NPC 2024

[taniwharugby]

would have been great for Ofa to play on Sunday

[Yeetyaah]

@Yeetyaah said in NPC 2024:

@Bovidae said in NPC 2024:

Waikato v Hawkes Bay – FMG Stadium, Hamilton, 7.05pm
Waikato: Samipeni Finau and Luke Jacobson

Waikato 13+

Told you

[Chris B.]

Interesting final round.

Every game has something riding on it for at least one team.

[Chris B.]

So, right now - according to me:

Canterbury need a bonus point to push Otago out of the eight. (Unless you're from Canterbury, I can't see this being a good thing). The other seven places are assured.

Wellington, Ta$man and Taranaki assured of hosting home semi-finals. I think BoP currently needs a bonus point v auckland to be absolutely assured of hosting a semi. I can't find the tie-breaker if they, Hawkes Bay and Waikato were all to end up on 33 points.

@Bovidae ?

[Bovidae]

@Chris-B I was just having a quick look at the updated table. A 3-way tie-breaker is a little more complicated.

[Chris B.]

@Bovidae I think it would have to be points differential, because they haven't all played one another (I think?) - but, who knows. I can't even find the page right now!

[Bovidae]

@Chris-B Waikato are above CM as it's "who beat who" between two teams. Canterbury will end up 6th.

[Chris B.]

@Bovidae Yep.

Wellington will be either 1st or 2nd.

Taranaki will be 2nd, 3rd or 4th

BoP will be either 3rd or 4th.

Ta$man can be any of 1-4.

5. Hawkes Bay
6. Canterbury
7. Waikato
8. Counties

[Bovidae]

[Machpants]

3 pretty good 'derby' type games there

[pakman]

Will be interesting to see whom TWM release.

[Bovidae]

STATS WRAP: Bunnings NPC

A rash of last-round scoring resulted in the number of points centurions reaching four at the end of regular season play in New Zealand's Bunnings National Provincial Championship at the weekend.

NH lead a lot of the stats despite their W-L record.

[Duluth]

@Bovidae

They have the best try scoring highlights too. Some great long range efforts

They had a schizo season

[Chris B.]

@pakman said in NPC 2024:

Will be interesting to see whom TWM release.

TBH - even though we have a decent chance to be beneficiaries, I'd rather they didn't release anyone.

Also hope that all the AB XV players are left to play throughout the play-offs.

Seriously devalues the NPC if they remove the best players from the final(s).

[taniwharugby]

Good listen from Neil Barnes talking briefly on the Shield, NPC, Storm week and top heavy rugby in NZ.

NEIL BARNES | Is Rugby in New Zealand too top heavy? by Scotty & Izzy

[Canes4life]

Razor has mentioned about 15 ABs will be released this week for the quarter finals.

Two players carrying injuries atm will return. Love will play for Wellington, Newell for Canterbury.

[Bovidae]

This will have a bearing on the availability of players for the latter stages of the playoffs.

The All Blacks squad will depart for Japan on 17 October.
The All Blacks XV squad will depart for Ireland on 26 (non-NPC finalists) and 27 October (NPC finalists).

[Mr Fish]

@Bovidae said in NPC 2024:

This will have a bearing on the availability of players for the latter stages of the playoffs.

The All Blacks squad will depart for Japan on 17 October.
The All Blacks XV squad will depart for Ireland on 26 (non-NPC finalists) and 27 October (NPC finalists).

Nice to see it won't be very disruptive. The players that have largely been available throughout the regular season will all still be available for the finals.

[KiwiMurph]

Not sure if this has been posted.

JRK out of the rest of the NPC

This is almost certainly the result of the Ta$man lock Shalfoon shouldering JRK to the back of the neck and head after he landed taking a high ball in what was a moronic avoidable play. Shalfoon should have faced more punishment.

[antipodean]

With his form in the NPC I expected him to be named in the AB XV. That must be bitterly disappointing for the young lad.