Hurricanes 2018
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Hurricanes Development team to take on Chiefs Development in the curtain raiser of Hurricanes v Sharks:
15 Chase Tiatia 14 Te Rangatira Waitokia 13 Billy Proctor 12 Peter Umaga-Jensen 11 Losi Filipo 10 Jacson Garden-Bachop 9 Carlos Price 8 Devan Flanders 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi 6 Liam Mitchell 5 Isaia Walker-Leware 4 Murray Douglas 3 Pouri Rakete-Stones 2 James O’Rielly 1 Marcel Renata.
Reserves, 16 Tim Cadwallader 17 Sioni Asi 18 Pasi Uluilkepa 19 Liam Hallam-Eames 20 Will Tremain 21 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara 22 James Tofa 23 J.J. Tualangi
.HURRICANES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME PRAISED
The Hurricanes Development programme continues to show its worth in helping the club prepare for its Investec Super Rugby schedule. Tonight’s curtain raiser against the Chiefs Development side will be the side’s fourth match this season having already lined up against the Crusaders Knights, the Blues Development and a New Zealand Under-20 selection. Hurricanes Development coach and regional development manager Darren Larsen said the importance of the programme could not be under-stated. Larsen highlighted the fact that several players who had already been part of the development side in 2018 would be starting or were on the bench for the Hurricanes when they line up against the Sharks at McLean Park. “If you look at a guy like Sam Henwood, he’s played some big minutes for us, played really well and now he’s starting for the second time in a row for the Hurricanes,” he said. “You then look at a guy like Jeff Toomaga-Allen who has been in the development side as he came back from injury and the likes of Ihaia West and Reed Prinsep who have got some valuable time at a really good level to keep their form where it needs to be.” Larsen said the development side’s matches were also an excellent opportunity for the likes of New Zealand Under-20 squad members Devan Flanders, Carlos Price, Billy Proctor and Pasi Uluilakepa to really test themselves before their national commitments. As well as those key points, provincial union’s within the Hurricanes club were also using the programme to put forward players they want to see play at a higher level, including Hawke’s Bay outside back JJ Tualangi who would come off the bench at McLean Park. As for tonight’s opposition, Larsen was expecting the Chiefs to be very similar in the way the play. “They have also got a good nucleus of New Zealand Under-20 players who will want to play as hard as our guys,” he added.JJ Taulagi - they misspelled his name twice, so it's not a typo - on the bench. New Magpies signing. Has only played 2 club games in the Bay thus far.
Jonah Lowe must indeed be injured.
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@stargazer said in Hurricanes 2018:
Just read on FB that the Hurricanes Develpment team beat the Chiefs Development team 40 to 10.
I'd be interested to see the Chiefs Dev team because quite a few players you would expect to be in that team are playing Waikato club rugby today.
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That looks like James Tucker, but I don't recognise anyone else. I thought he was still in Italy?
Verney, Aumua, Taukei'aho and McWhannell are four names I expected to be in the Chiefs team but can't have been. BTW, Allardice was on the bench for Melville today (according to the team lists).
I will try to find out from the Chiefs.
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Tucker was only on a short-term injury cover contract with Zebre (until 30 June 2018). He got injured during his debut game for Zebre in November, and only returned to their line-up for the game against Connacht on 16 Feb. According to an Italian website, his contract with Zebre was terminated by mutual agreement and he returned to NZ last week to link up with the Chiefs as an injury replacement for Dominic Bird.
Edited to add that I've found more Italian articles confirming this, although none of the articles literally says that he has already signed a contract with the Chiefs.
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Beauden Barrett trained on Monday and is expected to play the Chiefs on Friday. The news isn't as good for his regular Hurricanes halves partner, though. Details from the team were scant, but it sounds as if halfback TJ Perenara suffered some medial ligament damage in the 38-37 win over the Sharks. Jamie Booth replaced him at halftime in that match and is preparing to start Friday's derby at Westpac Stadium. "Beaudy's all go today. You'll see him out there shortly. He'll be easing into the week but we expect him to be right," Hurricanes backs coach Jason Holland said. "TJ has presented really well this morning, better than we thought he would be on Friday. But he's still really touch and go for the weekend." -
Haha, you know the Canes are playing the Chiefs when they stage another fight for Naki support!
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Hilarious that they've included Charlie Ngatai!
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The arrival of the Chiefs at Westpac Stadium on Friday night will see a number of Taranaki players front up to each other on opposing sides of the field. Taranaki had a long association with the Hurricanes before the union opted to invest in the Chiefs. Nevertheless, the amber and blacks have and still do provide the Hurricanes with some of their finest players and, off the back of an all-time Canes Magpies XV during last week’s visit to Hawke’s Bay, it seems timely to do the same with Taranaki. Putting together an all-time best Canes Taranaki team was no easy task, however. There was plenty of options, especially up front, where Taranaki have provided considerably more forwards that backs to the Hurricanes alumni. Starting up front, inaugural Hurricanes captain Mark ‘Bull’ Allen would start at loosehead prop beside fellow All Blacks and former skipper’s Andrew Hore and Gordon Slater. There was plenty of competition in the second row with the likes of Paul Tito and Craig Clarke just missing out to former All Blacks Jason Eaton and James Broadhurst. Competition was equally tough in the loose forwards where Blade Thomson would start off the back of the scrum while former All Blacks Scott Waldrom and Chris Masoe would be the the openside and blindside flanker respectively. Former Maori All Black Chris Smylie gets the nod at halfback ahead of the likes of Brendan Haami, Tyson Keats and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi. First five-eighth was the most straight forward choice with Beauden Barrett given the No 10 jersey while the midfield would feature Charlie Ngatai and former Japan international Bryce Robins. There were limited options out wide where Andre Taylor and David Smith wold be the wings with Jordie Barrett patrolling things from fullback. -
@stargazer said in Hurricanes 2018:
Hilarious that they've included Charlie Ngatai!
Yep, when you consider that Ngatai was a Wellington player while at the Hurricanes.
Just as easy to choose Conrad Smith then!
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