Auckland 2018
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@kiwimurph Good call.
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@stargazer Aso's last surgery post on Instagram was on 29 May.
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BTW, this was the last injury update from the Blues (12 July):
Otere Black (knee – season), George Moala (chest – season), Matt Johnson (surgery – season), Jimmy Tupou (knee – season), Josh Goodhue (concussion), Patrick Tuipulotu (shoulder – season), Glenn Preston (groin, season), Scott Scrafton (knee – season), Sonny Bill Williams (shoulder), Dalton Papalii (hamstring), Terrence Hepetema (back strain), Mike Tamoaieta (knee), Leni Apisai (hamstring), Jordan Trainor (hand), Lyndon Dunshea (shoulder), Matiaha Martin (shoulder), James Parsons (neck).
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@stargazer Aha! Cheers.
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@tim Apparently Tele'a got called in by the Blues when he got back from France and aggravated his knee injury. He was held back by ARFU from playing the last couple of rounds of the club season to ensure the knee was 100%
Word is he will get a run against BOP on Friday.
Also hearing Sione Havili has been loaned out? -
I don't get loaning out Havili, he's the perfect bench guy for us this season as he can play all 3 backrow positions. With Gibson and Papali'i being injury prone, it'd make even more sense to keep him around.
I hope we don't keep the ancient Auva'a around instead.
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1 Jarred Adams
2 Lief Schwencke
3 Marco Fepulea’i
4 Jamie Lane
5 Jack Whetton
6 Dalton Papalii
7 Blake Gibson
8 Akira Ioane
9 Jonathan Ruru
10 Harry Plummer
11 Salesi Rayasi
12 TJ Faiane
13 Tanielu Tele’a
14 Melani Nanai
15 Jordan Trainor16 Penisoni Fineanganofo/Rob Abel
17 Ezekiel Lindenmuth
18 Taniela Koroi
19 Evan Olmstead
20 Faatiga Lemalu
21 Ezra Meleisea
22 Taina Fox-Matamua/Hoskins Sotutu
23 Adrian Choat
24 Desma Liaina
25 Daniel Kirkpatrick
26 Nikolai Foliaki
27 AJ Lam
28 Jacob Umaga -
Nice. Happy with some fresh blood in the front row.
Good to see Taina Fox-Matamua on the bench - I read he was very strong in the club final.
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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?
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@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?
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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.
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I'm guessing the following will be the squad:
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Jarred Adams
Ezekiel Lindenmuth
Marco Fepulea’i
Taniela Koroi
Sam Prattley
Marcel RenataHookers
Lief Schwencke
Robbie Abel
Penisoni FineanganofoLocks
Patrick Tuipulotu
Jamie Lane
Jack Whetton
Faatiga LemaluLoose Forwards
Dalton Papali'i
Blake Gibson
Akira Ioane
Hoskins Sotutu
Adrian Choat
Evan Olmstead
Waimana Riedlinger-KapaHalfbacks
Leon Fukofuka
Jonathan Ruru
Desma LiainaFirst Five Eighths
Harry Plummer
Daniel Kirkpatrick
Jacob UmagaMidfield
TJ Fiane
Tanielu Tele’a
Tumua Manu
Nikolai FoliakiOutside Backs
Caleb Clarke
Melani Nanai
Salesi Rayasi
Jordan Trainor
AJ LamThat'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!
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@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.
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@kiwimurph Ah yeah, forgot to add Joe Ravouvou.
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What about Slade (lock - 6) ?
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@cgrant Was in the initial squad, but hasn't been named in either of the two preseason game squads.
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@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
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Prattley
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Abel
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Renata
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Tuipulotu
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Whetton
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Papali'i
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Gibson
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Ioane
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Ruru
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Plummer
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Clarke
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Faiane
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Manu
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Ravouvou
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Nanai
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Schwencke
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Lindenmuth
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Koroi
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Lemalu
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Olmstad/Sotutu
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Fukofuka
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Umaga
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Trainor
I'm sure the side will change a lot throughout the season.
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Any word on where Havili is heading?
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Is Abel the same hooker that plays for the Brumbies..?
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@steven-harris Yep.
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@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
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@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!
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Fulltime - auckland 16 - 14 over BOP.
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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
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Was that a full strength BOP team?
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Anyone seen a match report etc?
Can't access social media at the moment.
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@stargazer this where we need someone on the ground..anything on the Bop thread:..?
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@steven-harris No, nothing more than the livescores on twitter, including that Dan Kirkpatrick kicked the winning penalty.
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BOP lead 7 - 5 at half-time.
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Ferner @Snollygoster was at the game:
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Big Auckland squad announced - 40 including All Blacks. Patrick Tuipulotu is the captain. Includes Michael Fatialofa. Mike Casey is the Scrum Coach.
2018 Auckland Mitre 10 Cup squad:
Sam Prattley (Pakuranga)
Jarred Adams (Suburbs)
Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Suburbs)
Marco Fepulea’i (Ponsonby)
Marcel Renata (University)
Taniela Koroi (Marist)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Grammar TEC)
Mike Sosene (Mount Wellington)
Robbie Abel (College Rifles)
Leif Schwencke (Suburbs)
Michael Fatialofa (Ponsonby)
Jamie Lane (Ponsonby)
Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Ponsonby)
Faatiga Lemalu (Papatoetoe)
Dalton Papalii (Pakuranga)
Lyndon Dunshea (University)
Blake Gibson (Ponsonby)
Adrian Choat (Waitemata)
Akira Ioane (Ponsonby)
Taleni Seu (Grammar TEC)
Hoskins Sotutu (Marist)
Evan Olmstead (Suburbs)
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Ponsonby)
Jonathan Ruru (University)
Leon Fukofuka (Marist)
Desma Liaina (Eden)
Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC)
Daniel Kirkpatrick (University)
Jacob Umaga (Eden)
TJ Faiane (Pakuranga)
Tanielu Tele’a (Marist)
Tumua Manu (College Rifles)
Melani Nanai (Manukau Rovers)
Joe Ravouvou (College Rifles)
Salesi Rayasi (Marist)
Caleb Clarke (Suburbs)
Rieko Ioane (Ponsonby)
AJ Lam (Grammar TEC)
Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby)
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Just three specialist midfielders, though AJ Lam plays there, and Plummer and Kirkpatrick cover 12.
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