Hawkes Bay v Wellington

? Offline

The HB Today says Filipo and Boswell-Wakefield are also out injured.
 
The lineup is nowhere near what our first choice full strength lineup would be.
 
The starting fifteen only has two debutants - Renton, Selesele, although Cridge has had only one game, having missed all last year due to injury.
 
The subs bench has six debutants - although May and Weber have Super Rugby experience.
 
Might as well introduce the debutants en masse in the first game, if required later on they will have some knowledge and be better prepared, at least mentally.

Stockcar86

Excuse my ignorance, but has Ricciteli played much at prop?
 
Finally time for Renton and Cridge to front up and prove the hype

Higgins

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Number 10" data-cid="606521" data-time="1471550528">
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Might as well introduce the debutants en masse in the first game, if required later on they will have some knowledge and be better prepared, at least mentally.
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</blockquote>
Excuse me, I live in Wellington and will have to face serious risnicks coming my way should Wellington fluke a win (I have really let them have it these last few years when they have not managed to lower HB colours!) thus a full strength side should be fielded. This Ellery Wilson must by a really good player if Brad Weber can only make the reserves. Interesting to note Ben May can only make the bench, pretty much the same in most other teams he has fronted for these last few years. Bizzare how he is overlooked for a guy that was on a Super contract as a hooker when he himself was a Super contracted prop. Has Mr. Philpott only just discovered what I have long bemoaned about Ben May's ability? Interesting to note he has not been re-signed by the team he played for last season (Wellington).
 
Not sure what to say about the backline other than to hold out hope that all the hype players like Mason Emerson and Jpnah Low have been getting is for real. Billy Ropiha looked good defensively when I watched him last season, so I will be watching to see if his attacking abilities are any good. The fullback has got me a bit worried but am prepared to give hime the benefit of the doubt until I can run my critical eye over him a few more times. The backs are going to have to be on the top of their games to combat what looks to be a reasonably competent visiting back line. Still they do have Jackson Garden-Bachop at first five and he has not done a lot in that position to indicate he is more than an average club player. I have seen him play good in the midfield where he cut my club team up in a few games but still has to convince me at first five. Hopefully this will prove to be a spot we can exploit.

? Offline

I sympathathise with your predicament with the locals there, Higgins.
 
Were you offered an alternative to Wellington for your missionary work?

hydro11

We have a good backline but our forward pack is mostly unknown. I'm glad to see Turia getting a chance on the bench at least.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stockcar86" data-cid="606538" data-time="1471555415">
<div>
Excuse my ignorance, but has Ricciteli played much at prop?
 
Finally time for Renton and Cridge to front up and prove the hype
</div>
</blockquote>
 
All I know is that he played at LH for the NZU20s in the 2015 the final. His U20 bio also says that he has played prop as well as hooker.
 
I'm also very interested to see how Renton and Cridge are going this season. Both still big unknowns to me, esp Renton.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Higgins" data-cid="606553" data-time="1471559140">
<div>
Excuse me, I live in Wellington and will have to face serious risnicks coming my way should Wellington fluke a win (I have really let them have it these last few years when they have not managed to lower HB colours!) thus a full strength side should be fielded. This Ellery Wilson must by a really good player if Brad Weber can only make the reserves. Interesting to note Ben May can only make the bench, pretty much the same in most other teams he has fronted for these last few years. Bizzare how he is overlooked for a guy that was on a Super contract as a hooker when he himself was a Super contracted prop. Has Mr. Philpott only just discovered what I have long bemoaned about Ben May's ability? Interesting to note he has not been re-signed by the team he played for last season (Wellington).
 
Not sure what to say about the backline other than to hold out hope that all the hype players like Mason Emerson and Jpnah Low have been getting is for real. Billy Ropiha looked good defensively when I watched him last season, so I will be watching to see if his attacking abilities are any good. The fullback has got me a bit worried but am prepared to give hime the benefit of the doubt until I can run my critical eye over him a few more times. The backs are going to have to be on the top of their games to combat what looks to be a reasonably competent visiting back line. Still they do have Jackson Garden-Bachop at first five and he has not done a lot in that position to indicate he is more than an average club player. I have seen him play good in the midfield where he cut my club team up in a few games but still has to convince me at first five. Hopefully this will prove to be a spot we can exploit.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I understand from what I've read in the media that all Super Rugby players - apart from West (& Fruean) - only started training with the squad this week. It seems they've given the newbies among them (Weber, May) a bit more time to adapt than the guys who've played for or have been in the Magpies set-up before. I doubt Weber and May are on the bench because they aren't good enough to make the starting XV ... 
 
Playing Riccitelli at prop isn't an accident. We've lost Edmonds and they dropped both Aoake and Braidwood. Instead they've signed May and picked Kean, so that's two for three. I vaguely remember reading in the HBT that Riccitelli is meant to cover that 3rd spot. That would also explain why we have now one more hooker (Tangaere) in the squad than last year. My guess is they valued Tangaere at hooker more than Aoake and Braidwood at prop, and couldn't find/get a better prop elsewhere; Riccitelli's versatility enabled them to make that choice.

Higgins

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="606570" data-time="1471563298">
<div>
We have a good backline but our forward pack is mostly unknown. I'm glad to see Turia getting a chance on the bench at least.
</div>
</blockquote>
 He looked ok in a couple of games I saw him play (v HOBM and Tawa) but was reasonably subdued against my Axemen.

Higgins

I will be looking with eagle eyes later in the game should Wellington risk the much hyped Alex Fidow against Tolo Fahamokioa. It has been noted that Fahamokioa was a member of the Hurricanes squad the year before he signed for Hawkes Bay but strangely discared from that point on. Am I reading something sinister going on here or is Fidow demonstrably a better prop than Fahamokioa? Tomorrow might go some way toward settling that.
 
As an aside we are still needing one more to fill up our roster for KPs NPC tipping team. There must be another MAgpies man out there that can answer call to fight the good fight on behalf of Hawkes Bay. You can still tip even after missing last nights game as you won't be giving many that much of a start as by far the majority tipped a Counties win. Here is where you need to go to meet the call of duty
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.eglobal.co.nz/tsfnpc16/tsf.htm'>http://www.eglobal.co.nz/tsfnpc16/tsf.htm</a>

Stockcar86

Sitting in Magpie shirt in front of tv with dinner, ready for game
 
<img src="https://scontent.fakl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/s480x480/14100407_1310830728929368_2497137626124020136_n.jpg?oh=b01d9cbfc589c8c4b4a2c9f7e53b6211&oe=5842EDC0" alt="14100407_1310830728929368_24971376261240">

Stockcar86

Ellery Wilson has stolen Israel Dagg's dodgy mo

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stockcar86" data-cid="607084" data-time="1471672225">
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Ellery Wilson has stolen Israel Dagg's dodgy mo
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</blockquote>
 
Mason Emerson too.

Higgins

:puke: :puke: To say tonight has not been pleasant would be a gross understatement. Still I had it coming given all I have thrown the other way so must take it like a man! Hell the next twelve months until we play them again will seem like an eternity.

Stargazer

[media]

Some questions after watching the video highlights:
<ul><li>was Alex Fidow's try really a try or was it held up? I thought, and still think, there was a Magpies player's hand under the ball ... (33th minute)</li>
<li>did any of you hear anything about Jonah Lowe being injured? (66th minute before the try was scored) Not sure whether he was subbed or not.</li>
<li>btw, you don't need advanced lip reading skills to understand Riccitelli's reaction to that try ... </li>
</ul> 
<img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t31.0-8/14115610_1154142181313114_2401765593337679925_o.jpg" alt="14115610_1154142181313114_24017655933376">
 
<ul><li>was Brad Weber really "milking it" as William Lose said in his commentary. I really think it was a nasty high tackle, but maybe I'm just one-eyed. (74th minute)</li>
<li>not in the highlights, but did you see that awesome one-hand-catch from Hugh Renton!</li>
<li>I only realised it when he came on, but geez, Ben May is a big unit! Also didn't know that Renton is so tall!</li>
</ul>

Higgins

I am still fiercely disputing the Garden-Bachop try, it looked a clear forward pass from the winger to Garden-Bachops knee. I suppose questioning whether the Wellington No 18, who was clearly not part of any maul situation, was obstructing the HB player (Mason Emerson No. 11) when the Wellington halfback picked up the ball when laid back by Matenga after his little chip and chase run immediately before the try by the No 7 could also be something worth being disgruntled about.
 
Would also be interesting if someone could carry out a study as to where the television time clock lost those two minutes that it was showing as still left ot play when the whistle blower blew his whistle for full time.

The Silver Fern

Hawkes Bay v Wellington