Blues 2022
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Frontrow selections next year will be interesting.
Two Lay brothers plus Fusitua competing for two spots at loosehead prop.
Renata and Ahio at tighthead prop - may need both to cover for All Black absences.
Anyone better than Riccitelli on the horizon?
I wonder if Ekuasi could convert to hooker?
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@Tim also Valance Yates, former St Kents, NZ age-group Maori and junior Wallabies last year...hooking for Mid Northern, Jordan Olsen playing 8 so he can develop at 2, think he played in trial v NH last week.
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@Tim said in Blues 2022:
Frontrow selections next year will be interesting.
Two Lay brothers plus Fusitua competing for two spots at loosehead prop.
James Lay has a year to go so its down to Jordan Lay and Fusitua. With Jordan being a replacement player and Fusitua coming through the Blues system they're likely to go with the young fulla.
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@nzzp said in Blues 2022:
@Tim Suafoa looks a physical specimen in the game at the weekend.
Great ot have tough decisions for a change!
You'd think that the Canes would be looking.
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@antipodean I think Suafoa may be on the move with Patty T coming back
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He should be on the AB radar for later in the year if he can keep this form up - he's big, physical, sweet feet and recently more involved and accurate.
AJ Lam takes his chance with both hands
Blues wing AJ Lam didn't expect too many opportunities in DHL Super Rugby Pacific this season but was prepared to be ready when chances occurred and could find himself involved in the weekend's final against the Crusaders at Eden Park.
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@KiwiMurph I wonder if his top-end speed is fast enough?
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@Tim said in Blues 2022:
@KiwiMurph I wonder if his top-end speed is fast enough?
Don't know but we'd take him at the Chiefs in a heartbeat.
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@Tim said in Blues 2022:
@KiwiMurph I wonder if his top-end speed is fast enough?
He looked pretty quick when he got the intercept try vs Drua (not Rieko's intercept but AJ's in the first half).
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@Tim said in Blues 2022:
@KiwiMurph I wonder if his top-end speed is fast enough?
entirely dependent on his weight
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@nzzp said in Blues 2022:
Wanted to reflect again on how far we've come.
- 4-12 record. Beat Reds, Lions, Sunwolves and Tahs. Tana was coach.
Then in Feb 2019 the board (who had endorsed Tana for another year) changed, Don MacKinnon stepped up, appointed Leon, and the rest as they say is history.
We were an utter shambles. Losing to the Rebels at home that year was surely the nadir.
Whatever the result this weekend, we're back at the pointy end of the comp, with a talent pipeline and org that means we should be there most years now.
You’re the most fair of any Blues poster. The rest of us are fluffybunnies
Do you want to write a season review post for the front page sometime this week? Thanks.
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@nzzp said in Blues 2022:
denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
I'm in stage 4
I’m in 5. Was a bloody fun season, and the Crusaders had to do something special to beat us.
Great to see crowds like that for finals, least they sell out in Auckland
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“We [will] have pretty much a similar squad, 99 per cent [the same],” said head coach MacDonald following the defeat.
2022 just one year too early for 'hurting' Blues
Sitting on a franchise-record 15-match win streak, boasting home advantage and having come out on top in the last meeting between the two sides, the Blues should have entered their Super Rugby Pacific final clash with the Crusaders brimming with confidence.
