NPC - news, injuries etc
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Magpies rugby side pipped in final rehearsal
Any team wanting to taste Premiership or Championship glory in the Mitre 10 Cup rugby competitions must have depth.
The Hawke's Bay Magpies, who are among the favourites for this year's Championship title, certainly have depth and in particular in the loose forward department.
Blindside flanker Solomone Funaki, who will be lucky to make the Magpies top 23 when all of the loosies are available, was among the team's best players when they were pipped 31-26 by Auckland in their final rehearsal for the Championship which was played behind closed doors in Rotorua yesterday.
Funaki played the entire match as he did during the previous week's scenario-based hit out against Waikato in Rotorua. Former All Black lock Bryn Evans and former Tonga prop Sona Taumalolo both provided quality impact off the subs bench.
The Magpies played without in-form Highlanders loosie Marino Mikaele-Tu'u and Hurricanes loosie Gareth Evans.
"Auckland fielded a big and tough physical outfit. It was a good hit out and in terms of dress rehearsals we got what we wanted," Magpies manager Mike Smith said.
The Magpies led 21-7 at halftime and 26-7 early in the second half. Auckland scored a converted try late in the second half to snatch victory.
"Auckland ran us down a bit but our boys did well with their goal line defence for most of the match," Smith added.
Openside flanker Brendon O'Connor, wingers Mason Emerson and Jonah Lowe and first five-eighth Lincoln McClutchie scored the Magpies tries. McClutchie also kicked three conversions.
The Magpies Mitre 10 Cup squad will be announced tomorrow and the Magpies open their Championship campaign with an away game against Southland in Invercargill next Sunday.
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@Stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
2020 Taranaki squad
geez, thats a pretty strong squad for this level
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@Tim Hard to say with both squads still to be named, but BOP will probably benefit most from the AB7s players being available. IIRC they bolstered their squad with quite a few imports, last year; some of them old-timers. Did these players stay? I know Ainley left, but don't know about the rest.
By the way, will Harbour be strong enough this year, or could they end up being relegated as well? (genuine question, not a dig)
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@Tim said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Who's getting relegated this year, Waikato or BOP?
shut your whore mouth
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@mariner4life said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
@Tim said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Who's getting relegated this year, Waikato or BOP?
shut your whore mouth
@Tim got ‘em
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@Stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
@Tim Hard to say with both squads still to be named, but BOP will probably benefit most from the AB7s players being available. IIRC they bolstered their squad with quite a few imports, last year; some of them old-timers. Did these players stay? I know Ainley left, but don't know about the rest.
By the way, will Harbour be strong enough this year, or could they end up being relegated as well? (genuine question, not a dig)
I agree, hard to know, not even all squads are not named yet. BoP may even get lucky round one, with Beauden at least not expected to back up, while Cane was confident of clearance.
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@Stargazer said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
In case you can't see the whole picture and don't want to go to Twitter:
They forgot to name the Otago All Blacks not playing this weekend...……………….
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@Stargazer Harbour have lost quite a few players (e.g. Telea, Duffie, Lua Li, Preston, Parsons, McGahan, Drake, Neenee, Groundwater), so I expect them to struggle this year. If their best players stay fit they should be good for a couple of Premiership wins.
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That list of available ABs for Mitre 10 Cup comes from this NZR media release:
https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-available-for-mitre-10-cup-opening-weekend/ -
@mariner4life said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
@Tim said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Who's getting relegated this year, Waikato or BOP?
shut your whore mouth
I had a couple of beers with @tim the other day and had an involved discussion about covid. Some of which I even understood.
Rugby is far more technical and personal, even for a biochemist, and he will have analysed this. So take your pick? Waikato or BOP?
Or he could just be taking the piss..Slight aside, weird expression, a whore mouth being open is bad? I certainly wouldn't expect you to tell a whore to close it. Just saying.
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@Snowy said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
@mariner4life said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
@Tim said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
Who's getting relegated this year, Waikato or BOP?
shut your whore mouth
I had a couple of beers with @tim the other day and had an involved discussion about covid. Some of which I even understood.
Rugby is far more technical and personal, even for a biochemist, and he will have analysed this. So take your pick? Waikato or BOP?
Or he could just be taking the piss..Slight aside, weird expression, a whore mouth being open is bad? I certainly wouldn't expect you to tell a whore to close it. Just saying.
why don't you spend some time explaining to me how the biggest richest union in the country has only won the comp once in 17 years?
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2003, 2005, 2007, 2018.
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@mariner4life said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
why don't you spend some time explaining to me how the biggest richest union in the country has only won the comp once in 17 years?
Are they really the richest? Eden park ain't cheap, crowd numbers weren't good.
Anyway the rest is easy. Financial mismanagement, poor selection and coaching.And as Tim has said, it wasn't that bad either.
https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/news/magpies-rugby-side-pipped-in-final-rehearsal
