Waikato 2020

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah Yep, only 2 halfbacks and no other no.7 like Nankivell or Mua to backup M Jacobson.

31 players seems to be a smaller squad than most other provinces.

[OleOleOle]

@Bovidae no specialist locks...halfback depth is non existant and ALB and DMac will only play a game or two. I can see this team struggling this year.

[Bovidae]

@OleOleOle Thompson is a specialist lock but the main locks are out for the season.

I mentioned that we would be selecting converted blindsides into locks, but my concern of that will be the scrum not the lineout.

Milnes unlucky to be overlooked for Lopeti-Moli?

[OleOleOle]

@Bovidae the scrum struggled in the first half on friday but improved in the second half which co-incided with Kautai replacing Iosefa-Scott and the referee policing the Taranaki LH side of the scrum...
I recall Thompson playing 6 for Hautapu when he left school but i guess he's converted to Lock, at 6'4 hes not the biggest lock getting around.

[Yeetyaah]

I'll have a go at a match day squad for round 1

1. Johnstone
2. Taukei'aho
3. Iosefa-Scott
4. Burr
5. Thomson
6. L Jacobson
7. M Jacobson
8. Messam
9. Roe
10. Smith
11. Te Whare
12. Leinert-Brown
13. Tupaea
14. Sullivan
15. McKenzie

Reserves:
16. Lopeti-Moli
17. Norris
18. Kautai
19. Finau
20. Parker
21. Ratima
22. Reihana
23. Osborne

[Bovidae]

@OleOleOle said in Waikato 2020:

@Bovidae the scrum struggled in the first half on friday but improved in the second half which co-incided with Kautai replacing Iosefa-Scott and the referee policing the Taranaki LH side of the scrum...

Iosefa-Scott's scrummaging seems to have reverted back to when he first debuted for Waikato - poor. He was never sighted for the Highlanders and I'm sure won't be re-signed. I've been told he will be trading the Highlanders' blue jersey for another blue uniform.

I recall Thompson playing 6 for Hautapu when he left school but i guess he's converted to Lock, at 6'4 hes not the biggest lock getting around.

I don't disagree with you. Thompson isn't tall and there were questions directed at him last year in the early games (re: his scrummaging).

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah Osborne won't have been signed to sit on the bench.

I'm not sure what Strawbridge and co will do at lock. Thomson and Finau started against Taranaki and Burr and Thompson were 2nd half subs. Out of those 4 I would want Finau starting. I rate him.

Iosefa-Scott might be given the start in this Sat's game but I'd be more confident with Kautai and Dyer in the scrum.

[Tim]

@Bovidae said in Waikato 2020:

I've been told he will be trading the Highlanders' blue jersey for another blue uniform.

Any more details?

[Bovidae]

@Tim said in Waikato 2020:

@Bovidae said in Waikato 2020:

I've been told he will be trading the Highlanders' blue jersey for another blue uniform.

Any more details?

I did say uniform, not jersey. He wants to join the police so his rugby career might be taking a back seat.

[Tim]

@Bovidae thanks dude.

[Yeetyaah]

I find it strange that Ōtorohanga win the prems but only have 1 player selected. I'm worried about the locking stocks the most I think. Surely there'll be some more players added? The squad is small.

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah Hautapu won the comp. The only other Oto players would have been Iti and Hetet (with BOP).

A lot of them end up playing for King Country as loan players or players of origin.

Also note that Hautapu has a lot of forwards in the squad but not one back.

[Yeetyaah]

@Bovidae oops my bad, mixed it with the the other grade.

[Yeetyaah]

Also, no Jeriah Mua?

[Bovidae]

They will have to have extra players training with the main squad. A third halfback at least!

[Yeetyaah]

@Bovidae is it potentially a financial thing?

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah It could be. You could have replaced another back with an extra halfback.

[OleOleOle]

@Yeetyaah yeah, that surprised me too. Maybe they are running a WTG alongside the 31 named. Once (if) ALB and DMac join the ABs that only leaves a squad of 29....doesnt leave much in the way of injury cover'.

[Bovidae]

Last year Waikato had a 43-man squad, which also included ABs who never played, and some injured players. So a big reduction in squad size.

[Bovidae]

There was also a U20 game on at Beetham Park between Waikato and Taranaki U20s today at the same time as the FPC game. I haven't found the Waikato team listed, only the Taranaki team.