Chiefs vs Wales, June 14

Cpt Kumera

start kane haimes

booboo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Don Frye" data-cid="584124" data-time="1464614554">
Mitchell Graham 
Nathan Harris / Hika Elliot (c) 
Hiroshi Yamashita 
Dominic Bird 
Taleni Seu 
Johan Bardoul 
Tevita Koloamatangi / Maama Vaipulu 
Tom Sanders 
Brad Weber 
Stephen Donald 
James Lowe 
Anton Lienert-Brown 
Seta Tamanivalu / Charlie Ngatai (c) 
Toni Pulu 
Damian McKenzie / Glen Fisiiahi 
Hika Elliot / ? 
Kane Hames 
Siegfried Fisiâ€™ihoi / Atu Moli 
Michael Allardice / James Tucker 
Sam Henwood / Lachlan Boshier 
Kayne Hammington / TKB 
Andrew Horrell 
Sam Vaka / Chase Tiatita / Glen Fisiiahi</blockquote>
Using Don's team as as starting point ... 
Firstly is Bardoul available? He could also pkay lock. Could swap with Seu? 
Am assuming TKB is with the ABs so not released. 
Midfield looks to be an issue. Can Vaka play there? 
Anyways options as follows:

Graham / Hames / Moli
Elliot / Marshall
Yamashita / Fisi'ihoi / Moli 
4.5. Bird / Allardice / Tucker / Seu / Bardoul 
6.7.8. Seu / Bardoul / Vaipulu / Sanders / Henwood / Boshier
Weber / Hammington
Donald 
12.13. Lienert-Brown / Horrell / Donald 
11.14. Lowe / Pulu / Vaka / Fisiiahi / Tiatita
Horrell / Pulu / Fisiiahi

booboo

They should be able to cobble together a decent 23 out of that.

Bovidae

Bardoul and Fisiiahi are done for the season, Chase Tiatia is also now injured.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/80932270/chiefs-suffer-injury-blows-as-glen-fisiiahi-and-johan-bardoul-ruled-out-for-season'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/80932270/chiefs-suffer-injury-blows-as-glen-fisiiahi-and-johan-bardoul-ruled-out-for-season</a>

Nepia

How stupid were the Chiefs to give Fisiiashi a contract? The guy has never gotten through a season of professional sport. Someone at the Chiefs must have known him as a schoolboy rugby player to rate him high enough for a Super 15 spot.

Bovidae

The Gallagher Chiefs team to play Wales is:

Mitchell Graham (23)
Rhys Marshall (30)
Hiroshi Yamashita (7)
Dominic Bird (5)
Michael Allardice (17)
Mitchell Brown*
Lachlan Boshier (2)
Tom Sanders (9)
Brad Weber (36) 10. Stephen Donald (87) Captain
Sam Vaka (3)
Andrew Horrell (53)
Anton Lienert-Brown (18)
Toni Pulu (7)
James Lowe (31) 
RESERVES:
Hika Elliot (98)
Siegfried Fisiâ€™ihoi (5)
Atu Moli (5)
Taleni Seu (12)
Tevita Koloamatangi (7)
Kayne Hammington (6)
Sam McNicol (6)
Latu Vaeno (2)
 
Not considered for selection: Nepo Laulala, Mitchell Karpik, Johan Bardoul, Pauliasi Manu, Sam Henwood, Glen Fisiiahi, Chase Tiatia, Michael Leitch, Maama Vaipulu, James Tucker, Augustine Pulu (All Blacks Sevens) and Shaun Stevenson (New Zealand U20s). 
All Blacks: Charlie Ngatai, Brodie Rettalick, Sam Cane, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Seta Tamanivalu, Nathan Harris, Aaron Cruden and Damian McKenzie
 
A few surprises here. Who is Mitchell Brown?

hydro11

I don't really see why we expect Welsh test players to back up and then we don't even release fringe All Blacks. I don't know. I can understand it but it is kind of disappointing .

bobily

A bit disappointed that no Chiefs players have been released. I think it would have made sense for Codie Taylor to be the bench hooker and Nathan Harris to get game time. Additionally, it doesn't look like Damian McKenzie will be getting game time any time soon, so why not let him get a chance against some reasonable opposition?

booboo

Not a bad side. Should be at the very least competitive. 
Surprised they've gone for a debutante over Seu. 
And yeah ... what Bovidae said ... what's Brown's background?

bobily

Mitchell Brown played No.8 for NZ Schools in 2011, I think. He was a No.8, but has had trouble breaking into the Taranaki team as a loose forward, so has been playing at lock. At 194cm, he is probably a bit too short for lock at this level, but a reasonable size for blindside. He is reasonably good at the lineout, has a good workrate, but is nothing special on attack.

? Offline

Mitchell Brown
 
16 first-class matches for Taranaki, 2012-2015
1 first-class game for Hurricanes Dev team, 2013

pooler fan

Chiefs hooker sounds like he should be in the Wales XV, great Welsh name Rhys ! 
I'd imagine the Welsh side in this game will be pretty poor.

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="pooler fan" data-cid="587097" data-time="1465720015">
<div>
Chiefs hooker sounds like he should be in the Wales XV, great Welsh name Rhys ! 
I'd imagine the Welsh side in this game will be pretty poor.
</div>
</blockquote>
15 changes.
 
Mike the Snow will be happy. Matthew Morgan gets a start.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36510160'>http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36510160</a>

MiketheSnow

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="587124" data-time="1465723747">
<div>
15 changes.
 
Mike the Snow will be happy. Matthew Morgan gets a start.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36510160'>http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36510160</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Very happy. About time.
 
Good mix of youthful exuberance and experience.
 
Matthew Morgan, Scott Williams, Tom James, Rob Evans, Scott Baldwin and Luke Charteris playing for a possible 2nd Test place.
 
Hopefully will have too much for The Chiefs and come away with one victory this summer.

pooler fan

Hope a few of them play well enough to force themselves into next weekends test side Mike. 
Looking like a shootout between James & Walker for George North's spot. Maybe a chance for them both as Amos was a little timid yesterday. 
Hope Scott Williams plays himself in, we'd be a stronger attacking threat with him over Roberts.

SabalomG

nice to see Beaver getting some recognition. Captain Beaver!

MiketheSnow

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="pooler fan" data-cid="587135" data-time="1465725309">
<div>
Hope a few of them play well enough to force themselves into next weekends test side Mike. 
Looking like a shootout between James & Walker for George North's spot. Maybe a chance for them both as Amos was a little timid yesterday. 
Hope Scott Williams plays himself in, we'd be a stronger attacking threat with him over Roberts.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
100%

Cpt Kumera

no haimes

Crucial

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="bobily" data-cid="586954" data-time="1465695714">A bit disappointed that no Chiefs players have been released. I think it would have made sense for Codie Taylor to be the bench hooker and Nathan Harris to get game time. Additionally, it doesn't look like Damian McKenzie will be getting game time any time soon, so why not let him get a chance against some reasonable opposition?</blockquote>
I have no issues with players not being released. They were selected into the AB camp so the coaches could work with them for the current and upcoming test campaign. 
What are they going to achieve by having D Mac leaving the ABs and spending time back with the Chiefs to play a second string Wales side?

bobily

I know what you mean, but wouldn't think he'd need to spend a huge amount of time out of the AB setup - just a couple of days (and likely days where not too much would be happening, anyway - I'd say they'd largely be about recovery and review), given he already knows how the Chiefs play. It would mean he has an opportunity to put some of what he has learned into practice in an actual game situation, rather than learning lots of little things that he can't actually put to use, and are likely quickly forgotten. Also, testing yourself against some decent opposition is never a bad idea, either. I think that, in and of itself, is also a good learning experience.

The Silver Fern

Chiefs vs Wales, June 14