Taranaki vs Northland
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Moving on to Taranaki now. Here’s hoping we ditch the Whangarei Boys High 2nd XV routine and actually play like we’re capable.
J-Deb back to 10 please. Hopefully some of our wounded warriors are back in contention this week as well.
Tough ask down there, but if we pull our finger out of our ass we can get back on track.
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@J77 yeah I have only watched the 'highlights', which I think will be sufficient for me!
Amazing how things can get turned about so quickly, a scratchy but solid start in week 1, then physically beaten up in round 2, and 'naki wont be any easier. We need to get some confidence for hosting HB the following week, otherwise we could be staring down the barrel after round 4!
Do wonder if there is a bit of a mental issue with Auckland, we always seem to be dominated physically.
Sounds like Caird needs a start, J-Deb back to 10...how many more weeks for Robinson, might be too late to salvage anything.
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Auckland cleaned out well ( or illegally ), we didn't - lost so many rucks, or ended up with really slow ball. Their line speed was good and some of our backs looked off the pace running sideways - disappointed with Johnson at centre, his fumble to give the intercept early on was poor. That said when you are going backwards its hard to look good.
Its requires a massive turn around and we don't have the cattle the All Blacks have. So big week for Coaches - we need to work on speed - doing things quicker and cleaning out better, and making sure we have the best team on the field to start with.
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Team to face Taranaki:
- Ross Wright - Wellsford
- Jordan Olsen - Mid Northern
- Jack Straker - Kamo
- Sam Caird - OBM
- Josh Goodhue - United Kawakawa/Moerewa
- Sam McNamara - Waipu
- Matt Matich - Western Sharks
- Jaycob Matiu - Hora Hora
- Sam Nock - Kerikeri
- Jack Debreczeni - Eastern
- Pisi Leilua - Waipu
- Blake Hohaia - Kamo
- Matt Johnson - OBM
- Jordan Hyland - Wellsford
- Scott Gregory - Hikurangi
REPLACEMENTS
16. Paddy Jo Atkins - Wellsford
17. Corey Te Whata-Colley - Western Sharks
18. Isileli Tu'ungafasi - Mid Northern
19. Sean Sweetman - Wellsford
20. Aorangi Stokes - OBM
21. Levien Harrison - OBM (Debut)
22. Dan Hawkins - OBM
23. Renata Roberts-Te Nana - OBMUnavailable due to Injury
• Tamati Tua
• Tom Robinson
• Rene Ranger
• Temo Mayanavanua
• Kane Jacobson -
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@J77 looks better this week with J-Deb running things, but mid-field is a worry.
I'd like them to try Hyland at 13, Gregory could play wing then put Rae at 15...or put Gregory in the mid-field and Rae at FB, we need a bit of spark in the mid-field and Gregory or Hyland (both would be better) could provide that.
While not expecting to win this (would like to obviously) we simply must play well and pick up at least a BP and start building for the rest of the season, let this one through with another soft performance like last week and we can pretty much write this season off already.
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@taniwharugby J Deb at 10 is definitely a positive.
However, that midfield looks average. I agree with your suggestions. Hell I’d take Rene Ranger on crutches over what we have! Plus why the hell is Hawkins anywhere near the squad this week?
Hate to be the negative nancy, as it’s still early in the campaign, but Auckland (and even Southland to a lesser degree) exposed some areas where we could become victims of other pastings throughout the season.
Be happy to eat my words, but all I see is mediocrity at the moment.
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@J77 thought we looked much better against SOuthland (granted they are a far inferior team to Auckland) fairly well drilled but just lacking the polish required to finish alot of our plays.
Whereas Auckland, I think we just struggle with them, both physically and mentally...I think we are much better than we showed v Auckland & Southland, but we need to start proving it.
Too often over the years we have showed glimpses or promise, only to fall short time and time again.
Other teams like Ta$man, HB, BOP, Manawatu, even Southland (shield wins) have had periods of awesome, yet we seem to plod along, struggling to stay in the middle of the road, often veering off into the ditch, right ourselves briefly and then back to the ditch, never finding our way into the fastlane.
Man what I'd give to pick up the Shield in my lifetime!
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@taniwharugby said in v Taranaki:
yet we seem to plod along, struggling to stay in the middle of the road, often veering off into the ditch, right ourselves briefly and then back to the ditch, never finding our way into the fastlane.
Perfect way to describe it. Even 2017 when Jack Goodhue was on deck and we had some good results, the wheels came off and we relied on Hawke’s Bay (of all bloody teams!) to give us a leg up to the semis.
We’ve just never got away from that battler tag, to being actual contenders. Hard to think it’ll ever change in all honesty.
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1 Reuben O'Neill
2 Ricky Riccitelli
3 Donald Brighouse
4 Tupou Vaa'i
5 Mitchell Brown (c)
6 Kaylum Boshier
7 Lachlan Boshier
8 Pita-Gus Sowakula
9 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
10 Daniel Waite
11 Kini Naholo
12 Teihorangi Walden
13 Sean Wainui
14 Waisake Naholo
15 Jayson PotrozReserves:
16 Scott Mellow
17 Chris Gawler
18 Kyle Stewart
19 Jesse Parete
20 Tom Florence
21 Lisati Milo-Harris
22 Regan Verney
23 Jackson Ormond -
@J77 couldn’t agree more about the mediocrity comment. We looked looked slow, played without intent and some players just looked average. However start of the season and maybe they still have their training wheels on. We need to see a lot more energy and some straight and hard running - especially from the backs.
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@taniwharugby we have yet to have our golden period. If you look at our injured list this year you have to say we are well below strength. That said the performance against Auckland was us veering well into the ditch. A soulless effort. The first five selection, the complete submission at ruck time, the backline playing well behind the advantage line, and some really poor individual mistakes. We looked a lot better against Southland but I still remember the two long range tries we gave away - no cover maybe due to the lack of energy we saw in the Auckland game. Just hope that the team and coaches take a look at what other teams are delivering and can lift - they need to.
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@J77 said in v Taranaki:
We’ve just never got away from that battler tag, to being actual contenders. Hard to think it’ll ever change in all honesty.
Still think we can but maybe not this year. I would be satisfied with a team that competes for 80 mins, plays with energy and innovation, and is smart. I remember when Bryce Woodward had his second stint as coach, how the team played attacking entertaining rugby. Really enjoyed watching that team.
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@kev said in v Taranaki:
@J77 said in v Taranaki:
We’ve just never got away from that battler tag, to being actual contenders. Hard to think it’ll ever change in all honesty.
Still think we can but maybe not this year. I would be satisfied with a team that competes for 80 mins, plays with energy and innovation, and is smart. I remember when Bryce Woodward had his second stint as coach, how the team played attacking entertaining rugby. Really enjoyed watching that team.
Hope so Kev. I guess my opinions are tinged with frustration and a bit of jealousy as I look at other teams of similar status to us performing well.
Just about every team in this comp over both divisions have had recent golden runs, and that’s including Southland with their shield glories. When you look at it we’re the only ones who’ve been left behind. Yep we’ve scraped into that fourth spot three times since 2014, but that’s about it.
I only come across as a bit pissed purely because I know we are capable of much better.
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After watching Otago and Hawkes Bay on Thursday night we have to find another level..
I am totally concerned about tomorrow’s game against the Naki, they have so much super rugby talent to call on compared to our boys, not to mention a couple of All Blacks in TTT and Naholo.
I think we will be lucky to stay within 20..Hawkes Bay,BOP and Taranaki you can lock in in terms of semi finalists in my opinion..and then Otago probably favoured to get that 4 place.
One player I thought we could cover was Ranger, but his absence in the midfield is there for all to see especially at Mitre 10 Cup level.
Also Tom Robinson gave us so much energy in the first few games last despite getting injured..
Can only 🙏we bring some sort of physicality tomorrow -
TTT played that on the ground with his feet prior to that try.
