Auckland Rugby 2021
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@steven-harris Thanks for the match report! Really interested to see how some of those guys come through in NPC this year.
Yeah, real shame about Gibson. Even in the opening SRA game last year he was absolutely hammering guys in the tackle. Of course he went off injured after 30 minutes of that game ...
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@tim he’s a busy player , but you just don’t see him get the jackals say for example Papalii gets ,..had a catch up with Alama Ieremia as well ..he’s on board as the head coach , Craig McGrath is coming onboard as assistant as I believe , Bowden ,Bates and Ieremia all seem to have a good synergy..
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@steven-harris said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
had a catch up with Alama Ieremia as well
How's he taking things? Is McGrath going to run the show?
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@tim did not give to much away , more of good catch up with a friend type conversation, have known Alama from his All Black days ..seemed very relaxed but happy with the talent that was on display ..
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@tim Corey Evans could be a real stalwart for both Auckland and the Blues in years to come , simple because he has such a good rugby mind ..I know I would love to see him in a Taniwha jersey , but in terms of his own rugby Dev, he’s better to stay in Auckland ..his mum and dad are really great people ..
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@steven-harris said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
Word doing the rounds is Craig McGrath will take take over as the Auckland head coach ..very well liked by the players
Any clarification on this? Was the rumour incorrect? Or was the rumour for next year?
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@duluth normally my sauce is reasonably accurate, but I suspect when he passed me on this info there still a lot happening in the background..apologies putting you all crook ..
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No worries. Any info is appreciated
Surprised the media hasn't done any follow up articles after the initial reports of trouble
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@duluth said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
No worries. Any info is appreciated
Surprised the media hasn't done any follow up articles after the initial reports of trouble
Just shows their lack of interest in the NPC.
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@tim I am away this weekend, but the Varsity v Rifles game would be worth a look .
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Anyone know if Taufa Funaki is injured? Haven't seen his name in club rugby this year.
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@tim Another Auckland player that has not yet appeared in club rugby this season is Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa. I always wonder if these MIA players have moved away but have not been able to find anything out about them. On the opposite tack, I see Jamie Spowart has been with Pakuranga all season. Maybe he has signed with Auckland? Also I see former C.Manukau and briefly Chiefs prop Jarrod Firth (back from Europe) is playing for Papatoetoe and Lolagi Visinia for Suburbs.
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@daffy-jaffy said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa
I thought he got injured in NPC last year?
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@tim Oh OK so maybe rehabbing for NPC?
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@daffy-jaffy hope so
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@daffy-jaffy Visinia is only playing for Suburbs, because there is no premiers rugby in Hawke's Bay this weekend. He's been playing for Clive every week.
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I know there are a few of last seasons NPC squadies playing in the U.S. Marco Fepulea'i and Danny Tusitala for instance.
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@tim I really thought University would have knocked them over , because they had not played a lot of the top sides there was a train of thought once they hit the bigger teams they would get found out on a positive note I am very good friends with the Rifles head coach Mani Toailoa ..he coached Waitemata a few seasons back , a really good people person with great technical skills .a good bugger as well
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College Rifles vs. Ponsonby should be a good game this weekend.
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Jarred Adams could miss some games with a fractured forearm.
But after Shaw-Tait and the excellent work up front by skipper and lock Jonathan Neary and his loose forward teammates laid the foundation for University's dominance, Suburbs chipped away via the aggressive No8 Dillon Halaholo and props Ravindar Singh Teja and Jarred Adams, the latter increasingly influential despite suffering a suspected fractured forearm within the first 15 minutes of the match.
University 48 (Sage Shaw-Tait 3, George Emosi, Uini Fetalaiga, Nathan Harris, Maile Koloto tries, penalty try; Chad Crenfeldt-Smith 3 cons)
Suburbs 28 (Bruno Tuivai 2, Jacob Tuala-Dawson, Callum Adams tries; Declan Crann 3 cons, Adrian Lole con)
Halftime: 36-7Other results:
Waitemata 24 Manukau Rovers 15
Grammar Tec 29 Marist 26
Eden 60 Otahuhu 0
Papatoetoe 36 Pakuranga United 19
College Rifles 20 Ponsonby 28That result put Ponsonby above College Rifles (who have a game in hand), with University remaining in third and Grammar Tec, who were involved in another close match when beating Marist 29-26, fourth.
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Anyone got a list of the players who have left Auckland? I remember Tele'a, Sotutu, and possibly Gibson? Tumua is also gone from last year's squad. Will Whetton be back?
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Just popped along to the Auckland v Harbour match this evening , really frustrating that both unions could not produce a team sheet on either of their websites , so apart from recognising a few players from club and Mitre I do apologise that I can’t get a half decent report in
Both teams had a lot of academy players running around ..the Harbour forwards dominated the first 30 minutes and gave Harbour first five Jack Heighton so much time to run the cutter , has a massive right boot ..James Little at 2nd five looked dangerous and made one excellent break shock lead to an outstanding try ..Blues hooker Loteru Tolai was outstanding with ball in hand an at lineout time and Ethan Roots strong at scrum time ..
And big winger Walter Fifita was a handful on the left wing .Jock McKenzie impressed me in the first half for Auckland but fell away in the 2nd ..Sam Wye the Ponsonby halfback was in the 9 jersey
Harbour lead by 3 tries to one in the first half ..Auckland ran almost a completely different team out in the 2nd half with Jordon Trainor going in to fullback ..Jordon was all class, creating a brilliant try in the corner to Nico Jones who had plenty at breakdown ,
Tyrell Petra was good at number 8 carrying strongly in winning plenty of lineout ball ..Josh Behere came on at lock and was very good around the paddock …
Liked the look of Meihana Grindlay when he came on , but the one that caught my eye in the 2nd half for North Harbour was their centre , unfortunately I have no idea who he was , very stocky build with a pony tail ..talk about power , he set a superb Harbour try after a brilliant 40 metre run , looked like a run away truck., got an offload away for the try .
Made 2 or 3 other line breaks with sheer power …
Harbour came out on top , maybe 6 tries to 3 or 4 in the end , their forwards laying the platform for the pre season win …
Not sure how much you make of these games , but the unions need to be better when it comes to putting info out ..especially team sheets -
@steven-harris said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
really frustrating that both unions could not produce a team sheet on either of their websites
This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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@steven-harris said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
Ethan Roots strong at scrum time ..
Thanks for the report!
Do you mean the prop or the loose forward/lock? Jimmy Roots, his younger brother, is a tightead prop.
Did Corey Evans play, or was he with the NZ U20s?
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@tim no did not see Corey on the paddock , and yes your right , Jimmy Roots 🤦♂️..would. Love to know who the replacement Harbour centre was ..
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Just had the centre who was impressive for North Harbour in the 2nd half confirmed for me , it was Lemeki Namoa, ex Sacred Heart College and Auckland Marist .
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@steven-harris Aha! Was wondering why he hasn't been playing club rugby in Auckland.
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@tim forgot to mention Tate Evans from Harbour who is an outstanding no6 with an engine to match , brilliant in the air and at line out time Harbour would be mad not select him ..I would take to Northland at a drop of a hat even more so if Tom Robinson is named in the the All Blacks on the weekend.@taniwharugby
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@steven-harris Great write-up. Any sign of Antonio Mikaele-Tu'u returning to Harbour? He may still be injured ...
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@steven-harris Namoa is a former Blues Development Player of the Year.
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@stargazer he did his achilles so probably wont be back til next season?
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@steven-harris said in Auckland Rugby 2021:
@tim forgot to mention Tate Evans from Harbour who is an outstanding no6 with an engine to match , brilliant in the air and at line out time Harbour would be mad not select him ..I would take to Northland at a drop of a hat even more so if Tom Robinson is named in the the All Blacks on the weekend.@taniwharugby
Yeah, Tate Evans is a quality player. Covers 7 well too.
Any idea who played halfback for Harbour?
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@tim pacific island boy was very tidy ,But not sure ,Manu Paea came on for Auckland in the 2nd half , was very tidy .
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@steven-harris Wonder if it was Taufa Funaki? Another who hasn't been playing Auckland club rugby this year.
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