Super Rugby News
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First-five Richie Mo'unga has re-signed with the Crusaders through to the end of the 2019 Super Rugby season.
http://crusaders.co.nz/news/1038-mo-unga-re-signs-with-bnz-crusaders
It will be interesting to see how he develops & whether he'll get a chance at higher honours. I wouldn't be surprised if he'll be wearing black in a few years.
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Tana Umaga backs new tackle laws
Blues coach and former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga has given a cautious endorsement of rugby's controversial new tackling laws.
Famed for his hard-man approach and his timeless quote about "it's not tiddlywinks" after a run-in with a referee over a high tackle, Umaga admitted the law changes had already forced a revamped approach to this year's Super Rugby competition.
He revealed his Blues squad had analysed several video incidents from last weekend's round of Northern Hemisphere professional matches which were the first played under the new laws introduced on January 3.
Umaga is taking a philosophical approach to the changes, agreeing they are necessary and that rugby may even be a better game once "we get through the bedding down process".
"Our worry is more about interpretation really," he told Newstalk ZB host Tony Veitch in a radio interview to be aired today.
"We understand why the changes have come into play, with the studies on concussions and the head injuries the game has had.
We're going through that ourselves at the moment with one of our players who is still suffering symptoms from concussion from the Mitre 10 Cup.
"So we totally understand and agree with the line that is being taken. But as always, it's about what is going to happen from here.
"We've shown clips to our players on what is acceptable and what is going on in the north at the moment with yellow cards, penalty tries going on, and we're already starting to incorporate changes.
"Some players probably thought they were OK in the past in how they tackled but now they're not.
"Some of our players just have to understand they've got to change their tackling technique. They have to get lower so they don't get up around that area where we don't know what is going to happen.
"If that's the way it's going to be ruled, we are just going to have to adjust. We have to devise ways to cope."
Umaga predicted a "feeling out period" early in Super Rugby and said New Zealand franchises had an advantage in watching what was unfolding in the northern competitions.
"It's like every rule change. There's always conjecture and it requires a bedding down period. Hopefully it doesn't take too long.
"Players will have to go lower. We've already started that with our players of trying to get them into a mindset of going lower.
"For some, it's a little bit foreign. That's my concern. We are trying to change guys who have been tackling front-on for quite a while.
"But we all need to adapt and adjust to what has been given to us."
Umaga said rugby may even blossom as a spectacle under the changes.
"It may open up more opportunities for more flowing rugby. If everybody is going low, offloads could be more prevalent," he said.
"So it could add to the attacking game, which isn't a bad thing."
Umaga also felt the All Blacks did not need to fear the changes might impact their global supremacy.
"I still think we are very good low tacklers and very strong in that area. So if we make good, low, dominant tackles, we're still going to be very strong in the contact area," he predicted.
"From an attacking point of view, it does give us another opportunity to keep the ball alive more, which is what we want to do. That could be something that comes with it."
Umaga, now into his second year with the Blues, is excited about Super Rugby.
"I was finding my feet in my first season and we hadn't worked together as a management team before.
"But now we've had that 12 months, and we've brought some new players in who I have worked with previously and who I believe will make us better.
"I'm pretty excited about what is ahead."
Umaga confirmed Sonny Bill Williams is on track to return from an Achilles tendon operation in March or April.
"He's looking amazing at the moment and is on track with his rehab. He's very passionate about getting back and on to the field for us."
I wonder if Parsons is the player still affected by concussion?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11782066
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The Blues home game venues haven't been announced in the media
I just received my Eden Park season tickets and these are the Eden Park matches
Date Match Venue Sat 11 Mar Blues v Highlanders Eden Park Sat 25 Mar Blues v Bulls ??? Sat 1 Apr Blues v Force Eden Park Sat 15 Apr Blues v Hurricanes Eden Park Fri 12 May Blues v Cheetahs Eden Park Fri 26 May Blues v Chiefs Eden Park Fri 2 Jun Blues v Reds ??? So two games for Albany?
Hopefully its only one and there is a match at Okara Park
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The Blues home game venues haven't been announced in the media
I just received my Eden Park season tickets and these are the Eden Park matches
Date Match Venue Sat 11 Mar Blues v Highlanders Eden Park Sat 25 Mar Blues v Bulls ??? Sat 1 Apr Blues v Force Eden Park Sat 15 Apr Blues v Hurricanes Eden Park Fri 12 May Blues v Cheetahs Eden Park Fri 26 May Blues v Chiefs Eden Park Fri 2 Jun Blues v Reds ??? So two games for Albany?
Hopefully its only one and there is a match at Okara Park
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@Duluth Send the Bulls to Whangarei. Playing South African sides at Albany may as well be an away game for us.
@African-Monkey said in Super Rugby News:
@Duluth Send the Bulls to Whangarei. Playing South African sides at Albany may as well be an away game for us.
Last time we played a saffer side up there we made the trip (which was great fun) and had a Saffer sitting in front of us telling us to be quiet as we were too noisy for his wife! FFS! At the bloody rugby and you can't support your team too noisily.
Still, pretty sure we won, so it was a sweet finish
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http://www.superxv.com/fixtures/
Full fixture list here from september last year (!)
Edit: with ALL blues games 'TBC' by the look... cheers Duluth.
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Argghhh, please tell me Super Bang Bang is not going to be Super Boom Boom in 2017!! Cringe.
@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News:
Argghhh, please tell me Super Bang Bang is not going to be Super Boom Boom in 2017!! Cringe.
Steve Tew ask for a re-wording of the theme song after the Chiefs took things literally last year
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Can't wait to hear how much the marketing company charged them to come up with that evolutionary slogan.
Man, I get the bug again as soon as the rugby starts but the competition structure and bland marketing crud kill my anticipation something chronic.
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And don't forget the new tackle laws. I have a horrible feeling I am going to get sick of games ruined by yellow and red cards.
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In all honesty i have zero excitement/anticipation with regards to the forthcoming rugby season.
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In all honesty i have zero excitement/anticipation with regards to the forthcoming rugby season.
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@mariner4life Understandable, as the Chiefs won't make the playoffs this year.
@Tim Only people who haven't been Chiefs fans for long expect to make the finals every year
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At first look his running style and balance reminds me of Rupeni Caucau.
Siave Togoiu might just be one of the hottest rugby prospects in Auckland, if not New Zealand right now.
It took the Mangere 17-year-old, better known for his rugby league feats with national secondary school champions Southern Cross Campus, just one international sevens tournament to have agents, provinces and super rugby franchises beating a path to his door.
Auckland and the Blues, the teams the teenager confirmed he'll be playing for, were the first to court the winger. Waikato and the Chiefs also expressed an interest.
Siave Togoiu, right, with Junior Poluleuligaga, the coach of the Samoa schoolboy sevens team.
The frenzy erupted as Togoiu set alight the inaugural World Schools Sevens Championship at Sacred Heart College last weekend.
He had a sensational two days. He led Samoa to the finals where they lost to Australia 24-19 and was named player of the tournament.
Togoiu has been taken aback by all the attention.
"I'm surprised by all the attention. I never expected anything like this. I've been receiving calls from agents nearly every day since the tournament finished. All were prepared to sign me up, if I didn't already have a manager.
"It's exciting, I've always wanted to play professionally. This is my chance."
Togoiu hasn't put pen to paper yet but confirms that he will sign for Auckland and the Blues with whom he rubbed shoulders with at a training session at Manukau Rovers Rugby Club late last year.He was seen in discussions with Tom Hanks, the Blues high performance manager, rubbed shoulders with Blues players and even got to talk to head coach and All Black great Tana Umaga.
The irony of it all is that Togoiu wasn't supposed to play in the tournament.
He and kid-brother Kakoi , the player of the tournament at the national secondary school rugby league championships, were roped into a make shift Samoa team just days before kickoff by Papatoetoe Rugby Club director of rugby Junior Poluleuligaga.
Poluleuligaga was asked to stitch a make shift team of Aucklanders together less than a week out from the tournament when Samoa couldn't send a team.
The rest is history as the scamble for Togoiu signature began before the tournament had ended.
Poluleuligaga, a former Samoa, Auckland and Blues halfback, says he has never seen such a frenzy before.
"Siave is the hottest rugby prospect in New Zealand right now. Everyone, from agents, provinces and Super 15 franchises want his signature.
"It's his speed, foot work and balance that sets him apart," he says.
But Siave says his first aim is just to crack the Auckland under-18s.
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That's the highlights package?
He's fast. Very fast.
But, didn't see much evidence of any skills - no switching the ball to the other side when trying to beat a man, no sign of a developed passing game, and can't no chip kick? Really? Next big thing? Ok.
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That's the highlights package?
He's fast. Very fast.
But, didn't see much evidence of any skills - no switching the ball to the other side when trying to beat a man, no sign of a developed passing game, and can't no chip kick? Really? Next big thing? Ok.
@gt12 well, the last "next big thing" was a big lump of a league player who never even came over, so this has to be an improvement on that surely?
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That's the highlights package?
He's fast. Very fast.
But, didn't see much evidence of any skills - no switching the ball to the other side when trying to beat a man, no sign of a developed passing game, and can't no chip kick? Really? Next big thing? Ok.
How were Auckland able to keep Harry Plummer, Tanielu Telea, Caleb Clarke, Niven Longopoa, Mosese Pepa and this kid in the same year? Really good retention of talent by Auckland these last two years.
It seems doubling the academy spots from 12 to 24 per year is really paying off for Auckland. More spots to retain more players. 12 spots seemed very little for a big catchment like Auckland.
