Blues 2019
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You'd have to think that Makalio is the most likely to move to the Blues. He's from Auckland, still plays club sevens there, and MacDonald was his coach for several seasons at Ta$man.
Outside of Coles and Taylor is there anyone better than him?
@Tim He's a different sort of player to most of the hookers in NZ - maybe more like that Steve Thompson who played when England won the RWC.
Big unit, not hugely mobile, but with good ball skills - plus he can scrum and hit his lineout targets.
His relative mobility might be an issue for the ABs, where he might not be able to simply slot into a team without adjustments elsewhere - but, he can play.
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On bluesrugbyteam Face book
BTV is back On Facebook live this Tuesday 26 March at 6.30pm!Learn about restrictions on @allblacks in Super Rugby, meet stand-out @northlandrugby loosie Tom Robinson and your chance to put questions to our coach Leon MacDonald in a live Q+A.
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@Duluth yea when he was injured in 2017 he did some video interviews with some of the northland lads, seems a character alright.
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The Blues and New Zealand Rugby have landed two key player signatures with All Blacks Dalton Papalii and Patrick Tuipulotu committing their immediate futures to the Super Rugby side and NZR. Twenty-one-year-old loose forward Papalii, who made his All Blacks Test debut on the Northern Tour last year, has extended his stay at the Blues to at least 2022, while co-captain and lock Tuipulotu has committed for a further year until the end of 2020.Full story: https://theblues.co.nz/papalii-and-tuipulotu-extend-their-stay-with-blues-and-nz-rugby/
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Blues A named to play Chiefs A
: Friday 29th March
: 2:30pm kick off
: Beetham Park, Hamilton-
Ezekiel Lindenmuth
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Leni Apisai
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Marcel Renata
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Jimmy Tupou
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Ben Nee-Nee
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Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa
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Jed Brown
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Hoskins Sotutu
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Sam Nock
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William Havili
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Caleb Clarke
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Levi Aumua
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Michael Collins
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Jordan Hyland
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Matt Duffie
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Luteru Tolai
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Lua Li
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Rob Cobb
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Sam Caird
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Kosuke Hattori
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Taufa Funaki
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Zarn Sullivan
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Hawaii Ahokovi
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Masaki Fujisaki
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Cameron Suafoa
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Blues A named to play Chiefs A
: Friday 29th March
: 2:30pm kick off
: Beetham Park, Hamilton-
Ezekiel Lindenmuth
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Leni Apisai
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Marcel Renata
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Jimmy Tupou
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Ben Nee-Nee
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Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa
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Jed Brown
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Hoskins Sotutu
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Sam Nock
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William Havili
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Caleb Clarke
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Levi Aumua
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Michael Collins
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Jordan Hyland
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Matt Duffie
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Luteru Tolai
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Lua Li
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Rob Cobb
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Sam Caird
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Kosuke Hattori
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Taufa Funaki
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Zarn Sullivan
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Hawaii Ahokovi
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Masaki Fujisaki
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Cameron Suafoa
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@Nogusta Some interesting names in that squad.
Wonder of we'll see Funaki get a run in the NPC this year?
@Tim With Leon Fukofuka gone we probably will see him get a run. Auckland and Blues have HUGE wraps on him.
Lindenmuth, Tupou, Jed Brown, Clarke, Duffie all making returns from injury. William Havili - younger brother of David Havili so McDonald wouldve had something to do with his being up here. Ahokovi was one of the best on field the last Blues A game against the Hurricanes. Zarn Sullivan brother of Chiefs Bailyn Sullivan.
Thats a decent backline there. -
@Tim With Leon Fukofuka gone we probably will see him get a run. Auckland and Blues have HUGE wraps on him.
Lindenmuth, Tupou, Jed Brown, Clarke, Duffie all making returns from injury. William Havili - younger brother of David Havili so McDonald wouldve had something to do with his being up here. Ahokovi was one of the best on field the last Blues A game against the Hurricanes. Zarn Sullivan brother of Chiefs Bailyn Sullivan.
Thats a decent backline there. -
@Nogusta And looks like Ben Nee-Nee is the injury replacement for Goodhue/Pierce.
Any word on how long Goodhue is out for?
@Tim not too sure bout that. Cameron Suafoa also brought in to cover lock/loose forward. Has been training with the Blues the poast couple of weeks. Big strong ball running forward, decent lineout option. Member of the winning Akl U19s team in 2017. Was in strong contention for the NZ20s last year but a dislocated shoulder in preseason scuppered that. Counties Manukau were very keen on him this year for Mitre 10 but hes opted to stay in Auckland on a lesser deal.
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So, I've been thinking about our season so far, and what success will look like. It's not winning the comp, or even making the playoffs - I think our bar is lower than that. We've lost a game we should have won (Crusaders). Got smoked physically by teh Shorks, and then played stupid rugby against the Jaguares.
Since coming home, though, we've shown resilience. I don't think we've played well, and our set piece is a real worry, but we're playing with some heart, commitment and the semblence of a team pattern. I like it a lot.
For me, if we can achieve the following 5 things in the rest of the comp I'd be happy.
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Figure out who our 9-10 is. And stick with them. And if the 9 isn't in the squad, then make damn sure we find a prospect. I've been impressed with Ruru generally, but he's no superstar.
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Keep up the coaching.
Self evident, but you're seeing a good coach get the best out of the players. Nanai looks a different player to the one Tana and JK had. Players seem to be growing and know what their roles are - and the longer good coaches have players, the better they seem to get. -
Stop losing players
anyone really think Nanai would be going overseas if he'd had these coaches last season? Good coaches will retain talent... it's a 2-4 year timeline for us to plug gaps and develop players. Auckland region has the players in the borders - we just have to be credible as a place to play to attract the good ones. -
Identify gaps in the squad, and fill them
I think previous coaches could do the first, but not the second. I mean, who'd go to the Blues? Once we get credibility back, we're a long way down that path. -
Finish the year on the up
We're going to drop some games in a stupid way I think - but all we need going into the offseason is to have some momentum and belief that we're getting better and going to be more competitive next year.
All this, of course, is predicated on the Board continuing to do a good job and sort out teh front office. It's great to see, and I think if they keep this up they'll lay foundations for a long term healthy organisation.
To be clear - we're a very very long way from the finished product, but I am pretty happy with the progress I'm seeing. Now I'm just waiting for a catstrophic injury or two, and a classic implosion
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https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/rugby/rieko-ioane-free-face-waratahs-all-blacks-rest-delayed
Blues winger Rieko Ioane appears to have found a loophole in the All Blacks’ 2019 Super Rugby rest policy, training today to face the Waratahs at Eden Park on Saturday. With All Blacks players under orders not to play more than six straight matches leading into this year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, Ioane appeared to have reached his consecutive match limit after last weekend’s victory over the Stormers. However, 1 NEWS understands that with the Blues’ bye round falling between March 9-22, the six game limit has been reset, allowing for Ioane to face the Waratahs this weekend. As a result, Ioane was pictured in full training for the Blues today, put through his paces in preparation to face the New South Wales franchise.@KiwiMurph it's a shame the bye week didn't apply in the case of Tele'as suspension! Its really a 5 week suspension if he can only return on 10th May.
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A puff piece on Caleb Clarke. That was a great comeback match after injury and a couple of sub par games last year. The try celebration was a good touch
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12220345
https://twitter.com/BluesRugbyTeam/status/1115001317863317506
