Otago v Wellington
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Fair few new faces involved with some heavy rotation. Timu on the unavailable for selection list yet again comes as no surprise, made his return on the weekend and seems to have picked up another niggle. Looking forward to see how Ajay goes and seeing Pledger off the bench again.
Expecting much of the same in terms of rotation from Wellington, especially when you consider a shield challenge just around the corner.
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yeah, definitely has a "thrown together" vibe
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@Landers92 interesting that Waga Nalaga is down in Otago, he's a gun and I'm surprised he's only just been given a shot. I wonder why he moved from Manawatu, they have barely any backs atm.
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Nalaga a fascinating addition. Looks like a lucky get after dipping into the who is available playing pool and picki g him up. Midfield, which I thought would be a strength at rhe start of the season is now seeing us resort to using Dunedin captain Joe Cooke there thanks to injuries. Not a great year for 12s and 13s in blue and gold. Hoping Fealfaga is coming back into the fray after fixing some of the areas he needed to improve. Would rather use Creighton on the wing than centre. Seems a better fit out wide than in the midfield.
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@canefan said in Otago Vs Wellington:
Have we got a midweek clash before a weekend shield challenge!?
Yeah we are playing Otago down in Dunners on Wed night. May aswell send the B team down.
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@Canes4life sounds like a great plan.
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@SouthernMann said in Otago Vs Wellington:
@Canes4life sounds like a great plan.
If throwing away our perfect record gets us the Shield then I'm all for it.
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Feels like a big game for Ajay Faleafaga in the short term at least... to me it is ridiculous not to have in the matchday 23 at this level. Could easily spark things off the bench at the very least, but with Gilbert injured, I'd really like to see the Faleafaga, TUJ 12/13.
I imagine that will be tried at the end of the game when Millar comes on.
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@frugby said in Otago v Wellington:
Feels like a big game for Ajay Faleafaga in the short term at least... to me it is ridiculous not to have in the matchday 23 at this level. Could easily spark things off the bench at the very least, but with Gilbert injured, I'd really like to see the Faleafaga, TUJ 12/13.
I imagine that will be tried at the end of the game when Millar comes on.
What I am concerned about with Faleafaga is that he gets games like this, without continuity, without prep and then gets bagged and dropped when it doesn't go well. What is the strategy they have with him, how do they enaure they are building his confidence; as sporadic gametime with cobbled together teams is not what is best for the player. This looks like a similar situation to giving him a start in the last round of Super Rugby against a hot Hurricanes.
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@foobaNZ looks like the team is on the Tab Website backline featuring Harkin, Patafilo, Umaga Jensen, M Proctor, Solomon, Harry Press at hooker, I'm unfamiliar who would he your halfback and fullback but it's not listed as Preston or Clark
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@Grooter said in Otago v Wellington:
@foobaNZ looks like the team is on the Tab Website backline featuring Harkin, Patafilo, Umaga Jensen, M Proctor, Solomon, Harry Press at hooker, I'm unfamiliar who would he your halfback and fullback but it's not listed as Preston or Clark
It will be either Mitchel McLeod or the ring in from Waikato who's name escapes me.
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So from the TAB site our team is the following. A bit shocked as to why Caleb Delany is starting, surely we should be saving him for the Shield challenge.
- Yato Kamimori
- Harry Press
- Bradley Chrichton
- Caleb Delany
- Akira Ieremia
- Ben Tuiomanufili
- Sione Halalilo
- Dominic Ropeti
- Nui Muriwai
- Callum Harkin
- Pepesana Patafilo
- Peter Umaga-Jensen
- Matt Proctor
- Stanley Solomon
- Tom Maiava
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Contain the midfield and we should win.
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@SouthernMann said in Otago v Wellington:
Contain the midfield and we should win.
I wonder what the odds are? Might be a good time to put money on Otago.
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Otago is paying $2.45. In saying that containing ypur midfield is a big challenge. You have an All Black and a FAB. We have a club battler on debut and a fringe Super player from Australia. Mismatch
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@SouthernMann said in Otago v Wellington:
Otago is paying $2.45. In saying that containing ypur midfield is a big challenge. You have an All Black and a FAB. We have a club battler on debut and a fringe Super player from Australia. Mismatch
Technically they are two FAB's and both 1 test ABS. Harkin and Patafilo also provide plenty of quality in that backline and you can't sleep on Solomon.
Muriwai and Maiava are two relatively unknowns.
In saying all that I'd say Otago will run away with in the last twenty as they'll likely have a much stronger bench.
