Auckland Rugby 2019

[Dice]

@Duluth I forgot he could make the Tongan World Cup team. Did he make the Tongan team last year?

[Duluth]

@Dice

Wiki says yes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonga_national_rugby_union_team#Current_squad

Maybe we can't pick Hawaii Ahokovi either

[Dice]

@Duluth That team is basically made up of former Counties, Auckland and Northland players.

[Tim]

Big result for Marist last weekend:

Marist 45 (S Kata, S Rayasi 2, A Ripata, H Sotutu 2, PC Tagaloa tries, O Polson 4, S Rayasi conv)

Suburbs 10 (S Mataena, R Prasad tries) Halftime 12 - 5

http://www.aucklandrugby.co.nz/newsarticle/76690?newsfeedId=336850

[Tim]

Kurt Eklund is playing for Waihi in the Thames Valley competition this year, so I guess he won't be available for Auckland until 2020, if at all.

[Tim]

[Steven Harris]

@Tim big win for Waitemata today..I think we will see some much tighter contests once they sort out the top 8.

[Tim]

@Steven-Harris Yeah, that's gotta be a big upset. Good win for Suburbs too.

[antipodean]

@Tim Not a great fixture if you're taking the field for East Tamaki. I've been on the wrong side of a hundred point thrashing and it feels like the opposite team scores from every kick-off. At no point is there a game of rugby.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Parents quit rugby club after Dillan Halaholo inclusion:-
Furious parents have taken their children out of an Auckland rugby club which has welcomed back a former professional player whose career appeared in tatters after being convicted of performing indecent acts in front of young kids.

Dillan Halaholo has twice been convicted of doing an indecent act in public; in both 2016 and 2017.
The rest of the story is behind the Herald pay wall. How did the Suburbs club not see this coming?

[Steven Harris]

@Daffy-Jaffy very much so given that he was convicted..needed to follow a completely different path to get back into society..around a club environment ,probably no the place.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Steven-Harris especially as his crimes were targeted at children.

[Dice]

I see that Sione Havili captained College Rifles on the weekend.:thumbs_up_light_skin_tone:

I also saw that Leon Fukofuka was captain of Kagifa Samoa in the Rapid Rugby comp. The team also includes Auckland prop, Taniela Koroi, and
a few other former Auckland club players.

Kagifa Samoa is coached by Counties coach, Daryl Suasua, and their home ground is Pukekohe Stadium. I think there's a good chance Fukofuka plays NPC this year, if not for us, then probably Counties.

[Nepia]

@Dice said in Auckland Rugby 2019:

Leon Fukofuka

I thought Fukofuka was Tongan?

[Dice]

@Nepia Don't think it's an exclusively Samoan team. Fukofuka was one of several Tongans in the team who played for the team on the weekend. There were also a few Fijians in the team and even a Maori(Matiaha Martin).

[Dice]

Alex Hodgman playing for Auckland this year.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12234114

Does that mean Prattley is not coming back?

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Dice I would guess not re:Prattley. With Hodgman, Lindenmuth, Jarrod Adams and young Robb Cobb coming through we are well covered at loosehead.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Dice Unless they use one of those guys at Tighthead to back up Renata and Marco Fepulea'i ( who is currently playing in the U.S. but is returning for Auckland as i understand.) I havn't heard if Taniela Koroi is returning.

[Dice]

@Daffy-Jaffy Yeah, that's what I was thinking with this signing.

[Dice]

@Daffy-Jaffy If they used one of the looseheads as tighthead cover, it'd probably be Adams. He's been playing tighthead this year for Suburbs with Lindenmuth at loosehead.