Auckland 2018

[Tim]

Looks like Sam Ulufonua (promising lock/six from Ponsonby) is going to be playing in Hawkes Bay this year:

(hat-tip: @Stargazer)

Facebook

Morena Village whanau. We are in need of some help with accommodation for Sam Ulufonua who is here from Auckland to play for the village. Thanks to Richard Kinnear and HBHS he is in work and is contracted with HBRFU as a devlopment player however wanting to make the Magpies. If anyone can help or is looking for a flatmate/roomie/boarder please let Tom Blake or Richard Kinnear know ASAP. Sam is a lock 23 yrs 6ft.4 ..134kg. Sam is looking to settle here for awhile...........

[KiwiMurph]

@tim Auckland do have some talented lock/6s coming through such as Hoskins Sotutu & Reidlinger-Kapa - hopefully they are both in the Auckland squad.

[Tim]

@kiwimurph Yeah, should be a lot of competition for those spots.

Locks:

Scrafton
Fatialofa
Tuipulotu
Nee-Nee
Pierce
Lane
Dunshea

Lock/6 includes Seu and Slade.

[Nepia]

Is he any good or will he be shit like most of our recent Auckland imports? Looks a bit short to be a top end lock and too heavy to be a 6 or 8.

[Tim]

Filo Tiatia added to already impressive Auckland coaching set-up

Filo Tiatia is the latest addition to Auckland s Mitre 10 Cup coaching group for the coming season. Headed by Alama...

[Tim]

Tiatia is pretty highly rated as a forwards coach, isn't he?

[Dice]

Ulufonua has been mostly injured since coming out of school.

@tim said in Auckland 2018:

Tiatia is pretty highly rated as a forwards coach, isn't he?

Maybe, but the Sunwolves pack were mostly beaten up under him. Not much talent there though, but that's the only team I've seen under him.

[Tim]

@dice Wasn't he pretty good with Japan?

[Dice]

@tim said in Auckland 2018:

@dice Wasn't he pretty good with Japan?

I forgot he was with Japan. Hopefully he can give us more of the stuff he did with them than with the Sunwolves.

[KiwiMurph]

Auckland coaches putting out a message that they will be keeping a very close eye on club rugby this year and this is very much a new regime. This is a very good thing.

[Hooroo]

@kiwimurph It's astounding this is 'New'

[Tim]

Auckland club rugby gets underway this weekend.

Grammar TEC's entire frontrow is comprised of Tu’ungafasi's.

Albert Lagitofaoletalalelei is the name of the round.

[Snowy]

@tim said in Auckland 2018:

Albert Lagitofaoletalalelei is the name of the round.

Is he any good? I really want him to make the ABs and hear commentators around the world deal with that.

[Crazy Horse]

@snowy imagine the level of 'disrespect' he'd receive on here - we cant even spell Messim right!

[Snowy]

@crazy-horse said in Auckland 2018:

we cant even spell Messim right!

Or Reid, shit Read.
That bloke that captains the All Blacks anyway.

I think I will call Mr Lagitofaoletalalelei, Albert. Possibly even Al.

[Tim]

Anyone know if the Filipo Levi coaching at Marist is the former Highlander?

[KiwiMurph]

@tim Yeah that's him.

[Dice]

Levi played a couple of years for Marist a few years ago.

[Tim]

Looks like Auckland will be without Scrafton and Tuipulotu this season. Have also lost Nee Nee, Pierce, and Ulufonua to other provinces. Fatialofa and Seu for the starting locks?

[Dice]

@tim said in Auckland 2018:

Looks like Auckland will be without Scrafton and Tuipulotu this season. Have also lost Nee Nee, Pierce, and Ulufonua to other provinces. Fatialofa and Seu for the starting locks?

That looks like the go, with Slade as the bench lock.

With Seu going to lock and Akira a good chance to be an AB, we could be fielding a very young but exciting looking backrow of Havili(6), Gibson(7) and Papali'i(8).