Hurricanes 2021
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@kiwimurph said in Hurricanes 2021:
@winger said in Hurricanes 2021:
Hes playing well enough. Esp playing in a poorly functioning team
For an AB spot? I cannot agree. He's certainly in good nick and playing better than he was in 2020 Mitre 10 Cup but he clearly lacks the explosiveness/speed when you compare him to Clarke, Nareki, Fainga'anuku, Reece etc. Heck even Rayasi in 15 minutes on the field showed more.
Totally. He was playing in the centres in the NH, and that is where his body is at now. But had he got the skills to do that at a higher level still, and the mental awareness?
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X-rays this week cleared Aumua of any bone damage, said a relieved Holland. “He’s got nothing broken, but obviously his AC joint is pretty banged up.”
Unless Aumua made a miraculous recovery, Holland expected he would be sidelined for about two weeks which means their home match against the Chiefs on March 20, after this weekend’s bye, would come up too soon.
That provides headaches, with fellow All Blacks hooker Dane Coles still not a guaranteed starter as he makes a measured return from a calf muscle injury.
Ricky Riccitelli came on for Aumua on Sunday, while Wellington duo James O’Reilly and Tyrone Thompson are both in reserve in an area of strength for the 0-2 Hurricanes.
Of Coles, Holland said: “Touch and go whether he’s right for the Chiefs. We’re hoping, but we won’t get too excited. He definitely won’t be right to peel out 50-60 minutes. We’ll play it by ear, hopefully he’s right but if it comes around too quick then we’ll accept that.”
The No 10 jersey will also cause Holland and his assistant coaches some lengthy discussion, with Jackson Garden-Bachop also in doubt for the Chiefs with an achilles tendon injury.
It’s an ongoing problem which saw Garden-Bachop depart at halftime, and fullback Jordie Barrett move to first-five.
On Garden-Bachop. Holland said: “He’s had niggly achilles for a long time and we can manage it normally, but it obviously got pretty inflamed over the first half of that game. The reality with those guys is, with the bye week we give them 4-5 days and see how they rock up on Monday.”
The Hurricanes were awaiting an MRI scan to determine the extent of Garden-Bachop’s injury.
That leaves three options for No 10 should he be ruled out next Saturday: Barrett, Counties-Manukau’s Orbyn Leger and 19-year-old Aidan Morgan, the 2019 New Zealand Secondary Schools’ pivot out of Auckland.
Barrett looks an obvious stop-gap as a key leader and playmaker in the backline, but Holland wasn’t so sure.
Barrett, Leger and Morgan will all run at first-five when training resumes on Thursday. Morgan had impressed the coach, a former Manawatu pivot himself, and the Hurricanes received the required clearance to include him in their squad given he was not yet 20.
Lock Scott Scrafton (ankle) was the other injury worry, but had made good progress and was a chance of being fit for the Chiefs, Holland said.
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@stargazer Aumua is a big loss. JGB not so much but not having a 10 is obviously an issue.
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@yeetyaah Not having a 10 happens when you're shit at talent indentification, recruitment and development.
There's a good NPC 10 working on a Hawke's Bay building site, who's training for the club rugby competition.
If only they'd invested in him the last 2 years like they've done with some Wellington schoolboys over the years (remember TJ Va'a?) ... -
@stargazer yeah I do remember Va'a. What ever happened to him?
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@yeetyaah I know that, after he lost his Hurricanes contract (during which he was injured most of the time and he never played for them), he played club rugby for Wainuiomata and then went to Australia (not sure when he left). He played some club rugby for Wainuimata again, last year, but that may have had to do with COVID. Not sure where he is now.
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@stargazer said in Hurricanes 2021:
Not having a 10 happens when you're shit at talent indentification, recruitment and development.
Agree. They have lost a first 2. JGB has an injury issue. And Love seesm to be out. But both Morgan and Love were played at FB in the next level game. So they've had 2 games to decide on another option to Barrett. Yet they now want to decide during training FFS. Including Leger. my view is if they have doubts about Leger then give it to Barrett. And use training to get him ready.
Forget Morgan. He only 19. And hes not an impressive physical specimen for his age (1.72cm etc). I thought he looked ordinary for Wellington last year. Totally unimpressed (opposite with Love). But coaches seem to like short players. Maybe if he can put on weight hes another lock option
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O Ledger and S Cruden were the stating first five in the Hunters v Hurricanes Regional XV a couple of weeks back so logic seems to indicate that one of those should be the next in line for the first five position. Sadly the words logic and the Hurricanes selectors do not belong in the same sentence so they will probably go with some pet Wellington project like A Morgan or C Harkin!
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@machpants said in Hurricanes 2021:
@kiwimurph said in Hurricanes 2021:
@winger said in Hurricanes 2021:
Hes playing well enough. Esp playing in a poorly functioning team
For an AB spot? I cannot agree. He's certainly in good nick and playing better than he was in 2020 Mitre 10 Cup but he clearly lacks the explosiveness/speed when you compare him to Clarke, Nareki, Fainga'anuku, Reece etc. Heck even Rayasi in 15 minutes on the field showed more.
Totally. He was playing in the centres in the NH, and that is where his body is at now. But had he got the skills to do that at a higher level still, and the mental awareness?
Big winger who slows down a bit but sees his future in the midfield ?
Yeah, no fucken chance.....
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@machpants Savea played some midfield for Wellington last year and he didn't look that flash.
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@gt12 said in Hurricanes 2021:
Very different kind of work-rate and skills between those two. Tana was an excellent passer and almost another loosie, he naturally suited moving to the midfield.
Plus Tana moved in because he felt he’d lost some top end pace, not because he’d been shit for 5 years.
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@nepia said in Hurricanes 2021:
@gt12 said in Hurricanes 2021:
Very different kind of work-rate and skills between those two. Tana was an excellent passer and almost another loosie, he naturally suited moving to the midfield.
Plus Tana moved in because he felt he’d lost some top end pace, not because he’d been shit for 5 years.
And had an eye for the game, could anticipate what was happening... and would typically only hit the deck if tackled by someone else, not just because he fell over.
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Till 2023!! ffs.
