HB Club Rugby 2018

Number 10

Starts this Saturday 24 March.

Change of format of the Nash Cup with two pools culminating in quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
Last time they had this two-pools format was 2002.

Napier OB Marist going for three Nash Cup's in a row

home team first

Pool A
Napier OB Marist v Pirates
Taradale v Central
bye Tech OB

Pool B
Clive v Havelock North
MAC v Tamatea
bye Hastings RS

Friendly: Tech OB v Hastings RS

kiwimatrix

@number-10 Any word on who the likely improvers are?I have heard Central and Tamatea have picked up a few players and Tamatea have had Ozich helping with their training.

Number 10

@kiwimatrix Pirates have a halfback from Japan, and Taradale, apparently, have a lock who is within the Hurricanes programme. Don't know the names or playing pedigree.

With the opening round this Saturday, the HB Today usually publish a season preview list of each squad, including ins and outs, and probably in the Saturday paper.

Stargazer

@number-10 said in HB Club Rugby 2018:

Starts this Saturday 24 March.

Change of format of the Nash Cup with two pools culminating in quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
Last time they had this two-pools format was 2002.

Napier OB Marist going for three Nash Cup's in a row

home team first

Pool A
Napier OB Marist v Pirates
Taradale v Central
bye Tech OB

Pool B
Clive v Havelock North
MAC v Tamatea
bye Hastings RS

Friendly: Tech OB v Hastings RS

Are you sure Tech v HRS is a friendly? In the draw, it's called a cross-over game.

Number 10

There are no Nash Cup points being played for, but the match does count towards the Black and White Shield.

Stockcar86

@number-10 said in HB Club Rugby 2018:

Starts this Saturday 24 March.

Change of format of the Nash Cup with two pools culminating in quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

Really, a 10 team competition, and the top 8 make the playoffs. I fail to see the need for this - let the top 4 just play semi-finals

Nepia

@stockcar86 said in HB Club Rugby 2018:

@number-10 said in HB Club Rugby 2018:

Starts this Saturday 24 March.

Change of format of the Nash Cup with two pools culminating in quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

Really, a 10 team competition, and the top 8 make the playoffs. I fail to see the need for this - let the top 4 just play semi-finals

That seems bonkers, although I'd love to see a team who comes in 8th carry on through to win. The HBRU will change that quick smart.

Just have a top 4 and let the other 6 teams play off for positions on the table if you want them all to play.

Number 10

@stockcar86 said in HB Club Rugby 2018:

@number-10 said in HB Club Rugby 2018:

Starts this Saturday 24 March.

Change of format of the Nash Cup with two pools culminating in quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

Really, a 10 team competition, and the top 8 make the playoffs. I fail to see the need for this - let the top 4 just play semi-finals

The Nash Cup format was approved by the clubs, or majority clubs, at the 8 November Club Delegates meeting.

Stargazer

Here's more about the new format:

New format sees Magpies available for Maddison Trophy final

For the first time in many years Premier Clubs will have the full services of available Magpie players (not those playing in Super Rugby) right through to the final of the Maddison Trophy Final.

Club Rugby manager Gary Macdonald says the number of games across the season has been reduced by 20 to 19 games– over the Nash Cup and Maddison Trophy Rounds, so that there’s still a good gap before the Magpie season gets underway.

“The Maddison Trophy Final is usually in August but it will now be held on August 28. By having Magpie players available will breathe life into the competition and there’s some great new talent set to be on show this season.”

To enable the Maddison to feature Magpie players, the Nash Cup has been split into 2 pools of five clubs. After the pool round robin there’s quarters, semis and the final.

Gary says the teams are ranked based on their placings last season with pool 1 is 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and the other pool being 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. Each week in both pools there will be 2 competition games as well as a cross over game, which will not be for any points.

Gary says the concept has been well supported by the clubs, but the onus is on them to support it during the season and ensure that although the cross over games don’t earn points, the game must be played.

“They’re aware that if the default, there will be fines. But also this is a new concept and it’s not set in stone. We can look at it again at the end of the season and if it’s not working we can come up with something else.

In other grades the town and country division also starts this weekend while the 3rd and colts will start on April 7 and the women’s competition in June.

I assume that date of the Maddision Trophy Final is meant to be July 28.

Stargazer

Interesting bits about player movements, captains etc. from the article below:

Fans will be keen to see whether or not the Chris Johnston-captained side which has won their last 34 games in Nash Cup and Maddison Trophy play will stay on target to match or better the Hawke's Bay record of 46 consecutive wins set by Clive from 1999 to 2001.

The departure of last year's captain and hard-working loosie, Aaron McPhee, to Australia is a huge blow for the Hayden Hann-captained Pirate outfit.

Progressive Meats Havelock North first five-eighth J'andre Liebenberg thought his playing career ended when he experienced his fifth bout of concussion in 2015. He has obviously ticked all the necessary boxes and is on the villagers roster for the season.

Another key player returning to the Havelock North team is former Highlanders, Magpies and Southland speedster Ryan Tongia. Havelock North club life member and club captain Tom Blake was also happy to add United States loosie Tony Lamborn's and Spain inside back Dan Snee's names to his squad list after they both indicated they could fit club play around their international commitments.

Former Magpie Simon Halford has returned as the villagers head coach and his forwards are likely to operate tighter, lower and with more cohesion under his watch than they did last season.

The Clive engine room will miss the services of prop Nathan Bruce and former Magpies hooker Jorian Tangaere who have both retired.

Magpies locks Tom and Ben Parsons and former Manawatu hooker Travis Taylor as well as experienced loosie Warwick Slingsby have all returned to their home club [Central].

Interesting additions to the Taradale squad include loosies Vinny Guildford and Kaleb Sweet and utility back Nathan Ramsay who played for Napier Tech last year and Taradale age group product Ashton Tuck who was one of the province's most gifted speedsters in his youth.

Jarks Tamatea head coach Matt Marsh has recruited well during the summer with former Hastings Boys' High School prop Kianu Kereru-Symes and first five-eighth Lincoln McClutchie and former East Coast lock Everard Reid among his key gains.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=12019100

Number 10

Watched Clive v Havelock North. Havelock North won 36-17.

Ryan Tongia played fullback for Havelock and scored two tries showing good pace. On the right wing was Willie McGoon (Canterbury and Mid Canterbury rep) looked sharp and scored one try.

Last year's Auckland lock Sam Ulufonua played the whole 80 and is a big boy. Made a few runs and it usually required two men to stop him. Oddly, in most lineouts Havelock placed him in the midfield of the backline on both their own throw and Clive's throw, so don't really know how effective he is in the lineouts.

Tony Lamborn was there but did not play, he was taking out the kicking tee. Apparently he has just arrived back from the USA.

Shannan Chase seems to have retired. He was on the sideline helping out the Otane Sports team in the curtain raiser v Clive Development team.

Stockcar86

NOBM 68, Pirates 9

kiwimatrix

Taradale beat central 95 0.Hastings won 36 17.MAC beat Tamatea 55 21 some shock results there.

Stargazer

Round 1 - Tui Nash Cup Premiers:

Hastings Rugby and Sports 36 (M Emerson 3, F Matamata, A Vuki, J Rihia tries; D Toala 3 cons), Napier Technical 17 (J Taulagi 2, T Walters tries; J Bristol con). HT: 24-12.

Napier Old Boys Marist 68 (S Weber 2, S Tucker 2, M Thompson, E Wilson, L Edwards, W Benson, M Buckley, S Lauano tries; Edwards 8, Wilson cons), Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 9 (Z Clarke 3 pens). HT: 28-9.

Taradale 95 (D McIntyre 3, N Ramsay 2, L Luamanu 2, J Byrne, J Apikotoa, A Mufana, A Gardner, L Maulolo, K Whakataka, A Tuck, W Woolly tries; B Truesdale 4, Whakataka 3, McIntyre 3 cons), Central 0. HT: 38-0.

Havelock North 36 (R Tongia 2, W McGoon, J Wylie, J Liebenberg tries; Liebenberg 4 cons, pen), Clive 17 (C Karauria, C Tautau, S Maui tries; T Poto con). HT: 17-5.

MAC 55 (S Iosua 3, F Selesele 2, F Loli 2, T Iosefo, V Kereti tries; Kereti 2, Iosefo 2, Selesele cons), Tamatea 19 (D Neho, E Reid tries; A Robinson 3 pens). HT: 26-9.

Number 10

That winning margin to Taradale is something of a shock considering how poorly Taradale did last year when not making the Maddison Trophy playoffs. Their team really seems to have been strengthened this year.

They have recruited 2016 NZ Under 20 lock Lui Luamanu from Wellington, midfielder Lester Maulolo who played for Wellington in 2016, and prop Joe Apikitoa who has played for Wellington the last three years. All three of them scored tries against Central.

Number 10

Nash Cup Round Two - Friday 30 March

Pool A
Pirates v Taradale
Tech OB v NOB Marist
bye Central

Pool B
MAC v Havelock North
Hastings RS v Clive
bye Tamatea

Friendly: Tamatea v Central

Stockcar86

@number-10 said in HB Club Rugby 2018:

Nash Cup Round Two - Friday 30 March

Tech OB v NOB Marist

Usual jug @Higgins ?

Stockcar86

https://www.theroar.com.au/tv/kiwi-club-side-bag-a-dead-set-try-of-the-century-contender/

Higgins

@stockcar86 Naturally, although every time I front up to pay up I generally have to drink it myself by default!

Number 10

Watched Tech OB v Napier OB Marist.

Napier OB Marist struggled to keep their winning run going but eventually did so with a 35-25 win, five tries to three, having to come from behind to win.

Tech led 25-21 midway through the second half, but OB Marist scored two more converted tries, the last one by Ellery Wilson was right on fulltime, the last act of the game.

The Tech scrum was well superior, loosehead Mark Braidwood was clearly better than the two tightheads he faced.

Having said that, it was the NOBM forwards who contributed more to their win. The backline did not offer much of a threat at all apart from Mitchell Drew on the left wing.

Tech had an interesting backline. JJ Taulagi scored a try and kicked two penalty goals and 2 conversions. Certainly has talent but has a quick temper which saw the referee have to calm him down a couple of times.

In the second half Tech brought on Sebastian Visinia at centre, played for Auckland Under 19 last year at the Jock Hobbs tournament. Is a big unit.

The Magpies coaches were there watching the game.

The Silver Fern

HB Club Rugby 2018