The Silver Fern

@Bovidae yep Telea (L) and Jordan (R) starting wings. Clarke will be on the bench I'm hearing 🤔

@KiwiMurph

A bit delayed but – I was at this game last Saturday. Canes had a stacked side with a couple of Super WTG guys in there (Jonah Lowe, Hugh Renton) and quite a few others with Mitre 10 experience. They certainly weren’t all U20 so was a good test for the young Blues side. Blues came out guns blazing to take an early 19-5 lead. Caleb Clarke scorching the Hurricances for 2 awesome long range efforts. The first one from halfway, hugging the line and just getting on the outside of his marker off a beautiful flat pass from fullback Otu Mausia. The chasers shouldn’t even have bothered. The 2nd one after getting back to support the fullback following a Canes clearing kick. Clarke took a pass on his own 22 metre line – again close to the touchline – and just gassed it down the left touchline. Beat the first guy with power, beat the cover defender with pure pace then an in and away with only about 2 metres of the sideline to work with to beat the last line. It was a joy to watch!! Canes kept it tight and ground away to score 2 tries of their own to make the score 19all at halftime. The 2nd half was an even affair. Errors creeping in to both sides games understandable given all the movement on the subs benches. In the end it was only 2 missed conversions in it. Both teams scored 2 tries in the 2nd half, the Canes converting both of theirs. Final score 33-29 to the Canes. Blues staff would have been quietly pleased with that effort as they would certainly have to have been considered the underdogs. 10 (out of 26) of that Blues 20s squad will be eligible again next year against probably just 2 from the Canes (Proctor and Moimoiseia).

Players to catch the eye for the Blues.

Dalton Papali’i – Gee this kid is a machine. It’s no wonder he is very highly regarded in the Blues organization. Another 2 tries against the Canes to go with his 2 the week before against the Chiefs 20s.
Caleb Clarke – Will easily be the first choice winger for the NZ U20s. Bigger, stronger and faster than his old man at the same age. Crazy to think he is still 17 – turning 18 this year.
TJ Vaega – Although not tall for an outside back –was great under the high ball, and extremely dangerous with ball in hand making a lot of threatening runs.
Cameron Suafoa – Big test against the premiere up n coming lock Walker-Leawere but gave a good account of himself. Called up to the March NZ U20s camp
Tanielu Tele’a – Given a start this week after good impact off the bench against the Chiefs the week before. Looked confirtable at this level. Also called up to the NZ U20s camp
Lewis Gjaltema – Great game by the halfback. Ran well and good option taking.

First post

Cheers – ex pat Aucklander living in the capital.

The sauce reckons the game could be on the skids...if it does go ahead both run on teams will be a wee bit different to the teams named

@george33 said in Highlanders 2024:

@KiwiMurph Tanguitau going no where, most likely Vikena won't be either

🙄

Blues on the lookout for a new defense coach according to the sauce!

Out of that group I'd be keen on Heremaia Murray, tangitau (even though doesn't sound like it is happening), Sinkinson at a stretch), Bailyn Sullivan and Brewis

I'm hearing Vikena and Tangitau are locked in for the Highlanders

@African-Monkey Hoskins would be in the squad if Rangi went in to bat for him. Rangi has not gone in to bat for Hoskins. Hoskins is not in the squad.

@steven-harris good sauce...Paddy T out with a neck injury. Darry in and Robinson starts at 6 and (c). Aki on the bench.

@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:

And the other Barrett for fullback.

I reckon you could be onto something there....

@African-Monkey
Lay
Riccitelli
Laulala
Tucker
Darry
Robinson
Choat
Sotutu
9 Funaki
10 Barrett
11 Telea
12 RTS
13 Rieko
14 Lam
15 JRK

@bovidae

Papali'i (C) and BB (VC)

@Landers92 yup. Plummer on the bench.

The sauce reckons Foster is staying - with Schmidt as assistant.

@Chris said in Blues 2023:

@Tim

Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens Maybe heading to the Crusaders

Signed with the Landers

@reprobate said in Blues 2025:

@brodean said in Blues 2025:

@reprobate said in Blues 2025:

@Duluth said in Blues 2025:

Won SR and briefly became an All Black. With the lack of genuine interest from these selectors the choice was basically made for him

If there's 50/50 selection calls the Blues have to make this year I think they should go against the guy leaving

If you make the All Blacks for the first time (and it was the first time you deserved to), and the guys ahead of you are significantly older with one of them looking well past it, but you decide to cash in and go to France immediately...
That's on Harry, not the selectors.

edited: just to say that I feel a bit sick having defended the idiots.

At the end of the day most people want to be rewarded for a job well done and get paid their worth. That's clearly not happening with players like Havili and Blackadder getting special treatment off the back of little play in a losing team.

I'm talking about Plummer only. If, when rated as the 3rd best 10 in NZ, he has the attitude that he's being undervalued so much that he has no option to leave - on the back of one decent but hardly amazing Super season - I'd be surprised and disappointed.
Guys like Sotutu, even Riccitelli on the other hand - they've been absurdly under-rated by the selectors. Oh and I guess every outside back not named Fihaki too.

Hoskins has advised the Blues that 2025 season will be his last in NZ

Just heard Sefo Kautai IS Landers bound

Papalii to start. Jed Brown moves onto the bench. Duffie takes Collins bench spot.

Bronco today for the boys. The trainers reckon Beauden Barretts record might be under threat today from young Jock Mackenzie.

@nzzp lets be honest... if that was Tomkinson with the tackle....? Ash Dixons status as one of the more 'beloved' players in NZ got him off the hook

@crucial Yep. Definitley more than just that. Apparently he did little coaching just 'oversaw' and even thats being generous. Turn up to training unprepared and just go off the cuff, lacking coaching IQ for that level. Dan Bowden pretty much looked after the backs & attack/strikes. I remember seeing the halftime shots of the Akl change room in the semi against Waikato. Akl behind on the scoreboard in the premiership final - and its Dan Bowden who has the whiteboard up and pumping up the backs - Ieremia standing behind him looking rather awkward and out of place lol. Some personal things happened too in which the players lost respect for him as a person.