiago Medrano, Ryan McCauley, Izack Rodda, Fergus Lee-Warner, Kane Koteka, Ollie Callan, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Reesjan Pasitoa, Manasa Mataele, Bayley Kuenzle, Kyle Godwin, Toni Pulu, Jake Strachan/Jake McIntyre

Reserves: Andrew Ready, Bo Abra, Greg Holmes, Jeremy Thrush, Tim Anstee, Alex Masibaka, Ian Prior, Richard Kahui

[Tim]

Interesting that the German is playing at 8.

[African Monkey]

@Tim Its his 3rd start at 8 as well this year, so do they see him as an 8?

[Bovidae]

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Force v Blues:

Internationals Rieko Ioane, Nepo Laulala and Hoskins Sotutu are on All Blacks rest week

Hasn't he already had a few "rest weeks"?

[TheMojoman]

V.good team and really happy to see Akira Ioane back.

Blues need to get back to same form that saw them beat Chiefs & Crusaders away from home. If they do they'll put 50PTS on the Force. I think that's likely given Christie/Barrett are back running the show. Funaki/Barrett didn't gel last week.

[African Monkey]

@FakatavaFuture He'd be nowhere if he wasn't German according to our Crusaders mates.....