Blues v Highlanders

[Crucial]

@kiwiwomble said in Blues v Highlanders:

@bovidae that would almost make more sense, Punavai has also largely been used as a wing for the highlanders

you wold think they Highlanders own socials would have got it right though

With a bit of omicron around maybe it is a safety change if Punivai has mild symptoms but not positive at least they can prepare with Gregory?
Just a theory

[cgrant]

Good to see Plumtree in the starting XV. He was the standout player in the pre-season game against the Hurricanes. Suafoa is loose forward who should move south to earn some game time. He is a beast, much in the Luatua's mould.

[Nogusta]

The sauce reckons the game could be on the skids...if it does go ahead both run on teams will be a wee bit different to the teams named

[KiwiMurph]

@nogusta FFS.

[Grooter]

@nogusta this might be a silly question but doesn't Tom Robinson go by the nickname sauce?

[nzzp]

@nogusta said in Blues v Highlanders:

The sauce reckons the game could be on the skids...if it does go ahead both run on teams will be a wee bit different to the teams named

any update on this? Anything in the media?

[Stargazer]

[Dice]

Was leaving Queenstown a mistake?

[Crucial]

@dice said in Blues v Highlanders:

Was leaving Queenstown a mistake?

Nah. QTown has been hit since that started. They would have had to lock down really hard.

[Stargazer]

@dice It would have been easier to contain, for sure, because the players had no contact with family and friends in Queenstown and could minimize contact with outsiders. Since their return home, they run the risk of getting infected via partners, children and friends.

[Tim]

So, who is the player the Blues can least afford to lose?

[Machpants]

@dice said in Blues v Highlanders:

Was leaving Queenstown a mistake?

It was very badly done, lets go into a bubble and leave just as cases are reaching peak in Auckland and will be getting there elsewhere over the next few weeks. But there was obvs no appetite in the players to go into a bubble, maybe ‘cos they’re thinking long term and the Trans- Ta$man games will almost certainly al be in Oz

[gt12]

Are there extended squads this year (and since the bubble)? It seems like an obvious need and I assumed they'd have allowed teams to have more players on the books.

[Chris]

@tim said in Blues v Highlanders:

So, who is the player the Blues can least afford to lose?

I think you may lose more than one from your starting side.
If it is spreading.

[Stargazer]

Looking at the MP (players) instagram, they are still in Qtown.

[antipodean]

@tim said in Blues v Highlanders:

So, who is the player the Blues can least afford to lose?

I'd say Christie. Every other player has a reasonable stand in, but the drop to Nock based on recent form is game altering.

[Stargazer]

@tim Only based on performance thus far, I'd say Eklund, RIoane and Perofeta.

[Bovidae]

@gt12 said in Blues v Highlanders:

Are there extended squads this year (and since the bubble)? It seems like an obvious need and I assumed they'd have allowed teams to have more players on the books.

The WTG is usually large (10-15 players) but that was clearly not enough for the Hurricanes.

[Machpants]

@bovidae said in Blues v Highlanders:

@gt12 said in Blues v Highlanders:

Are there extended squads this year (and since the bubble)? It seems like an obvious need and I assumed they'd have allowed teams to have more players on the books.

The WTG is usually large (10-15 players) but that was clearly not enough for the Hurricanes.

I guess it has to be bad in certain positions, like front row. A few out there and you just can’t safely play

[Stargazer]

@bovidae Partially because of the large numbers of players affected; probably also because one or more positions were affected. If - say - all your frontrowers, including those of the WTG, have tested positive, then there's not much you can do.