Otago 2024
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19-14 to Southland at halftime. Southland the much better team in that first half.
Otago playing very 1 dimensional trying to play everything through the forwards(A Tom Donnelly special) while Southland are trying to get it into the wide channels and getting breaks and half breaks from offloads. Very impressive.
Couple stand outs so far. Byron Smith at 10 for Southland looks to be a good athlete and had a good half. For Otago, Ale Aho is a big unit who gets around the park well with a great skill set who I thought looked solid. One to watch.
Wholesale changes in the second half, should be an interesting half.
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@Landers92 said in Otago 2024:
19-14 to Southland at halftime. Southland the much better team in that first half.
Otago playing very 1 dimensional trying to play everything through the forwards(A Tom Donnelly special) while Southland are trying to get it into the wide channels and getting breaks and half breaks from offloads. Very impressive.
Couple stand outs so far. Byron Smith at 10 for Southland looks to be a good athlete and had a good half. For Otago, Ale Aho is a big unit who gets around the park well with a great skill set who I thought looked solid. One to watch.
Wholesale changes in the second half, should be an interesting half.
Very disappointed with the first half. We should run away with this in the second half seeing the team Southland have out there. Backs looking sharp this time around. Kyan Rangitutia doing a couple of good things on both attack and D. Stoked to see Byron Smith look good. I hope there is the potential for him to be a Landers option.
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Mackenzie Palmer is a real rocks and diamonds player. Probably not someone I want to see regularly playing.
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Otago 33 - Southland 24. Much better second half for Otago and as expected much better depth and a class above in the second half.
Otago chancing their arm a bit more in the second half and looked a lot better. Nareki in particular was dangerous, he is an absolute handful when you can get him the ball 1 on 1, 2 try assists in about 10mins for him.
A backline of Arscott at 9, Millar 10, Nareki 11, Falefaga 12, Levi Harmon 13, Rangitutia 14. Palmer 15. I have have missed a sub or 2 in the backs but they were the majority of the minutes. Looked a lot better than the first half backline but that’s pre season footy and what it’s for.
As I said above Aho was impressive at lock and he carried that into the second half getting through 80 minutes. Next Friday against Canterbury I expect a more stable side with some better balance. All in all a successful game and didn’t look like any injuries.
NPC is back!
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Byron Smith looked the best of the 10s on display.
We looked at our best when we had wingers playing on the wing, instead of a fullback and a centre with Palmer and Whaanga.
Lucas Casey looked top draw at seven. Will be interesting to see the battle between him and Taylor for that gig.
Agree with @Landers92 Aho looked great.
Moana Takataka looks an absolute beast of a man. Won a couple of scrum penalties too.
Neither Arscott or Hastie gave me much confidence.
Gilbert continues to just be an ok rugby player. Someone who finishes, but not a lot else.
For Southland. Their lineout was terrible after Taylor went off.
That former Auckland 12 was an absolute powerhouse.
Josh Augistine looked good for an 18-year-old.
Withy, outstanding.
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get in! we may never loose again!
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I’ve been told that AF at 10 was atrocious, Hastie was average, Otago in general played like a bunch of ball hogs with no structure, and the kicking from hand was also awful. Sounds about right or harsh?
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@KiwiInLondon said in Otago 2024:
I’ve been told that AF at 10 was atrocious, Hastie was average, Otago in general played like a bunch of ball hogs with no structure, and the kicking from hand was also awful. Sounds about right or harsh?
Hastie and Faleafaga both played like they hadn't had a run in around two months. Hastie's last game was in May, and Faleafaga's early June. Millar looked average too. He hasn't played since the Highlanders got knocked. Arscott was untidy. He's only had 20 minutes since the Highlanders finished. Byron Smith, has been playing regular rugby, was the best 10 today. He also has the most to prove. Out of the Super guys, Nareki and Withy were the only two who properly stood out. Most looked short of a gallop.
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@KiwiInLondon said in Otago 2024:
I’ve been told that AF at 10 was atrocious, Hastie was average, Otago in general played like a bunch of ball hogs with no structure, and the kicking from hand was also awful. Sounds about right or harsh?
Very harsh.
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Irish Paul has chucked up the Otago team for the trial on X. The strangest selection is Sam Fischli at lock. He isn't an overly big loosie, so can't see him as a viable lock option. Probably a give him a run and see if he can cover there, just in case. Other noteable picks, Taylor getting openside ahead of Lucas Casey. Arscott and Millar starting in the inside backs. Faleafaga at 12. Timu returns at centre. Josh Whaanga on the right wing. Gilbert at fullback.
Stodart, Asi, Hurley, Te Hiwi and Umaga-Jensen not named. Likely to be injured. I'd expect all of them to be in the 23 if available. -
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2024:
Irish Paul has chucked up the Otago team for the trial on X. The strangest selection is Sam Fischli at lock. He isn't an overly big loosie, so can't see him as a viable lock option. Probably a give him a run and see if he can cover there, just in case. Other noteable picks, Taylor getting openside ahead of Lucas Casey. Arscott and Millar starting in the inside backs. Faleafaga at 12. Timu returns at centre. Josh Whaanga on the right wing. Gilbert at fullback.
Stodart, Asi, Hurley, Te Hiwi and Umaga-Jensen not named. Likely to be injured. I'd expect all of them to be in the 23 if available.A real shame if Hurley is still carrying a niggle into the start of the season. Would have liked him to get a run at 15 before the season kicks off and move Gilbert into 12 to continue building there. Would also like to see Whaanga get a good shot in the 13 jersey so I wouldn’t be against swapping Timu and Whaanga around. Seems as the approach with Whaanga is to slowly ease him in via the wing like last season.
Overall you would have to say that’s close to our strongest starting XV and the extended bench is a good chance for these younger fringe players to push their case. Hopefully for Stodart it’s just a rest, he got through a solid 40 last week. Would be nice to get a full update on all injured squad and players before the season starts so hopefully Otago do that.
@frugby as for saying Aho reminds you of Tuipulotu, have you seen a fair bit of him play? Intrigued to know as I’ve only seen the 1 pre season game so don’t know a lot about him.
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I just see Gilbert as a bench player. There is just something about him. He has been mucked around a bit, and has juet never kicked on. He dies in contact. Doesn't regularly swt his outsides up. Is a good goal kicker. That's about it. Disappointing really, as he has all the physical attributes to be a good player at this level, and competent at Super Level.
An issue we have faced in recent years is a lack of pace. Having the likes of Whaanga and Timu being interchangeable at centre/wing doesn't seem to address that. Play wingers on the wing. Not spare centres. If Whaanga is a rught winger this year, I'd expect a fair few cross kicks. He'd be the tallest outside back going around in the comp.
The pack looks strong apart from the weird Fischli selection. He just can't be a locking solution. -
Lio-Willie and Gilbert named as captains
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@SouthernMann Only other option is Haig and lock but I understand the logic of starting your best six at six rather than playing him out of position
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The other option, if he is fit is Will Stodart. A fair bit taller than Fischli as well. Him, Haig and Lio-Willie are our three best loosies, and if we have to play a loosie at lock it should be either Haig or Stodart.
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Game has been moved from a country rugby ground in rolleston to Orange Theory stadium due to ground conditions so unfortunately I won’t be attending this afternoon. Hopefully now that’s it’s at the stadium Canterbury can get a live stream going, how hard could it be.
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Sad to hear you aren't nipping out early to sit in the cold in Addington. Be disappointing of Canterbury doesn't live stream this.
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Canterbury up 14 nil at halftime
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Canterbury team
1 D Lienart-Brown
2 G Bell
3 S Calder
4 J Hannah
5 T Cahill
6 T Christie
7 C Kellow
8 T Barnes
9 W Hienz
10 S Miyake
11 N Punivai
12 J Rova
13 B Ennor
14 K MacDonald
15 C FihakiReserves
B McAlister
F Brewis
J Christian
Z Gallagher
D Gardiner
M Drummond
D McLeod
N Shearer
I Hutchinson
J White
C Grace
J Sa
