Blues 2019

[taniwharugby]

@Yeetyaah no idea, I hadnt heard of him and dont recall him being in our squad last year.

[Stargazer]

@Yeetyaah said in Blues 2019:

@taniwharugby He was Waikato last year wasn't he? Maybe he signed for the Taniwha for this year.

Yes, he played for Waikato in 2017 and 2018.

He also played for NZU20 at the 2017 JWC (all five games, 2 starts in pool games, 3 from the bench). He alternated with Sam Slade as Walker-Leawere's locking partner.

[Tim]

Glenn Preston - Northland

Big loss for Harbour.

[taniwharugby]

@Tim I didnt even notice that...be good if they can get a quality wing/fullback after missing out on getting Alaimalo back.

Wonder if Whitcombe being with the U20's will see the odd player head North for a run

[KiwiMurph]

@taniwharugby said in Blues 2019:

@Tim I didnt even notice that...be good if they can get a quality wing/fullback after missing out on getting Alaimalo back.

15 Tomas Aoake - North Harbour

[Yeetyaah]

@taniwharugby Were the Taniwha trying to get Alaimalo back? Any idea where he's headed if he isn't heading back there?

[taniwharugby]

@Yeetyaah yeah he was negotiating form pretty much end of the NPC season but told NRU a few weeks back he wouldnt be coming back, my understanding is he was trying to get his brother a contract too, but from what I heard it looked like he never really intended coming back and was just using Northland as a negotiating tool for his preferred option, which I suspect will be (is?) Waikato (with his brother there) as he wants to play FB, which he wont by staying in Ta$man (and part of why he was looking around by all accounts)

[Yeetyaah]

@taniwharugby Ah right. Well if he's headed to Waikato I'll be stoked.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Duluth 17 Kaynan Tua is the son of David Tua .

[Tim]

Blues U20s Team to play @chiefsrugby U20s
🗓️ Saturday 23rd February 2019
⏰ 2:00pm
📍 Pakuranga United Rugby Club

STARTING XV:
1 Leon Thambiran - North Harbour
2 Te Ariki Te Puni - Auckland
3 Rob Cobb (cc) - Auckland
4 Felix Kalapu - Auckland
5 Kalin Felise - North Harbour
6 Rob Rush - Auckland
7 Tamarau McGahan - North Harbour
8 Tovo Faleafa - Auckland
9 Brad McNaughten (cc) - North Harbour
10 Zarn Sullivan - Auckland
11 Heremaia Murray - Auckland
12 Lemeki Namoa - Auckland
13 Kakau Muli - Auckland
14 Jack Gray - Auckland
15 Cameron Hey - North Harbour
REPLACEMENTS:
16 Soane Vikena - Auckland
17 Sean Vete - North Harbour
18 Hamdahn Tuipulotu - Auckland
19 Terrell Pieta - Auckland
20 Noah Perelini/Jed Melvin - Auckland/North Harbour
21 Taufa Funaki - Auckland
22 Nikau Graham/Caleb Leef - Northland/North Harbour
23 Lewini Mocevakaca - Auckland
25 John Cooper - Auckland
26 Isi Manu - Auckland
28 David Meki - Auckland

[mimic]

Good to see David Tuas son make the Blues A bench.

[MN5]

@mimic said in Blues 2019:

Good to see David Tuas son make the Blues A bench.

he'll add some punch as an impact player.

[kidcalder]

Is he a hooker? His old man had a decent left 1

[Tim]

[antipodean]

@Tim Bumped into a mate at the bottleshop who is the team manager for the Brumbies and he said in the second half when the young guys come on for the Brumbies Runners it changed the game.

[Tim]

What's more they also lost young wing Caleb Clarke (originally named to start this match) at the final training session of the week to what looks a two-month knee ligament injury. He will be replaced this week in Argentina when they face the Jaguares staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/110824180/super-rugby-blues-coach-leon-macdonald-blasts-errors-in-disappointing-effort

[KiwiMurph]

@Tim could do worse than give Tele'a a start on the wing.

[Kirwan]

@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2019:

@Tim could do worse than give Tele'a a start on the wing.

Exactly, I’d rather have the errors a rookie might make and have them improve than a proven failure.

[Tim]

[Tim]