Auckland Rugby 2019
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@nzzp Yeah we've been pretty average despite being unbeaten. Our backline is all over the place and Ruru and Leuila there means that our outside backs which is full of wingers barely see the thing. Plummer, Trainor and Manu have been badly missed so far as well as Lemalu and Olmstead.
At this rate I'd take a semi final spot and feel we're due a wake up call which I feel could come this Sunday against Canterbury.
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@African-Monkey yep. I'm just catching up on the Waikato game. Forwards did go well, but Ruru and Leiua don't seem a good combo at this level.
Also, last year we kicked all over the backline adn tore teams apart with it - really smart, well weighted kicks. This year it seems so predictable and only 10 and sometimes 9 getting into it. Generally a step backwards regrettably.
Still, if we click, Akira ramps up and we get some players back from injury we could threaten to finish second. I'd take that this season based on our form so far. Setting the bar low, eh
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@nzzp Yeah will be good to have Akira back. Redlinger-Kapa hasn't been great imo and with Papali'i due to come back as well, we should be back at full strength in the back row.
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@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2019:
@nzzp Yeah will be good to have Akira back. Redlinger-Kapa hasn't been great imo and with Papali'i due to come back as well, we should be back at full strength in the back row.
The pack went pretty well against Waikato - with those two coming back, will be an improvement.
Was going to say, if our fatties focus, we have the forward pack to challenge any side, and possibly even win the thing. If we focus and show up, and stop dropping pill, losing lineouts, and being stupid.
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@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2019:
@nzzp And if the ball gets past D'Angelo Leuila.
This has been one of most frustrating things the last two weeks. Leuila and Ruru need to understand the talent they have outside them.
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@Dice said in Auckland Rugby 2019:
@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2019:
@nzzp And if the ball gets past D'Angelo Leuila.
This has been one of most frustrating things the last two weeks. Leuila and Ruru need to understand the talent they have outside them.
Leuila looked a million bucks against us, what happened?
Oh hang on, it was against us..yep, we make a lot of average players look the goods.
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@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2019:
@nzzp Yeah will be good to have Akira back. Redlinger-Kapa hasn't been great imo and with Papali'i due to come back as well, we should be back at full strength in the back row.
Could we see a Akira, Papali'i and Sotutu backrow at some point? That might be a backrow worth trying out in one of the games. I'm sure we'll get doses of it to end games.
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Auckland B team to play North Harbour (7/09/19):​​​​​​​
Note: Trainor on the bench, maybe he did not make the start last week as expected. Plus Suafua at lock.
1.Ezekiel lindenmuth (Suburbs)
2.Mike Sosene-Feagai (Marist)
3.Marco Fepulea'i (Ponsonby)
4.Presley Tufuga (Ponsonby)
5.Cameron Suafoa (College Rifles)
6.Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Ponsonby)
7.Aleks Dabek (Ponsonby)
8.Dylan Lam(Grammar TEC)
9.Rilloy Suesue (Ponsonby)
10.Johnny Cooper (Ponsonby)
11.AJ Lam (Grammar TEC)
12.Paul Roache (Ponsonby)
13.Ma'ake Taulahi (College Rifles)
14.Freedom Vaha'akolo (Ponsonby)
15.Matt Storm (Grammar TEC)
16.Michael Lea (Marist)
17.Leka Tu'ungafasi (Grammar TEC)
18.Hau Paea (Mt Wellington)
19.Isi Manu (College Rifles)
20.Brad Moyer (Suburbs)
21.D'Angelo Leuila (Papatoetoe)
22.Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby) -
@Daffy-Jaffy That's a seriously good front row for a B team!
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@Tim ,this team would clean up the Heartland division
we would gladly take Waimana Reidlinger Kapa ,Johnny Cooper and Matt Storm back in a heart beat..I just hope all 3 don’t get lost in the Auckland system.,all hearty Northland Boys..I wonder where Auckland see Waimana, ..?,because when you have Sotutu,Papalii,Ioane,Gibson,Choat and Dunshea in your loose forward mix..I don’t see an opportunity anytime soon..
Same for Johnny Cooper and Matt Storm..ah bugger it, I will just message them and get in their ear..
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@Steven-Harris Haven't been overly impressed with Redlinger-Kapa tbh. I'm sure he'll get plenty more opportunities though as he had played every game until this week.
@Tim Are you talking about Choat?
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If I were Northland , I would make a play for Blake Gibson, he’s got got family in whangarei and it looks like his career has stalled ,a change of scene could be the tonic for this talented 7
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@Steven-Harris Or even Mitchell Gibson who's stuck behind Harmon and Christie at Canterbury. Suprised he went there tbh.
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Representative Results (Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 September)
Another weekend of representative rugby has flown by with a mixture of results across the board for those donning blue...
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@shark said in NPC Final - Auckland vs Canterbury (free entry):
Auckland 2/5 to start the season (halfway actually). Yep, Canterbury are too, but one side is muddling around while the other is gaining momentum after a poor start.
At this stage Auckland is panning out as predicted.
Isn't it similar to how Auckland went last year too?
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