Blues v Brumbies
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<p>Blues may be out of the playoff considerations but this game could still have a major impact on the Aus/NZ standings.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Good to see some different names on the bench - McGahan has been dropped from the bench, not surprisingly, he looks below par at this level. Duffie on the other hand gets another start - would rather have Visinia there personally.</p>
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<p>If Blues can win this week or next week it very much helps NZ's ability to have 4 teams in the playoffs instead of 3.</p>
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<p>Bekhuis and Sau need to pass fitness tests</p>
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<p>Looks like Faumuina and Moala might be ready for next week v Tahs.</p>
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<p> </p>
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<p>Blues named</p>
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<p>1 - Prattley</p>
<p>2 - Parsons (c)</p>
<p>3 - Ofa T</p>
<p>4 - Tuipulotu</p>
<p>5 - Bekhuis/Scrafton</p>
<p>6 - Kaino</p>
<p>7 - Pryor</p>
<p>8 - Luatua</p>
<p>9 - Hall</p>
<p>10 - West</p>
<p>11 - Li</p>
<p>12 - Francis</p>
<p>13 - Sau/Vaega</p>
<p>14 - Duffie</p>
<p>15 - Nanai</p>
<p> </p>
<p>16 - McDonald</p>
<p>17 - Maygew</p>
<p>18 - Mafileo</p>
<p>19 - Cowley-Tuioti</p>
<p>20 - Gibson</p>
<p>21 - Guyton</p>
<p>22 - Vaega/Little</p>
<p>23 - Visinia</p> -
<div>Even if Bekhuis is good to go, I'd probably want Tuipulotu to call the line-outs for these last two games. With no Bekhuis next season, it'd be nice for Tuipulotu to get some line-out calling practice before next season, because he won't get it with the All Blacks or Auckland. Tuipulotu might not even call line-outs next year, but he's the only sure lock starter in our squad for next season, so he's the best candidate for it atm.</div>
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<div>I keep forgetting to say this, but Prattley has looked like a totally different player this season. He's been a real rock in the scrum, and hasn't been too bad around the park.</div> -
<p>Yeah Prattley certainly has proved his worth this season. Don't know if he'll be there next season though with Hodgman coming back but he's shown that he's good enough to play at this level.</p>
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<p>Come on Blues. Do the kiwi teams a solid!!</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Dice" data-cid="594530" data-time="1467796202"><p>Even if Bekhuis is good to go, I'd probably want Tuipulotu to call the line-outs for these last two games. With no Bekhuis next season, it'd be nice for Tuipulotu to get some line-out calling practice before next season, because he won't get it with the All Blacks or Auckland. Tuipulotu might not even call line-outs next year, but he's the only sure lock starter in our squad for next season, so he's the best candidate for it atm.<br><br>
I keep forgetting to say this, but Prattley has looked like a totally different player this season. He's been a real rock in the scrum, and hasn't been too bad around the park.</p></blockquote>
I watched last weeks game and am pretty sure Tuipulotu called some lineouts -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="saulityvi" data-cid="594557" data-time="1467813997">
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<p>I watched last weeks game and am pretty sure Tuipulotu called some lineouts</p>
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<p>Yeah, he called them when Bekhuis went off injured.</p> -
<p>Brumbies:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#555555;"><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">1. Scott Sio 2. Stephen Moore (c) 3. Ben Alexander 4. Rory Arnold 5. Sam Carter 6. Scott Fardy 7. Jarrad Butler 8. Michael Wells </span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#555555;"><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">9. Tomás Cubelli 10. Christian Lealiifano (c) 11. James Dargaville 12. Matt Toomua 13. Tevita Kuridrani 14. Nigel Ah Wong 15. Aidan Toua</span></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#555555;"><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">Reserves: 16. Josh Mann-Rea 17. Allan Alaalatoa 18. Ruan Smith 19. Blake Enever 20. Tom Staniforth 21. Joe Powell 22. Andrew Smith 23. Lausii Taliauli</span></span></span></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="594531" data-time="1467796510">
<div>
<p>Yeah Prattley certainly has proved his worth this season. Don't know if he'll be there next season though with Hodgman coming back but he's shown that he's good enough to play at this level.</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>He exceeded my expectations too. I dubbed him the human accordian. He was worth at least 2 penalties when he came on.</p> -
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mimic" data-cid="594775" data-time="1467901258">
<div>
<p>Visinia must've pissed someone off to be benched with Li and Duffie starting</p>
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</blockquote>
<p>Yeah don't get why he's not starting. He hasn't been fantastic but I'd much rather see him ahead of at least 1 of them.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mimic" data-cid="594775" data-time="1467901258">
<div>
<p>Visinia must've pissed someone off to be benched with Li and Duffie starting</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe it is last chance for Duffie as they know what Visinia can do.</p>
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<p>Not sure about undroppable Li though. That selection continues to baffle me.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
<p><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Calibri, Candara, Segoe, 'Segoe UI', Optima, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:16px;">Asked whether 25-year-old Pryor was the quickest loose forward he had played alongside, Luatua said: "Blake [Gibson] is the fastest. He hasn't had many opportunities recently to show his wheels. I've played alongside Akira [Ioane, now with New Zealand's Rio sevens squad], too, and he's pretty fast as well."</span></p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11670721'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11670721</a></p>
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<p>We were talking about Pryor's speed for an openside on the other thread, but according to Luatua, it seems Gibson is even faster.</p>
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<p>I'm not too surprised Gibson is up there, as I've seen him skin his fair share of backs, but I'm a little surprised he is faster than Akira.</p> -
<p>Who would be the fastest loose forward in N.Z then??</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We should have a few sprint contests at the end of the season to determine the fastest forward in NZ rugby and a different one to determine the fastest back in N.Z rugby.</p>
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<p>MAKE IT HAPPEN. How cool would it be if we saw these two races:</p>
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<p>A forwards line up of 1. Ardie Savea 2. Blake Gibson 3. Kara Pryor 4. Akira Ioane 5. Vaea Fifita 6. Dane Coles 7. Elliot Dixon 8. Jordan Taufua </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A backs line up of 1. Beauden Barrett 2. Toni Pulu 3. Sam McNicol 4. Damian McKenzie 5. Ben Smith 6. Waisaki Nahalo 7. Matt Faddes 8. Julian Savea</p> -
<p>apparently Pulu is the quickest back in NZ.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dan Pryor is pretty rapid too, just shaded by Kara though...pretty sure they combined for a superb 80m try v NH in 2014. </p> -
<p>To be fair I haven't seen too much of the Pryor brothers in the past but I am a fan of both of them.</p>
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<p>They play a gnarly, work horse type game but they both have the ability to link up and score brilliant tries outside as well.</p>
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<p>In regards to Pulu surely Barrett and Nahalo would put up a fight against him.</p> -
<p>I heard Rennie say it and might have been Jamie Joseph as well (prior to their last match up citing Pulu as a threat as the quickest in NZ) assume they must have access to one anothers training data (40m times etc) via the NZRU or know someone in the other franchises that provides it?</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Canes4life" data-cid="594925" data-time="1467951183">
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<p>To be fair I haven't seen too much of the Pryor brothers in the past but I am a fan of both of them.</p>
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<p>This is what Internet fora were invented for eh</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="594929" data-time="1467951453">
<div>
<p>I heard Rennie say it and might have been Jamie Joseph as well (prior to their last match up citing Pulu as a threat as the quickest in NZ) assume they must have access to one anothers training data (40m times etc) via the NZRU or know someone in the other franchises that provides it?</p>
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<p>Over 100m though it may be a different story. I know Ardie is quicker than his bro Julian over 40m but Julian is faster over 100m so it could change in that regard.</p>
