Waikato 2020

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah I don't know, but Brown hasn't played for the Brumbies in SR AU has he? Someone connected with the Melville club told me he is back.

[Bovidae]

Season ending injuries to players Solomon Alaimalo, Sam Cooper, Laghlan McWhannell and James Tucker, means they will play no part in this year’s campaign.

[Bovidae]

By position:

Props
Ollie Norris (10) Hautapu - LH
Rob Cobb (5) Hamilton Old Boys - LH/TH
George Dyer ( ) Fraser Tech - TH
Josh Iosefa-Scott (30) Melville - TH
Ayden Johnstone (23) Hautapu - LH
Sosefo Kautai (31) Hamilton Marist - TH

Hookers
Samisoni Taukei’aho (33) Fraser Tech
Sekope Lopeti-Moli (13) Hautapu
Steven Misa (11) Hamilton Marist

Locks
Hamilton Burr (7) Hautapu - also 6
Samipeni Finau (5) Hamilton Old Boys - also 6
James Thompson (2) Hautapu
Adam Thomson ( ) Morrrinsville Sports - also 6

Loose forwards
Luke Jacobson (11) Hautapu - 6/8 (captain)
Mitch Jacobson (46) Hautapu - 6/7
Liam Messam (85) Raglan - 6/8
Simon Parker (6) Hautapu - 6/8

Halfbacks
Xavier Roe ( ) Hamilton Old Boys
Cortez Ratima ( ) Otorohanga

Inside backs
Fletcher Smith (22) University
Rivez Reihana (9) Melville
Liam Coombes-Fabling ( ) Fraser Tech - also fullback
Matty Lansdown (27) Fraser Tech - also fullback

Midfield
Anton Lienert-Brown (19) University
Quinn Tupaea (21) Hamilton Old Boys
Louis Rogers (6) University
Bailyn Sullivan (26) Hamilton Marist - also wing

Outside backs
Damian McKenzie (24) University
Patrick Osborne ( ) Fraser Tech
Valynce Te Whare (3) Fraser Tech
Gideon Wrampling ( ) Hamilton Old Boys

[Yeetyaah]

Only 2 halfbacks? Dunno about this squad, bunch of young fellas with a few oldies. Good development but hard to see them winning a whole lot.

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah Yep, only 2 halfbacks and no other no.7 like Nankivell or Mua to backup M Jacobson.

31 players seems to be a smaller squad than most other provinces.

[OleOleOle]

@Bovidae no specialist locks...halfback depth is non existant and ALB and DMac will only play a game or two. I can see this team struggling this year.

[Bovidae]

@OleOleOle Thompson is a specialist lock but the main locks are out for the season.

I mentioned that we would be selecting converted blindsides into locks, but my concern of that will be the scrum not the lineout.

Milnes unlucky to be overlooked for Lopeti-Moli?

[OleOleOle]

@Bovidae the scrum struggled in the first half on friday but improved in the second half which co-incided with Kautai replacing Iosefa-Scott and the referee policing the Taranaki LH side of the scrum...
I recall Thompson playing 6 for Hautapu when he left school but i guess he's converted to Lock, at 6'4 hes not the biggest lock getting around.

[Yeetyaah]

I'll have a go at a match day squad for round 1

1. Johnstone
2. Taukei'aho
3. Iosefa-Scott
4. Burr
5. Thomson
6. L Jacobson
7. M Jacobson
8. Messam
9. Roe
10. Smith
11. Te Whare
12. Leinert-Brown
13. Tupaea
14. Sullivan
15. McKenzie

Reserves:
16. Lopeti-Moli
17. Norris
18. Kautai
19. Finau
20. Parker
21. Ratima
22. Reihana
23. Osborne

[Bovidae]

@OleOleOle said in Waikato 2020:

@Bovidae the scrum struggled in the first half on friday but improved in the second half which co-incided with Kautai replacing Iosefa-Scott and the referee policing the Taranaki LH side of the scrum...

Iosefa-Scott's scrummaging seems to have reverted back to when he first debuted for Waikato - poor. He was never sighted for the Highlanders and I'm sure won't be re-signed. I've been told he will be trading the Highlanders' blue jersey for another blue uniform.

I recall Thompson playing 6 for Hautapu when he left school but i guess he's converted to Lock, at 6'4 hes not the biggest lock getting around.

I don't disagree with you. Thompson isn't tall and there were questions directed at him last year in the early games (re: his scrummaging).

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah Osborne won't have been signed to sit on the bench.

I'm not sure what Strawbridge and co will do at lock. Thomson and Finau started against Taranaki and Burr and Thompson were 2nd half subs. Out of those 4 I would want Finau starting. I rate him.

Iosefa-Scott might be given the start in this Sat's game but I'd be more confident with Kautai and Dyer in the scrum.

[Tim]

@Bovidae said in Waikato 2020:

I've been told he will be trading the Highlanders' blue jersey for another blue uniform.

Any more details?

[Bovidae]

@Tim said in Waikato 2020:

@Bovidae said in Waikato 2020:

I've been told he will be trading the Highlanders' blue jersey for another blue uniform.

Any more details?

I did say uniform, not jersey. He wants to join the police so his rugby career might be taking a back seat.

[Tim]

@Bovidae thanks dude.

[Yeetyaah]

I find it strange that Ōtorohanga win the prems but only have 1 player selected. I'm worried about the locking stocks the most I think. Surely there'll be some more players added? The squad is small.

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah Hautapu won the comp. The only other Oto players would have been Iti and Hetet (with BOP).

A lot of them end up playing for King Country as loan players or players of origin.

Also note that Hautapu has a lot of forwards in the squad but not one back.

[Yeetyaah]

@Bovidae oops my bad, mixed it with the the other grade.

[Yeetyaah]

Also, no Jeriah Mua?

[Bovidae]

They will have to have extra players training with the main squad. A third halfback at least!

[Yeetyaah]

@Bovidae is it potentially a financial thing?