SF - Blues v Brumbies

[Duluth]

BLUES PRIMED FOR BRUMBIES CHALLENGE — Blues Rugby

 The Blues have made one enforced change to their side for Friday night’s DHL Super Rugby Pacific Semi Final showdown against the ACT Brumbies at Eden Park, 7:05pm. Lock Sam Darry returns to the starting side after sitting out last week under concussion protocols, replacing skipper Patrick

1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi
2 Ricky Riccitelli
3 Marcel Renata
4 Sam Darry
5 Josh Beehre
6 Akira Ioane
7 Dalton Papali’i (c)
8 Hoskins Sotutu
9 Finlay Christie
10 Harry Plummer
11 Caleb Clarke
12 AJ Lam
13 Rieko Ioane
14 Mark Tele’a
15 Stephen Perofeta

16 Kurt Eklund
17 Joshua Fusitu’a
18 Angus Ta’avao
19 James Thompson
20 Adrian Choat
21 Taufa Funaki
22 Corey Evans
23 Cole Forbes

Players not considered: Patrick Tuipulotu (knee), Bryce Heem (calf), Jordan Lay (ankle, season), Zarn Sullivan (knee)

[Duluth]

Thompson on the bench is a surprise

[Duluth]

Brumbies.rugby  /  Jun 11

Super Rugby Pacific Team List: Semi-Final v Blues

James Slipper, Billy Pollard, Allan Alaalatoa (c), Darcy Swain, Tom Hooper, Rob Valetini, Rory Scott, Charlie Cale, Ryan Lonergan, Noah Lolesio, Corey Toole, Tamati Tua, Len Ikitau, Andy Muirhead, Tom Wright

RESERVES: Liam Bowron, Rhys van Nek, Sosefo Kautai, Nick Frost, Jahrome Brown, Luke Reimer, Harrison Goddard, Ollie Sapsford

[Bovidae]

Referee: James Doleman

[Kirwan]

Happy with that team, best two halfbacks and if you have those two, that's the right way around so Funaki can provide impact from the bench. Christie organised the forwards in tight well last week, so expect the first 55mins to be a grind too.

Good to see Lam get consecutive starts in the same position, he usually has to move all over the place so should help his attack (his defence was huge last week).

Expecting to really take on the Brumbies up front and blunt their strengths.

[Duluth]

From stuff

Blues loose forward Akira Ioane is a major doubt because of a calf injury and did not train in their most intense session of the week on Wednesday.

The 21-test All Black has tentatively been named to start, but Blues coach Vern Cotter said he needed to prove his fitness at Thursday’s captain’s run.

He limped off the field in the 67th minute of last Saturday’s big quarterfinal win (36-5) over the Fijian Drua at Eden Park.

“He’s a big part of the team. He gets an opportunity tomorrow to get through our captain’s run at full pace,” Cotter said.

“It’s touch and go.”

If he's out, I guess Choat starts and Segner on the bench. The other option is they use Thompson as loose forward cover and bring in McWhannell

[nzzp]

@Kirwan Christie is much maligned, but played pretty well last week.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Weather is predicted to be dire -

22 hours of rain: Downpours and thunderstorms to lash North Island

[nzzp]

Argh.
Suits the Brumbies surely - wet is a leveller. Eden Park has great drainage though... but will hit the walkup crowd

[pakman]

@Bovidae said in SF - Blues v Brumbies:

Referee: James Doleman

Wish he was on it.

[NTA]

@Bovidae said in SF - Blues v Brumbies:

Referee: James Doleman

Now there's a contradiction in terms.

[Duluth]

Super Rugby, Rugby, Sport

Akira Ioane's Blues farewell in doubt, under injury cloud for semifinal

An injury cloud hovers over a former All Black as he prepares to farewell the Blues.

So if Akira doesn't play Suafoa will probably come into the 23

[george33]

Akira good to go

[Kirwan]

@george33 said in SF - Blues v Brumbies:

Akira good to go

Awesome, he deserves an Eden Park send off

[mariner4life]

@Kirwan said in SF - Blues v Brumbies:

@george33 said in SF - Blues v Brumbies:

Akira good to go

Awesome, he deserves an Eden Park send off

next week?

[Kirwan]

One week at a time in knock out rugby, I'm not a Canes fan counting my chickens.

[Canes4life]

@Kirwan we aren't counting our chickens either. We've been knocked out in semis plenty of times before. I'm kind of expecting the worst and hoping for the best as to not get too disappointed if we lose.

[Bones]

@Kirwan said in SF - Blues v Brumbies:

One week at a time in knock out rugby, I'm not a Canes fan counting my chickens.

Ok I took a different meaning out of m4l's comment...

[pakman]

@Bones In fact m4L classic double meaning. Four candles?

[Duluth]

From the SF a couple of years ago: