Blues 2023
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@SBW1 Pretty happy with this. I not Reiko's greatest fan , but a fan regardless, but it's more about us keeping some of these players is whats pleasing me. Getting some players we can keep building a team around!
I will add although he not Blues I hoping like hell NZR get DMac's (and JB's)signature until 27 for same reason, he will be a 10 we can build a team around with a few young ones!
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@nzzp said in Blues 2023:
If he stays fit, could threaten Dougie's record of test tries. Needs 16 to equal it, and has 33 in 59 tests over 6 years. Four per year is super doable ...
Man, Doug was awesome
I will always remember that time he burned Jason Robinson at Twickenham. Sooo good.
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@nzzp said in Blues 2023:
If he stays fit, could threaten Dougie's record of test tries. Needs 16 to equal it, and has 33 in 59 tests over 6 years. Four per year is super doable ...
Man, Doug was awesome
I wonder what his tries rate would be if he wasn't dropped for Bridge and hadn't moved to centre.
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@Nepia said in Blues 2023:
@nzzp said in Blues 2023:
If he stays fit, could threaten Dougie's record of test tries. Needs 16 to equal it, and has 33 in 59 tests over 6 years. Four per year is super doable ...
Man, Doug was awesome
I wonder what his tries rate would be if he wasn't dropped for Bridge and hadn't moved to centre.
To be fair, he'd be offshore by now. Wingers don't stay late in NZ rugby - very rare to have a winger past 26/27. And the centre shift was well underway before Bridge got selected. Man, Hansen post -17 struggled with some selections.
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@nzzp said in Blues 2023:
@Nepia said in Blues 2023:
@nzzp said in Blues 2023:
If he stays fit, could threaten Dougie's record of test tries. Needs 16 to equal it, and has 33 in 59 tests over 6 years. Four per year is super doable ...
Man, Doug was awesome
I wonder what his tries rate would be if he wasn't dropped for Bridge and hadn't moved to centre.
To be fair, he'd be offshore by now. Wingers don't stay late in NZ rugby - very rare to have a winger past 26/27. And the centre shift was well underway before Bridge got selected. Man, Hansen post -17 struggled with some selections.
Agree with all of that.
It's also worth pointing out that RI had calf troubles in the lead up to the RWC. He was meant to play in the Bledisloe just before the competition but withdrew with the injury. During the Cup the coaches tried to nurse him through but his acceleration was gone
2020 was the year they slowly moved him from wing to centre at the national level, mostly from the bench. He should've played more that year IMO
2019 5 Tests (4 starts)
2020 5 Tests (2 starts) -
Rieko signed up is great news for AB rugby.
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Akira Ioane ready to resume All Blacks bid
Akira Ioane will make his return from a knee injury this weekend.
Ioane has been one of several All Blacks to sustain significant injuries during the Super Rugby Pacific season and, speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Elliott Smith, he noted he had been able to gain some perspective through the severity – or lack thereof – of his injury.
“I was gutted with what happened, but big picture, there’s still a lot of games left to play and some boys are out for nine months like Sevu [Reece],” Ioane said. “I’m just grateful and lucky that it was my MCL and not an ACL or something like that.”
“They’ve put me through the hurt locker over the last couple of weeks just trying to get back to where I was or better. It’s been going well, the knee’s all good and I’ve been enjoying getting back out there with the boys in training.”
Ioane’s return is timely, as coach Leon MacDonald has taken the opportunity to give Dalton Papali’i an extra week off following the bye to allow more time for a niggling rib injury to heal.
“Dalts has battled away with a rib injury right through that first half of the season,” MacDonald said.
“He’s been playing week to week in a bit of discomfort, so to block off two weeks without doing any contact is really going to help that settle down well and hopefully mean he won’t have to manage it weekly and get him through to that second half of the season pain-free.”
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Zarn Sullivan is your guys’ 12 long term
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The Blues have missed out on securing the services of former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie for next year's Super Rugby Pacific season.
With Leon MacDonald expected to join All Blacks coach Scott Robertson's backroom staff, Newshub understands the Blues made a play at Rennie.
But despite a lucrative offer, Rennie turned the role down with a life away from the New Zealand spotlight a bigger drawcard for the two-time Super Rugby winner.
The former Chiefs coach is being linked with a move to Japanese club Kobe, where former Black Ferns director of rugby Wayne Smith is a mentor.
More to come
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@Stargazer Alex Chapman said that the Blues came very close to getting this across the line, so probably a late change of heart from Rennie.
Stuff
