Chiefs v Blues

Nepia

@Nepia said in Chiefs v Blues:

F**king traitor!!!!

You've been on here long enough to know that the little brown shaded bit go out of their way not to pick players from the large yellow bit on the east coast.

mariner4life

@Nepia said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Tim said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Nepia said in Chiefs v Blues:

F**king traitor!!!!

You've been on here long enough to know that the little brown shaded bit go out of their way not to pick players from the large yellow bit on the east coast.

he was talking about you

Nepia

@mariner4life said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Nepia said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Tim said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Nepia said in Chiefs v Blues:

F**king traitor!!!!

You've been on here long enough to know that the little brown shaded bit go out of their way not to pick players from the large yellow bit on the east coast.

he was talking about you

Ah true. Ben and I are linked, we both went to the Chiefs at the same time ... he just played a more active role.

Hooroo

While I am bored of this question, will the teams be named today? or tomorrow?

Duluth

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 TJ Faiane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Sam Nock; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Alex Hodgman.

Reserves: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Marcel Renata, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Tony Lamborn, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Matt Duffie.

Players not considered with injury: Karl Tu’inukuafe (leg strain), Jack Heighton (quad), Jared Page (pec), Stephen Perofeta (fractured foot), Blake Gibson (hamstring), Tom Robinson (knee). Season ending: Ray Niuia, James Tucker, Tanielu Tele’a

https://blues.rugby/power-pair-return-to-take-on-chiefs/

All Black loose forwards Dalton Papalii and Akira Ioane return to the Blues starting line-up for Saturday’s second round of the Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

They are the only changes from the team that accounted for the Hurricanes 30-20 in the first-round clash at Eden Park.

Papalii, who came off the bench last week, starts at No 7 while Ioane, with 68 Blues caps to his credit, comes in at No 6 replacing Blake Gibson and Tom Robinson respectively, who are both unavailable due to injury.

The Blues have the same front five but are bolstered with the return of North Harbour’s Sione Mafileo, one of the standouts earlier in the season, who will earn his 50th cap off the bench.

The trio of in-form Hoskins Sotutu, Papalii and Ioane will form a potent trio in what should be a pivotal battle at the breakdown.

The backline remains unchanged with Otere Black, who celebrated his blazer game for the Blues in the win over the Hurricanes, remains at first-five with Beauden Barrett again starting at fullback, to form an exciting back four with Rieko Ioane at centre and wings Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea.

Coach Leon MacDonald said while a several other players have pushed their claims for selection at training, that the efforts last week warranted their retention.

“We know that last week was a good start but that we will need to get better if we want a positive result against the Chiefs,” said MacDonald.

“The players who took the field will be better for that experience, especially understanding the importance of discipline at the breakdown and getting back into competition after so long off.

“We know that depth will be really important in this competition and we are fortunate to have the likes of Dalton and Akira to come into the starting line-up. Parts of our play were good last week but we must lift to another level against what we know is a very good and very physical Chiefs side as well as a healthy rivalry with our neighbours.”

mariner4life

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 TJ Faiane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Sam Nock; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu ©, 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Alex Hodgman.

Reserves: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Marcel Renata, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Tony Lamborn, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Matt Duffie.

Players not considered with injury: Karl Tu’inukuafe (leg strain), Jack Heighton (quad), Jared Page (pec), Stephen Perofeta (fractured foot), Blake Gibson (hamstring), Tom Robinson (knee). Season ending: Ray Niuia, James Tucker, Tanielu Tele’a

that bench is total dogshit (clutching at straws reeeaaal hard)

Hooroo

@mariner4life said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 TJ Faiane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Sam Nock; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu ©, 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Alex Hodgman.

Reserves: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Marcel Renata, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Tony Lamborn, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Matt Duffie.

Players not considered with injury: Karl Tu’inukuafe (leg strain), Jack Heighton (quad), Jared Page (pec), Stephen Perofeta (fractured foot), Blake Gibson (hamstring), Tom Robinson (knee). Season ending: Ray Niuia, James Tucker, Tanielu Tele’a

that bench is total dogshit (clutching at straws reeeaaal hard)

I hope Akira is fat......

mariner4life

also, can we stop referring to guys with a solitary cap 3 years ago as an "All Black"? In these modern times, that means diddly.

antipodean

@mariner4life said in Chiefs v Blues:

also, can we stop referring to guys with a solitary cap 3 years ago as an "All Black"? In these modern times, that means diddly.

Particularly if it was a midweeker or against tier 2/3 opposition.

Nepia

@Hooroo said in Chiefs v Blues:

@mariner4life said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 TJ Faiane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Sam Nock; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu ©, 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Alex Hodgman.

Reserves: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Marcel Renata, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Tony Lamborn, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Matt Duffie.

Players not considered with injury: Karl Tu’inukuafe (leg strain), Jack Heighton (quad), Jared Page (pec), Stephen Perofeta (fractured foot), Blake Gibson (hamstring), Tom Robinson (knee). Season ending: Ray Niuia, James Tucker, Tanielu Tele’a

that bench is total dogshit (clutching at straws reeeaaal hard)

I hope Akira is fat......

Apparently. according to Rangi his skin folds are great at the moment.

I guess we've just solved the AB 6 conundrum.

Snowy

@Hooroo said in Chiefs v Blues:

While I am bored of this question, will the teams be named today? or tomorrow?

It's Thursday too, some sort of normality returns!

Tim

Interesting to see Renata at loosehead - that's where he started out before converting. Wonder if he's been putting in good shifts there at practice sessions?

KiwiMurph

Pleased to see Mafileo on the bench.

Not sold on a lot of that bench though.

Akira gets his chance.

Dice

They've finally given the Akira/Papali'i/Sotutu backrow a chance. I remember the last time Akira and Sotutu got a bit of time on the field together, which was in the 2nd half/OT of the 2018 NPC Final, and that was a beautiful sight.

The bench does lack a bit of attacking power. I'm hoping Narawa gets a chance in that 23 jersey at some point. It's weird they've gone with two tighthead props on the bench.

MN5

@Nepia said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Hooroo said in Chiefs v Blues:

@mariner4life said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 TJ Faiane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Sam Nock; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu ©, 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Alex Hodgman.

Reserves: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Marcel Renata, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Tony Lamborn, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Matt Duffie.

Players not considered with injury: Karl Tu’inukuafe (leg strain), Jack Heighton (quad), Jared Page (pec), Stephen Perofeta (fractured foot), Blake Gibson (hamstring), Tom Robinson (knee). Season ending: Ray Niuia, James Tucker, Tanielu Tele’a

that bench is total dogshit (clutching at straws reeeaaal hard)

I hope Akira is fat......

Apparently. according to Rangi his skin folds are great at the moment.

I guess we've just solved the AB 6 conundrum.

"Great" as in he's trim or "great" as in the Blues have used him as a landmark to do laps around ?

Tim

Gatland still running on GMT?

Machpants

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

to form an exciting back four with Rieko Ioane at centre and wings Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea.

Back four? Making shit up was they go along

mariner4life

@Machpants said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

to form an exciting back four with Rieko Ioane at centre and wings Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea.

Back four? Making shit up was they go along

outside backs always started at 13 when i was younger

Machpants

@mariner4life did you have letters instead of numbers, too? Never heard of that!

Duluth

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The Silver Fern

Chiefs v Blues