Blues v Highlanders

[Duluth]

Highlanders named to play Blues at Eden Park | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership

1 Ethan de Groot
2 Andrew Makalio
3 Jermaine Ainsley
4 Pari Pari Parkinson
5 Max Hicks
6 Shannon Frizell
7 Billy Harmon (C)
8 Hugh Renton
9 Aaron Smith
10 Freddie Burns
11 Jona Nareki
12 Sam Gilbert
13 Matt Whaanga
14 Scott Gregory
15 Mitch Hunt

Reserves: 16. Rhys Marshall 17. Daniel Lienert-Brown 18. Saula Ma’u 19. Marino Mikaele-Tu’u 20. Sean Withy 21. Folau Fakatava 22. Connor Garden-Bachop 23. Fetuli Paea

Not Available due to injury: Vili Koroi (knee) Luca Inch (thumb) Marty Banks (groin) Jeff Thwaites (back) Josh Timu (ankle) Jake Te Hiwi (ankle) Fabian Holland (hamstring) Josh Dickson (personal) Martin Bogado (leg) James Lentjes (shoulder) Thomas Umaga-Jensen (calf)

[Duluth]

TELEA MARKS MILESTONE — Blues Rugby

In-form Blues wing Mark Telea is set to play his 50th Super Rugby Pacific match, coinciding with the timely return of Captain Dalton Papalii, as the Blues prepare for a Friday night showdown against the Highlanders at Eden Park. The Gordon Hunter Trophy is also up for grabs on Friday night, with th

1 Ofa Tuungafasi
2 Ricky Riccitelli
3 Nepo Laulala
4 Patrick Tuipulotu
5 James Tucker
6 Tom Robinson
7 Anton Segner
8 Dalton Papalii (C)
9 Finlay Christie
10 Harry Plummer
11 Caleb Clarke
12 Bryce Heem
13 Rieko Ioane
14 Mark Telea
15 Zarn Sullivan

Reserves:
16 Kurt Eklund
17 Jordan Lay
18 Marcel Renata
19 Rob Rush*
20 Akira Ioane
21 Sam Nock
22 Stephen Perofeta
23 AJ Lam

*potential debutant

Players not considered: Beauden Barrett (cut foot), Adrian Choat (shoulder), Sam Darry (arm, season), Alex Hodgman (shoulder, season), Hoskins Sotutu (ABs rest), Tanielu Tele’a (knee)

[Kiwiwomble]

@Duluth ok, not as bad as thought as Gilbert is there

lowe not on injury list but Gregory pick ahead of him, sometimes selections just make you think you see the game completely differently to other people, gregory on the wing ahead of CGB or Lowe just seems weird to me

[Duluth]

Papalii, who slots into a rearranged loose forward trio at number eight, alongside Tom Robinson and Anton Segner, was granted an early return from suspension having completed a World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme.

Fellow loose forward, Akira Ioane, will come off the bench for the match as part of a personalised All Blacks rest plan while Northland’s Rob Rush is a potential Blues debutant off the bench as well.

[SouthernMann]

I'm sure Caleb Clarke is looking forward to his match up with scott gregory

[Duluth]

Suafoa given a rest? Last week was probably his least effective game.. he's had a big workload in his first year as a regular starter

[Kiwiwomble]

@SouthernMann it very generous of us to help build up his confidence, play him into form ahead of the RWC, get his line break stats up

[frugby]

@SouthernMann Whilst Gregory is undoubtedly crap with ball in hand, at least his edge defence is decent. Garden-Bachop gets toasted defensively on the wing. As for Lowe, not sure his form warrants selection, he has been dreadful.

[SouthernMann]

Still have Lowe for two more years! he certainly landed himself a great deal

[Kiwiwomble]

@friedrugby exactly what i mean, everyone just sees things differently, i see Gregory getting smoked on the wing all the time, just doesnt have the pace to get wide or to catch anyone that gets around him

[Duluth]

In a game earlier this year (v Rebels) Papali'i started at 7 and Segner at 8. They have swapped positions for this one.

I'm pretty sure Papali'i has never started an NPC or SR game at 8?

I wonder if the AB selectors made the suggestion

[frugby]

@Kiwiwomble I might be missing something, but I thought it was genuinely accepted Gregory can tackle... CGB has been toasted on the outside channel so many times this season. Not to say that Gregory will go any better, but I do like that they are trying something.

[Kiwiwomble]

@friedrugby i dont actually remember his ability to tackle being particularly impressive but if we concede he is good, my observation is he can tackle when someone runs at him, say midfield or i guess on the blindside wing, but right wing needs to be able to cover a lot of ground on defence... dominant left to right pass so teams more likely to flush wide to his wing fast and so he needs to be able to get across as the ball spreads....and i dont feel he does, i dont have a photographic memory so cant recite time and games...but have memories of him just being ran around....lots, probably doesnt even get counted as a missed tackle or anything if he's not even putting a hand on

personally, i feel at least CGB brings a lot on attack...where as gregory offers little on attack or defence

[SouthernMann]

He is just a bit shit.

[frugby]

@SouthernMann Ultimately, all three are shit in their own individual ways, so let's hope the ball just goes down Nareki's side!

[Crucial]

What's with Plummer over Perofeta?

SP has gone from bag carrying AB to bag carrying Blue.

Maybe the Highlanders coaches can make him an offer while they are there? He'd be a guaranteed strter at the Clan and form a pairing with Fakatava.

[Kirwan]

@Crucial Perofeta is contracted to the Blues next year, and is being eased back from injury - obviously.

Why risk him in a game like this? Getting him right for the finals.

[Kiwiwomble]

@Crucial said in Blues v Highlanders:

What's with Plummer over Perofeta?

SP has gone from bag carrying AB to bag carrying Blue.

Maybe the Highlanders coaches can make him an offer while they are there? He'd be a guaranteed strter at the Clan and form a pairing with Fakatava.

obviously not happening but i'd snap that up if was a real option

[reddog]

@Duluth DP was packing at 8 on attacking scrums that day. The pest christie pinched a pushover try from a stray boot.

[Bones]

@Kiwiwomble said in Blues v Highlanders:

@Duluth ok, not as bad as thought as Gilbert is there

lowe not on injury list but Gregory pick ahead of him, sometimes selections just make you think you see the game completely differently to other people, gregory on the wing ahead of CGB or Lowe just seems weird to me

It's just so fucking bizarre eh. Really erodes any trust in the coaches. If I was to be charitable, the only thing I can think of is they've noticed Gregory is shit from the bench this season and CGB's high energy style will bring some impact?