2018 Rugby Championship
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As a NZer am not unhappy.
As a rugby fan disappointed.
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@mikethesnow Just means there is an opportunity for someone else to step up. Players withdrawing and injuries happen all the time. The Boks won’t win or lose because of his loss. Heck the AB’s are in perpetual injury induced rotation.
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Wasn't he injured for TRC last year too?
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@stargazer said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@tim So they've now lost their head coach and backs coach. Things are not looking good for the Pumas
when did they last look good? They have been a massive disappointment.
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@mariner4life 18 Oct 2015
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@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life 18 Oct 2015
and before that was probably early October 2011. And before that October 2007.
Can't shake their soccer mentality
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Rugby: All Blacks skipper Kieran Read returns from injury in Counties trial
All Blacks captain Kieran Read has eased himself back into match fitness with an industrious stint for Counties Cavaliers in a pre-season clash with Ta$man.
Read put in a 40-minute shift at a packed Manurewa Rugby Club against a Ta$man side that had clearly come to play, leading 12-7 as the sides made their way to the halftime oranges.
It was the Papakura product's first appearance in his home province for several years and as far as comebacks go, it was fairly unremarkable.
He had plenty of opportunity to work on his defence, as the visitors spent most of the half camped inside their own territory, but struggled to convert their possession into points.
All Blacks teammate Jordan Taufua, who missed the recent French series with injury, was also in action, receiving a late call-up to start for the visitors in an injury-enforced change, after originally being named to start off the bench.
That set up an unlikely grassroots clash of international number eights and with Tim Perry anchoring a dominant Ta$man scrum, the South Islanders had the upper hand throughout the opening stanza.
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"We knew he was going overseas before we named the team for the June series and if Ardie's not right, then he and I will negotiate to see if he's available for the two Bleds," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said this week.
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Loose forward Taufua, who was named in the All Blacks squad to play France earlier this month but never played because of a calf injury, is understood to have been granted a release from the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars club before playing a game for them. Slated to leave New Zealand after the Crusaders completed their Super Rugby season, the 26 year old will now be back on Ta$man's roster and therefore eligible to represent the All Blacks. Taufua's sudden change of heart suggests the All Blacks selectors have asked him to stay in New Zealand ahead of the Rugby Championship and, later in the year, the tour to Japan and Europe. -
Ok, so I feel a lot happier now both Todd and Taufua are still in contention for selection for TRC
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@shadowtrooper Sounds like it's only "might be" and for the two Bledisloe matches for Todd. Interesting that this sabbatical played a bit of a role in selections for the France series.
I'm pleased for Taufua - even if he doesn't get picked for the ABs, he'll be very handy for Ta$man, who could be without Squire, Frizell, Taufua and Samu in the loose forwards.
Surely we'll have one of Taufua or Frizell!
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@chris-b said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@shadowtrooper Sounds like it's only "might be" and for the two Bledisloe matches for Todd. Interesting that this sabbatical played a bit of a role in selections for the France series.
I'm pleased for Taufua - even if he doesn't get picked for the ABs, he'll be very handy for Ta$man, who could be without Squire, Frizell, Taufua and Samu in the loose forwards.
Surely we'll have one of Taufua or Frizell!
It's oddly stupid that you have that much potential loose forward depth - you're not Canterbury!
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@chris-b said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nepia We're taking over NZ rugby.
We've got Hames, Crockett and Perry as our loosehead props as well!
Meanwhile, the Chiefs region are sneaking coaches in left, right and centre. Who is floating around...Tana, Foster, Gatland, that new AB assistant whose name escapes me...
