NPC - news, injuries etc
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Remaining games in the battle for the top four:
Auckland (29): Otago (H), Wellington (A), Southland (A), N. Harbour (H)
Ta$man (28): Wellington (A), Otago (A), Hawkes Bay (H)
Canterbury (27): Hawkes Bay (H), Taranaki (H), Counties (A)
Wellington (27): Ta$man (H), Auckland (H), Taranaki (A)
N. Harbour (19): Taranaki (A), Counties (H), Auckland (A)
Harbour really only a mathematical chance - they've got to play the desperate Taranaki and Counties and the table topping Auks. Probably have to win all three to give themselves a chance - though Wellington especially has a tricky finish.
Auckland in the box seat - though Wellington away probably won't be easy and it's part of their storm week. Southland is gimme points and the Battle of the Bridge could be tricky.
Ta$man has possibly the easiest finish- though no games are easy and to keep the pressure on the Auks they're going to have to beat Wellington away.
Canterbury should win their final three games, but the desperate Taranaki and Counties will both be tricky - especially if Counties "must win" in the final round.
Wellington has the toughest games - I think their next game against Ta$man will determine whether they're contenders or pretenders.
Overall, I can easily see a team winning one finals match away from home - but not two. Finishing first is a big advantage and Auckland are in the box seat to do so - but, Ta$man needs to finish second!
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I just Received an email and survey about changing the name of Counties from Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union Inc to Counties Rugby Union. I was never a fan of adding Manukau to the name. Unlike other sports we don't represent the whole of the Manukau region. Manurewa, Weymouth, and Beachlands Maraetai are the only clubs I consider Manukau teams. The other Manukau clubs such as Manukau Rovers, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe, East Tamaki and Marist Eastern are all in the Auckland province.
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While I dont necessarily think it is a bad thing, it is not great if they have alot of bus trips in thier 'storm week' which is bad enough playing a couple times in 4 or 5 days, let alone if you have to spend a dozen or more hours on a bus.
I still think they could ditch one of the crossover matches, which removes the need for the 'storm-week' anyway.
Link not coming up, but is in my editable screen??
Chris King had to delve deep into his memory bank to recall his last bus trip from Christchurch to Dunedin.
The 37-year-old Canterbury prop figured it was about 20 years ago, but that changed last week due to New Zealand Rugby's (NZR) new travel policy for the Mitre 10 Cup, a result of the organisation's wider budget review.
NZR has increased the threshold for bus travel to six hours or less - up from four hours or less - saving a "significant amount" of money on air travel, head of provincial rugby Steve Lancaster confirmed.
Including Canterbury embarking on a road trip to Dunedin for last weekend's fixture against Otago, five teams are impacted this year.
"A lot of these policies have been in place for a long time, and competition structures have evolved and different factors change. We just went through an exercise last year in looking at all of our cost lines and seeing if they are still valid, are their potential savings?" Lancaster said.
"This is one where we thought, on balance, would be a reasonable change to the policy which could drive some savings for us, without having too much of a detrimental impact on teams."
Taranaki bused 295km from New Plymouth to Rotorua to play Bay of Plenty in round one, Bay of Plenty travelled 287km from Rotorua to Napier to play Hawke's Bay in round four, and Waikato got to enjoy their Shield victory against Taranaki on the road, after busing 241km from Hamilton to New Plymouth, the same week.
Given Thursday night's match between Manawatū and Bay of Plenty is the Turbos' third game in eight days, they will bus the 332km between Palmerston North and Rotorua one-way, and jump on a plane for the other leg.
Waikato, one of five teams impacted by the new travel policy, bused to New Plymouth from Hamilton when they won the Ranfurly Shield earlier this season.
Waikato, one of five teams impacted by the new travel policy, bused to New Plymouth from Hamilton when they won the Ranfurly Shield earlier this season.
NZR consulted the New Zealand Rugby Players Association, and impacted teams, during what Lancaster called a "pretty straight forward' process."It's not hugely onerous, the step up from four hours to six hours by bus.
"We spoke to all teams that were affected by it. In a couple of cases we listened and said, 'no, you're right actually, the risks around delays are too great, so let's just leave that as a flight,'.
"The unions were really pragmatic and realised that it's expensive to fly teams around the country, and if we can reasonably have teams travel more frequently by bus then it makes the competition more economically viable, as well."
Canterbury fullback George Bridge, who ran in one of his team's seven tries against Otago last week, was chipper ahead of their bus trip to Dunedin.
DIANNE MANSON/GETTY IMAGES
Canterbury fullback George Bridge, who ran in one of his team's seven tries against Otago last week, was chipper ahead of their bus trip to Dunedin.
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU) and NZR compromised over their round one fixture against Ta$man in Blenheim, a match Lancaster confirmed the red and blacks were slated to travel to by bus.However, CRFU officials cited the condition of Sate Highway 1 and the risk of road closures in arguing they should fly.
"If there was road closures, they would have to go through the Lewis Pass and, of course, then you've got the risk of snow. We all agreed that actually it made more sense for them to fly.
"In fact, it was Canterbury who said 'how about we bus to Dunedin instead?',"Lancaster said.
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mikedogz said:
I just Received an email and survey about changing the name of Counties from Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union Inc to Counties Rugby Union. I was never a fan of adding Manukau to the name. Unlike other sports we don't represent the whole of the Manukau region. Manurewa, Weymouth, and Beachlands Maraetai are the only clubs I consider Manukau teams. The other Manukau clubs such as Manukau Rovers, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe, East Tamaki and Marist Eastern are all in the Auckland province.
Is there any appetite to move the border? (to include all of Manukau)
It would seem a sensible thing to me.
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Yeah, who weighs 66 KG even if they aren't a rugby player? Males anyway.
From memory (it was a long time ago) they started to weigh them individually because 20 players all over 20kg heavier than accounted for put us up to 1/2 tonne over weight. That wouldn't be a disaster until an engine failed...fortunately that never happened.I guess we could have used the stats from the player profiles online. How much does Ardie weigh I wonder?
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Rapido said:
mikedogz said:
I just Received an email and survey about changing the name of Counties from Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union Inc to Counties Rugby Union. I was never a fan of adding Manukau to the name. Unlike other sports we don't represent the whole of the Manukau region. Manurewa, Weymouth, and Beachlands Maraetai are the only clubs I consider Manukau teams. The other Manukau clubs such as Manukau Rovers, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe, East Tamaki and Marist Eastern are all in the Auckland province.
Is there any appetite to move the border? (to include all of Manukau)
It would seem a sensible thing to me.
I recall that there were mumblings. It would be up to the individual clubs whether they want to move. I remember back when Counties were struggling the was murmurings of the Franklin part of the union breaking away or some clubs joining Thames Valley or Waikato. That was around the time Counties were playing out of Mt Smart after being promoted.
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mikedogz said:
I just Received an email and survey about changing the name of Counties from Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union Inc to Counties Rugby Union. I was never a fan of adding Manukau to the name. Unlike other sports we don't represent the whole of the Manukau region. Manurewa, Weymouth, and Beachlands Maraetai are the only clubs I consider Manukau teams. The other Manukau clubs such as Manukau Rovers, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe, East Tamaki and Marist Eastern are all in the Auckland province.
What about Ardmore Marist? are they Manukau or Counties/Franklin.
They're getting swallowed up by the sprawl.
They play in the flash grounds in Takanini, although Ardmore proper is still rural.
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My Opinion is that they are on the cusp. I don't know if that region was under the Manukau or Papakura Council. Growing up Ardmore had their fields somewhere by the Ardmore Airport. I only remember playing Marist one year in the mid nineties, I don't know where their fields were. By the time I got to senior rugby they had combined.
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