Blues 2021
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With most of the squad known or rumoured now, it's time to take a stab at a prediction, with an allowance for some players possibly being signed early on due to COVID uncertainty (e.g. Choat missing out):
Props
Tu'inukuafe
Hodgman
N Mayhew
O Tu'ungafasi
Laulala
RenataHookers
Parsons
Eklund
Niuia (may be replaced by Tolai until recovered from injury)Locks
Tuipulotu
Pierce
Goodhue
Cowley-Tuioti
DarryLoose forwards
Gibson
Hunt
Papalii
Robinson
Sotutu
A Ioane
Riedlinger-KapaHalfbacks
Nock
Christie
Ruru1st Five Eighths
Black
Perofeta
Plummer
HeightonMidfield
Faiane
T Tele'a
R Ioane
TBCOutside Backs
Clarke (may be absent for Olympics Sevens)
M Telea
Narawa
AJ Lam
Raumaitavuki-Kneepkens
SullivanTei Walden may be available for a midfield pick, provided he has recovered from his achilles tendon (?) injury. AJ Lam can cover centre, and possibly Clarke too. Meihana Grindlay might be a midfield bolter? NZ Schools 2019, NZ U20 training squad 2020. Would like to see Choat in the loose forwards if possible.
That's 38 players in total, looks like we had more last year due to cover for Clarke and Barrett, which included Marchant. Also had 8 loose forwards rather than 7, so maybe room for Choat yet.
Out:
Lindenmuth
Mafileo
Carroll
Lamborn
Tucker
Barrett
Marchent
Hyland
Duffie
PageIn:
N Mayhew
Laulala
Darry
Hunt
TBC (midfield)
AJ Lam
Raumaitavuki-Kneepkens
SullivanProvincial breakdown:
Auckland - 8 forwards, 8 backs, 16 total
North Harbour - 6 forwards, 1 back, 7 total
Northland - 2 forwards, 1 back, 3 total
Counties - 2
BOP - 3
Ta$man - 3
Canterbury - 1
Taranaki - 2Match XXIII
Big decision over fullback, maybe right wing, but that's about it. Expect plenty of rotation in the forwards
1 Hodgman
2 Eklund
3 Laulala
4 Tuipulotu
5 Pierce
6 A Ioane
7 Papalii
8 Sotutu9 Nock (MacDonald may favour Christie though)
10 Black
11 Clarke
12 Faiane
13 R Ioane
14 M Telea
15 Sullivan (tight contest with Perofeta)16 Parsons
17 Tu'inukuafe
18 Tu'ungafasi
19 Cowley-Tuioti/Goodhue
20 Robinson/Gibson/Hunt
21 Christie
22 Plummer
23 T Tele'aWith A Ioane showing he can attack a lineout at test level, there should be a lot of good options on either side of the lineout throw. Tuipulotu is good at attacking opposition throws at test level too, with Sotutu demonstrating that ability in SRA this year. Pierce was a standout forward in the NPC, and attacked the opposition lineout well too.
Looking at that Blues squad, our forwards will be hard to beat. Should be able to dominate set piece and the ruck against many teams. The question is how well will the backs be able to use that ball? Black should be able to put the ball into the corners, and force full lineouts, but will we take the most of our chances, reduce errors, and make the right decisions in big games?
Interestingly/sadly, there's only three players in that 23 from the Auckland team that played in the NPC final, and only one in the starting 15.
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If Ruru has been released ... it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Canes picked him up with TJP gone and Booth injured.
@Stargazer he'd be selected as a lock for the canes though eh?
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wow, I thought he has been bloody good for Auckland this year too, probably his best season.
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wow, I thought he has been bloody good for Auckland this year too, probably his best season.
@taniwharugby said in Blues 2021:
wow, I thought he has been bloody good for Auckland this year too, probably his best season.
I agree, based on what I have seen. His performance against Northland was top notch (sorry @taniwharugby )
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He was good for Auckland, however, it's been proven he's not Super Rugby starter quality and arguably not even Super Rugby bench quality.
He's 27 years old - I'd rather the Blues have someone they think they can develop as the 3rd halfback.
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He was good for Auckland, however, it's been proven he's not Super Rugby starter quality and arguably not even Super Rugby bench quality.
He's 27 years old - I'd rather the Blues have someone they think they can develop as the 3rd halfback.
@KiwiMurph yeah there's that, maybe it's knowing there is pressure from Nock & Christie finally given him the arse kick he needed, OR, maybe he has requested a release knowing he may not get much time behind them?
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@KiwiMurph yeah there's that, maybe it's knowing there is pressure from Nock & Christie finally given him the arse kick he needed, OR, maybe he has requested a release knowing he may not get much time behind them?
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wow, I thought he has been bloody good for Auckland this year too, probably his best season.
@taniwharugby said in Blues 2021:
wow, I thought he has been bloody good for Auckland this year too, probably his best season.
Agreed.
This was a 'whisper' I heard prior to the start of M10. -
With most of the squad known or rumoured now, it's time to take a stab at a prediction, with an allowance for some players possibly being signed early on due to COVID uncertainty (e.g. Choat missing out):
Props
Tu'inukuafe
Hodgman
N Mayhew
O Tu'ungafasi
Laulala
RenataHookers
Parsons
Eklund
Niuia (may be replaced by Tolai until recovered from injury)Locks
Tuipulotu
Pierce
Goodhue
Cowley-Tuioti
DarryLoose forwards
Gibson
Hunt
Papalii
Robinson
Sotutu
A Ioane
Riedlinger-KapaHalfbacks
Nock
Christie
Ruru1st Five Eighths
Black
Perofeta
Plummer
HeightonMidfield
Faiane
T Tele'a
R Ioane
TBCOutside Backs
Clarke (may be absent for Olympics Sevens)
M Telea
Narawa
AJ Lam
Raumaitavuki-Kneepkens
SullivanTei Walden may be available for a midfield pick, provided he has recovered from his achilles tendon (?) injury. AJ Lam can cover centre, and possibly Clarke too. Meihana Grindlay might be a midfield bolter? NZ Schools 2019, NZ U20 training squad 2020. Would like to see Choat in the loose forwards if possible.
That's 38 players in total, looks like we had more last year due to cover for Clarke and Barrett, which included Marchant. Also had 8 loose forwards rather than 7, so maybe room for Choat yet.
Out:
Lindenmuth
Mafileo
Carroll
Lamborn
Tucker
Barrett
Marchent
Hyland
Duffie
PageIn:
N Mayhew
Laulala
Darry
Hunt
TBC (midfield)
AJ Lam
Raumaitavuki-Kneepkens
SullivanProvincial breakdown:
Auckland - 8 forwards, 8 backs, 16 total
North Harbour - 6 forwards, 1 back, 7 total
Northland - 2 forwards, 1 back, 3 total
Counties - 2
BOP - 3
Ta$man - 3
Canterbury - 1
Taranaki - 2Match XXIII
Big decision over fullback, maybe right wing, but that's about it. Expect plenty of rotation in the forwards
1 Hodgman
2 Eklund
3 Laulala
4 Tuipulotu
5 Pierce
6 A Ioane
7 Papalii
8 Sotutu9 Nock (MacDonald may favour Christie though)
10 Black
11 Clarke
12 Faiane
13 R Ioane
14 M Telea
15 Sullivan (tight contest with Perofeta)16 Parsons
17 Tu'inukuafe
18 Tu'ungafasi
19 Cowley-Tuioti/Goodhue
20 Robinson/Gibson/Hunt
21 Christie
22 Plummer
23 T Tele'aWith A Ioane showing he can attack a lineout at test level, there should be a lot of good options on either side of the lineout throw. Tuipulotu is good at attacking opposition throws at test level too, with Sotutu demonstrating that ability in SRA this year. Pierce was a standout forward in the NPC, and attacked the opposition lineout well too.
Looking at that Blues squad, our forwards will be hard to beat. Should be able to dominate set piece and the ruck against many teams. The question is how well will the backs be able to use that ball? Black should be able to put the ball into the corners, and force full lineouts, but will we take the most of our chances, reduce errors, and make the right decisions in big games?
Interestingly/sadly, there's only three players in that 23 from the Auckland team that played in the NPC final, and only one in the starting 15.
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He was good for Auckland, however, it's been proven he's not Super Rugby starter quality and arguably not even Super Rugby bench quality.
He's 27 years old - I'd rather the Blues have someone they think they can develop as the 3rd halfback.
@KiwiMurph The coaches basically gave up on him last season.
Sadly, his service is just not quick enough for Super Rugby.
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I have yet to see AJ Lam do anything to make him stand out, good or bad. Have I missed something?
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I have yet to see AJ Lam do anything to make him stand out, good or bad. Have I missed something?
@Crazy-Horse He wasn't great in his last two games coming off injury, but before the injury, he was maybe the form winger in the M10.
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I have yet to see AJ Lam do anything to make him stand out, good or bad. Have I missed something?
@Crazy-Horse said in Blues 2021:
I have yet to see AJ Lam do anything to make him stand out, good or bad. Have I missed something?
Hah that's weird to see when I've missed the last couple of games and he was absolutely carving up prior to that. Wasn't he high up in both tries scored and assists?
