Counties Manukau v Hawke's Bay
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@Stargazer No, not with McClutchie's sometimes on and sometimes off goalkicking.
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@Stargazer agree they got away with a lot off the ball stuff
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@Steven-Harris Still can't believe that he just looked away when Smith (I think it was him) was dropped on the ground well away from the ball. Sapsford's reaction said it all.
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Wow think we got lucky there didn't look collapsed.
Also why is Thompson not starting so far?
We have looked far from clinical or exciting this year but I will take squeaky bum wins.
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@Magpie_in_aus Thompson didn't play last week, because he and Weber had only arrived back at training on Monday. This was his first game back, so not very strange that he came off the bench. I expect him to start next week, probably with Kereru-Symes on the bench.
Devery did some good stuff in the first half, his try, one really good turnover, good carries, but his line-out throws weren't good. I expect there to be a lot of rotation between him and KK-S, with Thompson starting most games, unless he doesn't play well.
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@Magpie_in_aus said in Counties Manukau v Hawke's Bay:
We have looked far from clinical or exciting this year but I will take squeaky bum wins.
Yep, no Toala, Ili and Funaki. Some very green players added; some very average players retained; better talent overlooked. And a rookie head coach, and even greener assistant coaches. My expectations aren't high for this season, so like you, I happily take these close wins and keep my fingers crossed that the much better teams have an off-day when they play us.
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@Stargazer @Higgins @Stockcar86 @Nepia @Magpie_in_aus like one big HB echo chamber in here 😉
Gutsy PT call in the 81st minute, but kudos to the Magpies for being down the right of the field and putting themselves in a position to snag the win.
CM played 40 minutes of pretty decent footy. Hoskins was excellent and really dominated the play for good parts.
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Was certainly a close one. Good game to watch in general, annd one of those games I felt real neutral. Picked HB to win in picks, but always in back of mind, I have to cheer for CM anyway, as my dad's team when he was alive. Mygreat grandfather etc were involved with CM (then South Auckland) when the province was formed.
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@Magpie_in_aus said in Counties Manukau v Hawke's Bay:
We have looked far from clinical or exciting this year but I will take squeaky bum wins.
You could have said exactly the same last season too. This season's record
Played two
Won two (nothing wrong with that)
Points differential +3! -
@Stargazer Who missed that gimme conversion from Chase Tiatia's try? Perhaps we elected not to take the kick to not use up too much time?
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@Higgins McClutchie missed it. He took it so quickly that the camera didn't pick it up. So it seems he rushed it. IIRC the radio commentator said the ball hit the post.
By the way, our rookie no. 20, Patrick Tuifua, had good impact in his first game. He's a strong and big lump of a young man (just watch the from around the 11'40'' mark in that clip); he seems taller than Frank Lochore. I had never seen him play before, but I'll watch him with extra attention from now on. He's only 18-19 years old, so presumably will grow some extra bulk over the next few years. I hope he sticks around, because in an interview from around the time he left New Caledonia to go to Lindisfarne, he said he dreamed of playing in France, but that was in 2020 (I think). He may have changed his mind.
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@Stargazer I see he is listed as six foot three and seventeen stone eleven (or 1.90m 113kg in the new money) https://all.rugby/player/patrick-tuifua
Can stretch my memory back and vaguely recall the first round Altherm Tech v Hastings match and Hastings did have a shortish for a lock young guy charging around so that must have been him that day. I see Mr Tuifua also started as a lock in the second round clash but I was too busy looking for some flax bush to hid behind given the real thumping they were handing out to us for over half the game and then mostly looking skyward seeking devine assistance during the second half to notice him too much but he must have gone well given the domination they had, especially in the first half.
