Auckland Rugby 2020

[African Monkey]

@Higgins A bit late on this one but I don't think Wikipedia is overly accurate on that. He played more than that for Auckland and played a fair bit in our 2003 winning side. I remember the Blues had a massive injury crisis at halfback in 2005 and he started in a big game against the Hurricanes which happened to be the first time we lost to them.

[Dice]

What's up with Jordan Trainor? Isn't in the team above and wasn't called up for any Blues pre-season games despite Page being out.

[Dice]

@Tim They lost 35 - 7.

Heatherley scored the only try.

[Tim]

[Stargazer]

@Tim That caption though: "Who is looking forward to seeing Ofa wear the blue and white hoops this year?" As if.

[Kirwan]

@Stargazer said in Auckland Rugby 2020:

@Tim That caption though: "Who is looking forward to seeing Ofa wear the blue and white hoops this year?" As if.

Could do the Canterbury thing and parachute in some ABs for the finals?

[Stargazer]

@Kirwan Instead of Bledisloe 3 and/or the game against Fiji after that?

[Kirwan]

@Stargazer said in Auckland Rugby 2020:

@Kirwan Instead of Bledisloe 3 and/or the game against Fiji after that?

Just pointing out the ABs have let players get game time at the expense of the NPC before.

[Tim]

[Higgins]

@Tim Has the cash run out at Pakuranga?!!!!!

[Tim]

[Duluth]

Club rugby finally returns

Teamsheets: https://www.sporty.co.nz/asset/downloadasset?id=1a3fd713-e8e8-4cd8-8dd5-4c172ef55e89

[KiwiMurph]

@Duluth Good to see Lemeki Namoa back.

[Tim]

@Duluth

Niko Jones at 7 for Waitemata.

Tumua Manu at 12 for College Rifles (good combo with Meihana Grindlay). Coming back from injury?

[Bovidae]

Nankivell and Sullivan are listed to be playing in Waikato club rugby so they must have released a number of Chiefs to play.

[Daffy Jaffy]

 Auckland Premier first round results. 
     Te Papapa:      3  vs  80 	Marist: 
Eden: 	24  vs  18   Grammar TEC: 
Waitemata:     17  vs  13     Papatoetoe: s
Otahuhu 	6  vs  44       Pakuranga: 
Suburbs: 	20  vs  20	Manukau: 
East Tamaki: 	6  vs  59     College Rifles: 
Ponsonby:     48  vs  16	  University:

[Tim]

[Tim]

Some good young backs to look for in the NPC squad: Taufa Funaki, Zarn Sullivan, Meihana Grindley, AJ Lam, Lemeki Namoa.

Any young standouts in the forwards? Maybe the hooker Vikenia?

[KiwiMurph]

@Tim Niko Jones?

[Tim]

Some clues from the Blues U20 and A squads.

Steven Bates and Dave Askew have named their first Ganellen Blues U20 team of the year. The team will travel to Napier to play the Hurricanes U20 in a Super Rugby curtain raiser at McLean Park, on Saturday the 29th of February.

Bates and Askew have picked the promising Zarn Sullivan as captain, with Terrell Peita as his vice captain, in a side which features 11 players recently named in the New Zealand U20s as well as NZ 7s player Niko Jones and the 2019 Development Player of the Year, Lemeki Namoa.

The match will kick off at 2.05pm.

Starting XV:
1 Tevita Langi – North Harbour
2 Soane Vikena – Auckland
3 Jimmy Roots – North Harbour
4 Damien Naufahu – Auckland
5 James Brown – Auckland
6 Rob Rush – Northland
7 Niko Jones – Auckland
8 Terrell Peita (vc) – Auckland
9 Manu Paea – Auckland
10 Zarn Sullivan – Auckland
11 Heremaia Murray – Auckland
12 Lemeki Namoa – Auckland
13 Joel Cobb – Auckland
14 Lewini Mocevakaca – Auckland
15 Sofai Maka – Auckland

Reserves:
16 Gil Cann-Vaana – Northland
17 Leandro Vakatini – Auckland
18 Sione Ahio – Auckland
19 Joeli Matalaweru – Auckland
20 Noah Perelini – Auckland
21 Taufa Funaki – Auckland
22 Corey Evans – Auckland
23 Patrick Elia – Northland
24 Kade Banks – North Harbour
25 Jack Gray – Auckland
26 Clayton Frans – North Harbour
27 Cam Church – Auckland
28 Meihana Grindlay – Auckland
29 Hamdahn Tuipulotu/ Aisea Takapu – Auckland
30 John Latu – Auckland