Blues 2020
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Going by the Blues latest video the main leadership group is
Patrick Tuipulotu (captain)
James Parsons
Rieko Ioane
Tom RobinsonAlso - Doug Howlett looks to be involved - great to see!
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
Going by the Blues latest video the main leadership group is
Patrick Tuipulotu (captain)
James Parsons
Rieko Ioane
Tom RobinsonSo a demotion for Gibson - from co-captain to outside the leadership group
You can't trust his durability unfortunately
I suspect that means a first choice trio of Papali'i/Ioane/Robinson too. I think Papali'i is the best 6 in NZ but at 7 he seems to get the judgment calls wrong.
That's a physical trio though. Gibson and a specialist lock on the bench?
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
Going by the Blues latest video the main leadership group is
Patrick Tuipulotu (captain)
James Parsons
Rieko Ioane
Tom RobinsonSo a demotion for Gibson - from co-captain to outside the leadership group
You can't trust his durability unfortunately
I suspect that means a first choice trio of Papali'i/Ioane/Robinson too. I think Papali'i is the best 6 in NZ but at 7 he seems to get the judgment calls wrong.
That's a physical trio though. Gibson and a specialist lock on the bench?
@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
Going by the Blues latest video the main leadership group is
Patrick Tuipulotu (captain)
James Parsons
Rieko Ioane
Tom RobinsonSo a demotion for Gibson - from co-captain to outside the leadership group
You can't trust his durability unfortunately
I suspect that means a first choice trio of Papali'i/Ioane/Robinson too. I think Papali'i is the best 6 in NZ but at 7 he seems to get the judgment calls wrong.
That's a physical trio though. Gibson and a specialist lock on the bench?
I still think that Paps is the future at 7/6 off the bench (starting at 6/7 depending on Ardie) so him getting time at 7 makes me happy. He could be a bigger Cane and that’s a pretty good thing if he can pull it off.
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Pre-Season Fixture:
Gallagher Chiefs vs. Blues
Date: Friday 17 January
Time: 3.00pm kick-off, 1.30pm gates open
Venue: Waihi Athletic Rugby Club, WaihiA 3pm kickoff in the middle of January will test those fitness levels.
It's crazy to think these teams will be back playing six weeks from now. -
Pre-Season Fixture:
Gallagher Chiefs vs. Blues
Date: Friday 17 January
Time: 3.00pm kick-off, 1.30pm gates open
Venue: Waihi Athletic Rugby Club, WaihiA 3pm kickoff in the middle of January will test those fitness levels.
It's crazy to think these teams will be back playing six weeks from now.@Daffy-Jaffy I know, was thinking about that.
Probably not taking a season ticket this year. Starts too early, too many family clashes, despite the earlier kickoffs. Will just rock up on an 'ad hoc' basis.
Edit: I broke and picked up a BLues pass for me and the boy. Great value, and if I get to 3 games it's worth it. They throw ina free junior, so well well worth it.
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Pre-Season Fixture:
Gallagher Chiefs vs. Blues
Date: Friday 17 January
Time: 3.00pm kick-off, 1.30pm gates open
Venue: Waihi Athletic Rugby Club, WaihiA 3pm kickoff in the middle of January will test those fitness levels.
It's crazy to think these teams will be back playing six weeks from now.@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2020:
Pre-Season Fixture:
Gallagher Chiefs vs. Blues
Date: Friday 17 January
Time: 3.00pm kick-off, 1.30pm gates open
Venue: Waihi Athletic Rugby Club, WaihiA 3pm kickoff in the middle of January will test those fitness levels.
All these preseason games are played during the day so the conditions will be challenging. I went to the Chiefs-Blues game in Te Kuiti in 2018, and it was hot enough being in the crowd.
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Does anyone recognise any of the wtg/acadamy/injury cover players in the video above? I wondered if the player with dreads second from the right in the 'wedding photo' at 2m35s was the young Auckland halfback Taufa Funaki ?
@Daffy-Jaffy Taufa Funaki is with the Blues (on an ITC) but thats not him in the dreads. Thats Soane Vikena. MAGS/NZ20s hooker who along with Zarn Sullivan mst be the ITCs this year. Luteru Tolai is trainig pre-season with the Blues as well.
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@Daffy-Jaffy superb part of the world, Cornwall Park. Would have loved to pop down and see them
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@Daffy-Jaffy watching those kinds of clips make me think about doing some exercise...then I remember beer and my enthusiasm fades.
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Could also help with the team o the decade list
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@Machpants They got the pack almost spot on, but the backline needs a bit of work.
Mathewson over Pulu at halfback. His first season or so was easily the best play we got from a halfback in the last decade.
I'd probably go with Wulf on the right wing over Halai, even though he did play quite a bit of left wing. Rarely ever had a bad game for us and was always an automatic starter.
Toeava was probably our best 15, 13 and 12, but didn't even get in the team.:man_facepalming:
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@Tim said in Blues 2020:
Is Emoni Narawa NZ qualified yet?
Probably some time in 2020 as he did not arrive in the country until 2017.
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@Tim said in Blues 2020:
Is Emoni Narawa NZ qualified yet?
Probably some time in 2020 as he did not arrive in the country until 2017.
@Number-10 said in Blues 2020:
@Tim said in Blues 2020:
Is Emoni Narawa NZ qualified yet?
Probably some time in 2020 as he did not arrive in the country until 2017.
Five years now, so 2022
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@Tim said in Blues 2020:
Is Emoni Narawa NZ qualified yet?
Probably some time in 2020 as he did not arrive in the country until 2017.
@Number-10 Probably the end of 2020. IIRC he left Hamilton Boys at the end of 2017. The time at school will not count for the residency period, unless he came here with his parents/family. Same situation as Folau Fakatava.
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@Number-10 said in Blues 2020:
@Tim said in Blues 2020:
Is Emoni Narawa NZ qualified yet?
Probably some time in 2020 as he did not arrive in the country until 2017.
Five years now, so 2022
@Machpants Until 31 December 2020, it's still 3 years, so he (and Fakatava) still fall under the old rule. Just.
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@Machpants Until 31 December 2020, it's still 3 years, so he (and Fakatava) still fall under the old rule. Just.
@Stargazer only if they play before then, right?
They have lived in the country for 60 consecutive months (Five years) to qualify on residency immediately before playing.
That comes into play next year, if you don't play this year, you're on the 5 year plan. Welsh Willis, will have too wait another 2 years because of his injury, for example. No one's pointed this out but it is what the laws say
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@Stargazer only if they play before then, right?
They have lived in the country for 60 consecutive months (Five years) to qualify on residency immediately before playing.
That comes into play next year, if you don't play this year, you're on the 5 year plan. Welsh Willis, will have too wait another 2 years because of his injury, for example. No one's pointed this out but it is what the laws say
@Machpants No, I think that's a misinterpretation of the regulations. It would be completely ridiculous if an injury such as Halaholo's would result in him falling under the 5 years residency rule instead of the 3 year rule, without anything having changed in his residency situation, only because the first test he could play would be after the cut-off date (which is, by the way, 31 December 2020, so Halaholo could still play before that date).
The "has completed sixty consecutive months of Residence immediately preceding the time of playing" part of Regulation 8.1 (c) must IMO be read in light of the rationale of the rules.
This is from the Explanatory Guidelines relating to World Rugby Regulation 8.
Moving forward, in the event that there is any uncertainty or the need for clarification in relation to the application of the eligibility criteria in particular circumstances, then the Regulations Committee may be asked by World Rugby to make a ruling on a Player’s eligibility. In relation to any such adjudication, the Regulations Committee will always have in mind the rationale behind Regulation 8. The aim of the Regulations Committee in each case where clarification may be required, is to establish whether, in all the circumstances, a Player has, by reference to the eligibility criteria in Regulation 8.1, been able to demonstrate a genuine, close and credible national link with the country that the Player wishes to represent.
The intent of the rules also become clear from this:
17 Does the 60⁶ month period of Residence set out in Regulation 8.1(c) have to immediately precede playing for a Union?
Save in exceptional circumstances, the 60 months⁷ Residence will be expected to have been completed consecutively and be achieved immediately before the Player represents a Union. This is designed to create a contemporary national link with the country of the Union concerned. This factor will be particularly significant if a Player has moved to make a “new” country his Residence having been Resident in another country previously. In essence, in such circumstances, the Player, as well as demonstrating his commitment to a new country, must also be (and seen to be) relinquishing his ties with the country in which he lived previously. For the avoidance of any doubt, in the context of Regulation 8.1(c), seeking to rely on short periods of Residence as a child in a particular country, combined with a short period of Residence in that same country prior to playing for a Union, is likely to create a link that would be too tenuous to satisfy the underlying intentions of establishing a contemporary, permanent, national link with a Union. However, each case will be assessed on its overall merits to establish if a Player is able to demonstrate a genuine, close, credible and established national link by reference to the amount of time the Player can demonstrate that he has treated the “new” country as his home and other relevant factors.
IMO the rule that residence has to be completed consecutively and immediately before playing means that the residency period immediately before playing cannot be interrupted by - for example - playing in another country for one season, because then that genuine, close, credible and established national link will be broken. If a player stays in the country (without playing for that country), that link still exists. It doesn't suddenly disappear when he doesn't get the opportunity to play for the national team of his adopted country.
It would, however, be a good idea for the players concerned and (in this case) NZR to ask WR for a clarification of this rule.
