Auckland 2018

Tim

Patrick Tuipulotu and Caleb Clarke were Auckland's reps for the NPC launch promo this week, so they'll be in the squad. That leaves Michael Fatialofa, Marcel Renata, Vince Aso, Taleni Seu, Sam Prattley, Lyndon Dunshea, Scott Scrafton, and Sione Havili as the Super Rugby players yet to make an appearance.

I assume that Seu, Aso, and Scrafton are out injured, Dunshea was probably fringe, and may be injured, and Havili might be on loan. Perhaps Fatialofa won't be available after all - there are a lot of locks in these trial games. I wonder if Prattley has gone back to Ta$man? Not sure why Renata hasn't been playing - expect him to be in the squad.

Pele Cowley has yet to make an appearance, so I assume that he'll miss out on the 3rd halfback spot.

Will Umaga make the squad as a fullback, or be competing with George Taina and D'Angelo Leuila for 3rd 1st 5?

Tim

@duluth A couple of minor changes to that line up, with Penisoni Fineanganofo bracketed with Robbie Abel and Taina Fox-Matamua with Hoskins Sotutu on the bench.

Robbie Abel plays for the Brumbies.

Looks like Mike Sosene will miss out?

Tim

Nikolai Foliaki was attended the NZ U20 training camps for the 2017 squad, but didn't make the cut. He was in the Blues U20 squad in 2017 too.

Currently he plays in the midfield for Grammar TEC.

Tim

I'm guessing the following will be the squad:

Props

Jarred Adams
Ezekiel Lindenmuth
Marco Fepulea’i
Taniela Koroi
Sam Prattley
Marcel Renata

Hookers

Lief Schwencke
Robbie Abel
Penisoni Fineanganofo

Locks

Patrick Tuipulotu
Jamie Lane
Jack Whetton
Faatiga Lemalu

Loose Forwards

Dalton Papali'i
Blake Gibson
Akira Ioane
Hoskins Sotutu
Adrian Choat
Evan Olmstead
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa

Halfbacks

Leon Fukofuka
Jonathan Ruru
Desma Liaina

First Five Eighths

Harry Plummer
Daniel Kirkpatrick
Jacob Umaga

Midfield

TJ Fiane
Tanielu Tele’a
Tumua Manu
Nikolai Foliaki

Outside Backs

Caleb Clarke
Melani Nanai
Salesi Rayasi
Jordan Trainor
AJ Lam

That's 35, so a few will probably drop out. AJ Lam might miss out from the backs, with Umaga covering fullback and first five. Prattley, one of the halfbacks, one of the locks (probably Lemalu), and one or two of the loose forwards (Choat, Olmstead) might too. That leaves at least 29 players. 32 sounds likely, so loose Lam, Prattley, and one loose forward or lock.

Lindenmuth covers both sides, and Renata should be able to cover loosehead too.

Could do with another quality lock!

KiwiMurph

nice job @Tim

Riedlinger-Kapa would also be able to cover lock.

I wonder if say Joe Ravouvou might edge out AJ Lam?

Duluth

@tim said in Auckland 2018:

or be competing with George Taina and D'Angelo Leuila for 3rd 1st 5?

Is Leuila injured? I just assumed he would be in the squad given Ieremia has picked him at Test level before.

Tim

@kiwimurph Ah yeah, forgot to add Joe Ravouvou.

Tim

@duluth Yeah, you'd think that must be why he hasn't been in either preseason game team.

cgrant

What about Slade (lock - 6) ?

Tim

@cgrant Was in the initial squad, but hasn't been named in either of the two preseason game squads.

African Monkey

@tim Doesn't look a terrible side on paper, better than I thought originally put it that way.

My lineup from that list would be

Prattley
Abel
Renata
Tuipulotu
Whetton
Papali'i
Gibson
Ioane
Ruru
Plummer
Clarke
Faiane
Manu
Ravouvou
Nanai
Schwencke
Lindenmuth
Koroi
Lemalu
Olmstad/Sotutu
Fukofuka
Umaga
Trainor

I'm sure the side will change a lot throughout the season.

trooa

Any word on where Havili is heading?

Steven Harris

Is Abel the same hooker that plays for the Brumbies..?

Tim

@steven-harris Yep.

Duluth

@tim said in Auckland 2018:

I wonder if Prattley has gone back to Ta$man?

When he got called up to the Chiefs it was mentioned that he had been playing club rugby in Nelson

KiwiMurph

Stuff

Daffy Jaffy

@trooa I noted his name on the bench for Ta$man for todays game. So you just know that he will score the winning try against Auckland!

Daffy Jaffy

Fulltime - auckland 16 - 14 over BOP.

Duluth

Narrow Auckland win in the preseason match with BOP 16-14

Plummer with the first try. BOP twitter didn't say who scored Aucklands second. Trask and Garland were the BOP try scorers

Tim

Was that a full strength BOP team?

The Silver Fern

Auckland 2018