Highlanders 2021
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so some thoughts after watching the pre season game on friday
Smith v Fakatava
im almost feeling like Fakatava should start, go nuts with fresh legs, and Smith come on later as the old/experienced head to close out a game
obviously i doubt it will, at least at the start of the season
a fun problem to have
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
so some thoughts after watching the pre season game on friday
Smith v Fakatava
im almost feeling like Fakatava should start, go nuts with fresh legs, and Smith come on later as the old/experienced head to close out a game
obviously i doubt it will, at least at the start of the season
a fun problem to have
Nah let Smith start with his guile and pass that beats 3 men. Fakatava with his running game and speed to pick holes will be even more dangerous.
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What it's like as New Zealand's oldest returning Super Rugby player after nine years abroad
It's been 10 years since Bryn Evans last played Super Rugby. Now the 36-year-old is in the running to debut for the Highlanders against the Crusaders this weekend.
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fuck it...just reading Fetuli Paea is out for the season
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
fuck it...just reading Fetuli Paea is out for the season
Sucks for him but I'm not all that upset for the Highlanders...plenty of other young fellas that are in the same ball park talent wise.
If only there was a player that had stuck his hand up at 13 last season...
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@bones collins?
i am a bit gutted, he looked like what we'd been looking for during pre season
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones collins?
i am a bit gutted, he looked like what we'd been looking for during pre season
Yep.
See that's the problem with investing yourself in preseason! Chiefs probably had a wicked preseason last year. Bet the blues had a few awesome ones in the years before that.
It's how you end up with a Sio/Josh midfield and Hunt at ten.
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@bones i was just so happy that we were all talking about how the midfield being a real weak link...and then they went out and got some midfielders...and then at least one of them showed some real promiss...and then he got injured and we end up with Sio...
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones i was just so happy that we were all talking about how the midfield being a real weak link...and then they went out and got some midfielders...and then at least one of them showed some real promiss...and then he got injured and we end up with Sio...
Midfield is only a weakness due to selection and bizarrely the only one getting it right seems to be Holland, it's a country wide thing!
Collins finished up strongly at centre last season. Prior to that we had Walden at 12 in excellent form and forming a great combination with matchbox.
We've seen the Crusaders take their 12 from last year (and the AB 12) and move him to 13 (where he should have been all along) to accommodate a young, inexperienced player at 12....who seems to be touted as a 13.
What the fuck is in the water over there?
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@bones said in Highlanders 2021:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones i was just so happy that we were all talking about how the midfield being a real weak link...and then they went out and got some midfielders...and then at least one of them showed some real promiss...and then he got injured and we end up with Sio...
Midfield is only a weakness due to selection and bizarrely the only one getting it right seems to be Holland, it's a country wide thing!
Collins finished up strongly at centre last season. Prior to that we had Walden at 12 in excellent form and forming a great combination with matchbox.
We've seen the Crusaders take their 12 from last year (and the AB 12) and move him to 13 (where he should have been all along) to accommodate a young, inexperienced player at 12....who seems to be touted as a 13.
What the fuck is in the water over there?
McLeod is a 12 mainly, played on the wing a bit in his debut NPC season. due to injuries and lack of wing depth in 2019.
But he is not a 13,Too slow for a 13 as it proved when played on the wing., -
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones I've never seen McLeod touted as a 13; are you sure?
I was interested to see him named at 12 as I thought I'd only seen him at 13, so thought he must have been a specialist for them to be moving Goodhue (again). I found this.
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@bones said in Highlanders 2021:
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones I've never seen McLeod touted as a 13; are you sure?
I was interested to see him named at 12 as I thought I'd only seen him at 13, so thought he must have been a specialist for them to be moving Goodhue (again). I found this.
Wiki Haha He aint no centre
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@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones Must have written by someone from the NH. The call all midfielders centre. Besides, Wiki, really?
Not too sure of the interest in McLeod from the NH, but ok. And yeah, not even wiki....just the google. I know he's a crusaders player but I didn't really have a HUGE interest in doing further research, it was merely to support my rant.
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@bones said in Highlanders 2021:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones i was just so happy that we were all talking about how the midfield being a real weak link...and then they went out and got some midfielders...and then at least one of them showed some real promiss...and then he got injured and we end up with Sio...
Midfield is only a weakness due to selection and bizarrely the only one getting it right seems to be Holland, it's a country wide thing!
Collins finished up strongly at centre last season. Prior to that we had Walden at 12 in excellent form and forming a great combination with matchbox.
We've seen the Crusaders take their 12 from last year (and the AB 12) and move him to 13 (where he should have been all along) to accommodate a young, inexperienced player at 12....who seems to be touted as a 13.
What the fuck is in the water over there?
From what I can find, McLeod primarily played 12 for NZ U20s, Canterbury U19, Canterbury and in his few Crusaders starts
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@chris said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones said in Highlanders 2021:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@bones i was just so happy that we were all talking about how the midfield being a real weak link...and then they went out and got some midfielders...and then at least one of them showed some real promiss...and then he got injured and we end up with Sio...
Midfield is only a weakness due to selection and bizarrely the only one getting it right seems to be Holland, it's a country wide thing!
Collins finished up strongly at centre last season. Prior to that we had Walden at 12 in excellent form and forming a great combination with matchbox.
We've seen the Crusaders take their 12 from last year (and the AB 12) and move him to 13 (where he should have been all along) to accommodate a young, inexperienced player at 12....who seems to be touted as a 13.
What the fuck is in the water over there?
McLeod is a 12 mainly, played on the wing a bit in his debut NPC season. due to injuries and lack of wing depth in 2019.
But he is not a 13,Too slow for a 13 as it proved when played on the wing.,Oops, too slow
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have to say im surprised, thought he might be due to go and earn some money overseas, there was the "what rugby means" video last week and he did seem really grateful to the Highlanders for picking him up
Really hope a clear plan has been communicated to Fakatava about how the two will work together
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@kiwiwomble I'm not surprised. He has expressed before that he didn't really want to go overseas. Obviously, he may have changed his mind about that, but he has ambition enough to want to play at the 2023 RWC. As our quality halfback stocks aren't exactly overflowing, I'm glad he's staying.
You're right about Fakatava. He's a very smart guy, who is starting to realise his worth. There's no certainty that he'll want to play for NZ or Tonga, but he'll definitely want to be top dog in a team. The pathway needs to be there, or he'll be gone, esp. because the Hurricanes (TJP - end of contract 2021) and Crusaders (both Hall - 2021 & Drummond - 2022) have halfbacks at the wrong side of 25 and near the end of their contracts, and may have a vacancy soon.
And then there may be Moana Pasifika ...
