Hurricanes 2021
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@canes4life said in Hurricanes 2021:
@bovidae good point, Ardie did an interview at the start of the year (prior to Cane getting injured) and he considered himself an 8 first and then a 7.
This now spells bad news for Flanders because the Canes obviously rate Prinsep as their best 6.
Does Ardie really have the size at 8 to be considered there at the international level given the rise of other AB 8 contenders? And do you think he is as good at 8 as he is at 7?
Speaking of which can Tom Robinson play 8? He'd be good in the lineout I imagine, seems fast and mobile enough for a 6/lock.. -
Can't help but feel Ardie's decision to be an 8 is going to leave the Hurricanes loose forward trio unbalanced until he either decides to go head to head with Cane at the All Blacks or leaves.
The guy was an awesome 7 and his form in 2018 and 2019 was great. I reckon he is better as a busy player and the closer he is to the ball the better. His play as an 8 see's him drift in and out of games almost as if he's not reading the game well enough to know where he needs to be. Play goes his way he often looks great, play doesn't go his way and you forget he's on the field.
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@toddy thanks that's what I was thinking.
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@toddy said in Hurricanes 2021:
@tim Maybe. It will be interesting to see how Cane progresses with his latest injury. How many games has Cane missed since 2018 to now through injury? Not that Ardie hasn't had his own issues since RWC 2019.
Not to mention the other top choice Papali'i is frequently injured as well.
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@canes4life given his injury history it is probably best for all concerned they stockpile him in national storage.
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@canes4life I really don't see the point of this signing. He should be at the bottom of the pecking order, but having seen the selections over the years, he migt push both Flanders and Evans (if he's staying) out of the 23. He'll be good for the food bill.
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Looks like Aso is heading overseas as his Instagram is full of goodbyes from his Canes team mates but for the life of me can’t see anywhere who’s signed him.
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@mikey07 I'm pretty certain he's heading to Japan, just not sure which club.
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Always rated Aso, another one who we never really saw the best of.
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Aso is a loss as a utility player but seemed more like a winger playing centre than an actual centre.
I'd say Aso' lack of game time recently (other than injury) is more due to his time spent at bakeries rather than training.
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@toddy yeah I commented in a recent game thread that Aso was looking like a prop.
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IMO we've seen a fair amount of Vince Aso in his early years at the Canes, both at 13 and 14, and I think we all liked what we saw.
He benefited quite a bit from Matt Proctor often suffering injuries, giving him an opportunity to play at centre. But the Canes just love the Proctors, so as soon as Matt came back from injury, Aso had to compete with Goosen (and NMS?) for the 14 jersey. Also preventing Jonah Lowe from getting any game time.
Then Aso got seriously injured himself, Peter U-J came through the ranks; if he was given an opportunity at all, it was at 14. Then there was Billy Proctor and the diesel Bus returned ...
His problem has been the many injuries (some serious) and the tendency of the Hurricanes coaching staff to discard a player as soon as he's seriously broken once. There's almost no opportunity to come back from a big injury at the Canes, unless you're one of the favourites/All Blacks. I'm sure someone can come up with more names than Hugh Renton, Geoff Cridge and Jonah Lowe.
I've seen him play for the Hunters and during preseason this year, and he wasn't more than a shadow of his former self. Toala and Visinia were both a lot better and fitter than Aso. It was a bit sad to see, and - as @Toddy 's post suggests - he looked overweight.
I hope he has been able to score a good contract with a fat pay check, and wish him well overseas.
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See Fraser Armstrong is not returning on the Hurricanes Instagram page can’t find anywhere we he’s gone, I find it interesting as I thought Holland had a live interest with him.
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@mikey07 not a big loss tbh. Hopefully we sign a couple decent loosehead props.
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@canes4life Yeah I’m definitely not crying over it he is overrated for the wraps he had on him. Surely a couple of them will stand up in the NPC
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@mikey07 I’m hoping big Tevita Mafileo gets more game time. He looks to have the size and scrummaging ability to be a real weapon but just needs more experience. Hopefully Owen Franks can teach the likes of Numia, Lomax and Mafileo a trick or two to take them to that next level.
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@canes4life I hope Rakete-Stones stays and gets more game time; Mafileo can wait in the queue behind him.
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@stargazer I rate Mafileo higher tbh and I’m pretty sure the Canes do aswell. If it wasn’t for his injury he would have been in the 23 over Rakete-Stones.
Rakete-Stones got rolled last night and looked fairly average tbh. In a game you’d expect him to dominate, he didn’t and that won’t have done his chances any good with contracts up for grabs atm.
I don’t care where the prop comes from, the Canes should be going all out in finding someone that has more experience and ability than our current crop of loose heads. If we can get someone like Hodgman, I’d be happy.
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@canes4life You must have watched a different game last night. His opposite in the Samoan squad kept angling in, got one scrum over him at the beginning because of it, and then got penalised for it a few times. RS had the better of him for most of the game! You should listen less to the commentators, who had no clue.
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@stargazer I think you are looking at him through rainbow tinted glasses tbh. His performance was below average and at the end of the day he was the prop getting penalised. All I saw was another undersized Hurricanes forward who couldn’t make the step up when it mattered.
The Canes are going to be really good when we have all of Rakete-Stones, Blackwell, Prinsep, Kirifi and Gibson on the park at the same time… NOT.
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@canes4life said in Hurricanes 2021:
I don’t care where the prop comes from, the Canes should be going all out in finding someone that has more experience and ability than our current crop of loose heads. If we can get someone like Hodgman, I’d be happy.
Do you reckon we could send a scout over to Argentina and pick up a prop
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@mikey07 I certainly wouldn't be against it.
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@canes4life said in Hurricanes 2021:
@stargazer I think you are looking at him through rainbow tinted glasses tbh. His performance was below average and at the end of the day he was the prop getting penalised. All I saw was another undersized Hurricanes forward who couldn’t make the step up when it mattered.
The Canes are going to be really good when we have all of Rakete-Stones, Blackwell, Prinsep, Kirifi and Gibson on the park at the same time… NOT.
He's 118kg. He's not the biggest prop, but he's not exactly small.
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Worse kept secret in the world Vince Aso to Panasonic Wild Knights
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Looks like one good propping prospect on the horizon in Joseph Gavigan.
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@canes4life said in Hurricanes 2021:
There have been a couple of "good prospects" over the years. Sadly not all of them (no names mentioned!) make the ultimate step up.
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@higgins let’s hope he can take that next step. Not bad for a small town boy.
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@canes4life And not going to a "big name" rugby school too boot.
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@canes4life the good thing is he’s on the Canes radar
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@mikey07 at 1.9 metres, if he doesn’t get a crack at prop he still meets the height requirements to be a Hurricanes lock.
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@canes4life nah too tall
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@canes4life Why would be though he’d never get passed Blackwell 😂
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@canes4life said in Hurricanes 2021:
Looks like one good propping prospect on the horizon in Joseph Gavigan.
Incredible article. After reading it, we still don't know where Gavigan plays : LHP or THP ?