Super Rugby - June break matches
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<p>Interesting Manawatu halfback Jamie Booth is down with the Highlanders too.</p>
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<div><strong>Melbourne Rebels</strong> Squad for exhibition match against Hurricanes:</div>
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<div>Cruze Ah Nau, Alofa Alofa*, Paul Asquith, Steve Cummins, Jack Debreczeni, Tom English, Colby Fainga’a, Harley Fox*, Jamie Hagan, Reece Hodge, Mitch Inman, Sam Jeffries, Luke Jones, Pat Leafa, Ben Meehan, Tom Moloney, Sefa Naivalu, Jonah Placid, Jordy Reid, CulumRetallick, Fereti Sa’aga*, Siliva Siliva, Mick Snowden, NicStirzaker, Adam Thomson, Lopeti Timani</div>
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<div>*Uncapped Rebels </div>
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<div><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://melbournerebels.com/2016/06/22/rebels-name-extended-squad-for-hurricanes-trial/'>https://melbournerebels.com/2016/06/22/rebels-name-extended-squad-for-hurricanes-trial/</a></div> -
<div><strong>Blues</strong> team to play the Northland Barbarians is:</div>
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<div>1 Sam Prattley (FR) 2 James Parsons (FR) (C) 3 Sione Mafileo (FR) 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti 5 Josh Bekhuis 6 Hoani Matenga 7 Kara Pryor 8 Joe Edwards</div>
<div>9 Billy Guyton 10 Piers Francis 11 Tevita Li 12 Matt McGahan 13 Michael Little 14 Matt Duffie 15 Melani Nanai</div>
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<div>RESERVES:</div>
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<div>Quentin MacDonald (FR), Matt Moulds (FR), Namatahi Waa (FR), Nic Mayhew (FR), Scott Scrafton, Brandon Nansen, Blake Gibson, </div>
<div>Bryn Hall, Will Talataina Mu, Matt Vaega, Afa Fa’atau, Lolagi Visinia</div>
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<div><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://theblues.co.nz/4760-2/'>http://theblues.co.nz/4760-2/</a></div> -
<p>Marty McKenzie having a horror start to the Oamaru game - first two kicks out on the full and the third gets charged. None under enormous pressure.</p>
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<p>Rob Thompson fends off Havili and straight through for a try under the posts from close range.</p>
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<p>It's wet and muddy.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="590775" data-time="1466652031">
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<p>Marty McKenzie having a horror start to the Oamaru game - first two kicks out on the full and the third gets charged. None under enormous pressure.</p>
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<p>Rob Thompson fends off Havili and straight through for a try under the posts from close range.</p>
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<p>It's wet and muddy.</p>
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<p>That try could only be scored because the officials missed several Highlanders players being in front of the kicker in the Crusaders half.</p>
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<p>Agree about Marty McKenzie; it's easy to see why Mo'unga is starting every game and McKenzie doesn't get picked at 10.</p> -
<p>14-7 at halftime.</p>
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<p>Crusaders lineout has been very poor - they have Tupou at lock, Princep at 6 and Taufua at 8 - so Barrett the only good option. Both packs weighing in at well short of 800kgs!</p>
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<p>Highlanders have looked a bit the better team, but lots of mistakes from both teams in the wet. They're both trying to play footy though.</p>
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<p>Marty Banks looking the most assured on the park. McKenzie has been very ordinary - lots of involvement but his early kicking was awful and he's since been rag-dolled a couple of times. Havili with two bad misses.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="broughie" data-cid="590789" data-time="1466655734">
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<p>Marty Mckenzie is really not that good. He is erractic and inconsistent. Good enough for club rugby. Why Canterbury pick him up I have no clue. The fact that he is bounced from franchise to franchise says it all. </p>
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<p>Canterbury? He won't be playing Mitre 10 Cup for Taranaki this year?</p> -
<p>My viewing got increasingly interrupted.</p>
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<p>Out the corner of my eye, Thompson made a good breakout that led to a try to Toma (who I was increasingly starting to watch - looked sharp). Hunt got one back for the Crusaders from close range. Nadolo missed the conversion - 28-12.</p>
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<p>And then I saw no more except the final score - Highlanders added a couple of tries to make it a bit of a towelling - 40-12. Will catch the last 20 minutes on replay.</p>
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<p>Crusaders had a lot of possession, but looked less incisive than the Highlanders. I'm not too upset we don't have Matson as a Head Coach. Despite that he's got our backline looking a bit sharper this year, he doesn't seem to have a great eye for selection, or much innovation about him c.f. Tony Brown.</p> -
<p>By my count, 8 'Northland' debutants in the starting 15, 2 have played ITM Cup for other provinces; Breen - Otago and MAtich - Auckland....3 on the bench have played for Northland before.</p>
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<p><img src="https://scontent-syd1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13524429_1316389991723595_4128013513025725152_n.jpg?oh=a1fae74b4653dd67cdde57179074972e&oe=57EEA90D" alt="13524429_1316389991723595_41280135130257"></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="590796" data-time="1466660377"><p>
My viewing got increasingly interrupted.<br><br>
Out the corner of my eye, Thompson made a good breakout that led to a try to Toma (who I was increasingly starting to watch - looked sharp). Hunt got one back for the Crusaders from close range. Nadolo missed the conversion - 28-12.<br><br>
And then I saw no more except the final score - Highlanders added a couple of tries to make it a bit of a towelling - 40-12. Will catch the last 20 minutes on replay.<br><br>
Crusaders had a lot of possession, but looked less incisive than the Highlanders. I'm not too upset we don't have Matson as a Head Coach. Despite that he's got our backline looking a bit sharper this year, he doesn't seem to have a great eye for selection, or much innovation about him c.f. Tony Brown.</p></blockquote>
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Hard to criticise the backline play too much Chris when it's freezing cold and the pitch is a bog.. There were even puddles starting to form.<br><br>
mitch hunt had a good cameo, looks promising. <br><br>
Marty Mackenzie was terrible, fukafuka was just as bad. -
<p>Holy f*ck, the conditions in Melbourne for the Rebels v Hurricanes match (being played as I type) are really terrible:</p>
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<p><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cln49vAXIAA1d7c.jpg" alt="Cln49vAXIAA1d7c.jpg"></p>
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<p>Yes, that's water on the field. Heavy rain according to the Rebels Twitter feed.</p>
