Auckland 2018

[Tim]

Quick rundown of the squad.

33 Players - 19 forwards, 14 backs.

Numbers by club:

Suburbs - 5
Ponsonby - 5
Eden - 3
Pakuranga - 3
Papatoetoe - 6
University - 2
Grammar TEC - 3
Waitemata - 3
College Rifles - 2
Manukau Rovers - 1

Jarred Adams (Suburbs) - Loosehead, ex Counties-Manukau, Samoa U20
Conner Halangahu (Ponsonby) - Loosehead, ex Oyonnax
Frank Friconnet (Eden) - Loosehead
Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Suburbs) - Loosehead, also plays Tighthead, 2017 NZ U20, trained with Crusaders as injury cover in 2018
Jerry Samania (Pakuranga) - Tighthead, Samoa U20
Inoke Latu (Papatoetoe) - Tighthead, ex Ta$man

Penisoni Fineanganofo (Papatoetoe) - Hooker, Auckland U19 2017
Leif Schwencke (Suburbs) - Hooker, Samoa U20 2014
Steve Afoa (University) - Hooker

Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC) - Lock
Cameron Rutherford (Eden) - Lock
Jamie Lane (Ponsonby) - Lock, NZ U20 2015
AJ Sagaga (Waitemata) - Lock/Loose forward
Sam Slade (Ponsonby) - Lock/Blindside, NZ U20 2017

Ben Sa'u (Papatoetoe) - Blindside
Adrian Choat (Waitemata) - No. 8/Openside, NZ U20 2017
Aleks Dabek (Ponsonby) - Openside
Onosai Auva'a (Papatoetoe) - Openside/Blindside, ex Counties-Manukau
Futuloa Havili (Papatoetoe) - No. 8

Pele Cowley (Suburbs) - Halfback, ex Waikato, ex Cardiff, Samoan International
Melino Fineanganofo (College Rifles) - Halfback, ex Warriors U20 (NRL)
Desma Liaina (Eden) - Halfback/First-Five, ex Counties-Manukau

D'Angelo Leuila (Papatoetoe) - First-Five, Samoa International
George Taina (Pakuranga) - First-Five, NZ Secondary Schools (2013), Tonga International

Will Talataina-Mu (Ponsonby) - Second-Five/First-Five
AJ Lam (Grammar TEC) - Midfield
Junior Tofa-Va'a (Waitemata) - Midfield, ex BOP, ex North Harbour
Stacey Ili (Manukau Rovers) - Midfield/Wing, ex Auckland, ex Connacht
Loketi Manu (College Rifles) - Midfield/Wing

Tevita Latu (University) - Wing
Hawaii Ahokovi (Pakuranga) - Wing
TJ Vaega (Grammar TEC) - Wing/Fullback
Ethan Thompson (Suburbs) - Fullback

Players will be missing from: NZ U20, Blues plus Dev Squad, Other Super Rugby players and injury cover, NZ Sevens. Marcel Renata is not playing club rugby in Auckland at the moment.

[KiwiMurph]

Seems like more of a spread around the clubs than in past years.

As well as lock - hooker is a spot that Auckland will be light on if Eklund is out injured.

[Tim]

Confirmed that Marcel Renata is still with the Hurricanes.

Hurricanes squad named to face the Chiefs

[Tim]

Possible XXIII for Auckland this year. Hard to pick the front row (Eklund supposedly out for the season, and a lot of unknown players), locks (availability), and replacement loose forwards and first five. Probably be a few more changes from last year, and hopefully some surprises.

1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth
2 Greg Pleasants-Tate
3 Marcel Renata
4 Michael Fatialofa
5 Patrick Tuipulotu
6 Dalton Papali'i
7 Blake Gibson
8 Akira Ioane
9 Jonathan Ruru
10 Harry Plummer
11 Caleb Clarke
12 TJ Faiane
13 Vince Aso
14 Tumua Manu
15 Melani Nanai

16 Steve Afoa
17 Sam Prattley/Conner Halangahu
18 Jerry Samania/Inoke Latu
19 Taleni Seu/Lyndon Dunshea
20 Samuel Slade/Hoskins Sotutu/Sione Havili
21 Leon Fukofuka/Pele Cowley
22 D'Angelo Leuila/George Taina
23 Jordan Trainor​​​​​​​

Blues injury list as at 31 May:

Not considered because of injury: Otere Black (knee – season), Blake Gibson (shoulder) and hamstring, Glenn Preston (groin, season), Scott Scrafton (knee – season), Matt Johnson (surgery – season), George Moala (chest – season), Tamati Tua (hand – season), Jimmy Tupou (knee – season), Josh Goodhue (concussion), Isaac Salmon (hand), Patrick Tuipulotu (shoulder – season), Kara Pryor (ankle), James Parsons (neck), Murphy Taramai (ankle).

[Tim]

Possible Harbour XXIII. Not sure which players are returning - Vaega, Nansen, and Mayhew in particular.

1 Chris Eves
2 James Parsons
3 Sione Mafileo
4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti
5 Ben Nee-Nee
6 Glenn Preston
7 Dillon Hunt
8 Murphy Taramai/Hapakuki Moala-Liava'a
9 Bryn Hall
10 Bryn Gatland
11 Tevita Li
12 Harrison Groundwater
13 Matt Vaega
14 Shaun Stevenson
15 Matt Duffie

16 Steven Misa
17 Nic Mayhew
18 Mike Tamoaieta
19 Nansen/Pierce
20 Collett/Taramai/Moala-Liava'a
21 Lewis Gjaltema/Harrison Levien
22 Todd Doolan
23 Daniel Hilton-Jones

[Duluth]

@tim

Fatialofa is going to Worcester after SR finishes

[Tim]

@duluth Thanks. I thought he wasn't leaving until later.

[Tim]

@duluth According to Worcester's signing announcement he'll leave after the Mitre 10 Cup:

https://warriors.co.uk/2018/03/28/warriors-sign-hurricanes-lock-fatialofa/

The 25-year-old becomes Warriors’ ninth signing ahead of the 2018/19 campaign and will make the move to Sixways later this year, at the climax of the Mitre 10 Cup season with Auckland.

[Stargazer]

George Moala has signed with Clermont. Not sure, but I think he's meant to leave after the SR season. So whatever his injury status, I don't think he'll be available for Auckland.

[Duluth]

@tim

Ok, that’s good news. The NZ reports were after SR.

[Bovidae]

I liked what Pele Cowley did when he played for Waikato so he could make the bench ahead of Fukofuka.

[Tim]

[Tim]

2.40pm today:

https://www.facebook.com/aucklandrugby

[Duluth]

[Tim]

Commentators were right about Pakuranga fullback Lemeki Namoa (Sacred Heart 2017). Great try.

[Tim]

Airi Hunt is enormous.

[Tim]

[Tim]

Looking forward to watching Steve Afoa (2) and Henry Saker (9) for University in this game.

Jack Whetton (5) and Harry Plummer (10) are playing for Grammar TEC.

[Duluth]

Who are the options for 9 this year?

Hickey has left. Has Fukofuka gone too? Milo-Harris? Is he injured?

So Ruru and two new NPC players?

[KiwiMurph]

@duluth Pele Cowley ex Counties halfback is playing club rugby in Auckland