Blues 2021
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@duluth no idea about Esile Fono who shows as Northland (well the banner looks like Allan Craigs one)
Think Josh Beehre, Corey Evans and Ryan Nankivell are from up here but playing club footy in Auckland.
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@kiwimurph I'm sure Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens would get some actual Super experience if he went to the Chiefs
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@kiwimurph I'm sure Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens would get some actual Super experience if he went to the Chiefs
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@duluth said in Blues 2021:
Blues under 20 squad
@Stargazer its even worse bias then the Canes look at all those Auckland players.
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@kiwimurph I'm sure Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens would get some actual Super experience if he went to the Chiefs
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@yeetyaah said in Blues 2021:
I'm sure Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens would get some actual Super experience if he went to the Chiefs
3 year contract
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@mofitzy_ said in Blues 2021:
Time to try Plummer or Perofeta at 10?
They would be better off trying to slowly introduce Zarn Sullivan the rest of the year. Neither Plummer or Perofeta are the long term answer at 10.
@kiwimurph No one will be the long term answer any time soon, because next year the Blues have BB back for two years and he wants to play at 10, but will he? Interestingly, both Black and Perofeta are off-contract at the end of the season and they may be scratching their head with the uncertainty of where BB will play, because that will have a huge impact on their prospects as starters. Only Plummer has reasonable prospects because he's playing at 12 and TJ Faiane's contract expires this year as well.
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@kiwimurph No one will be the long term answer any time soon, because next year the Blues have BB back for two years and he wants to play at 10, but will he? Interestingly, both Black and Perofeta are off-contract at the end of the season and they may be scratching their head with the uncertainty of where BB will play, because that will have a huge impact on their prospects as starters. Only Plummer has reasonable prospects because he's playing at 12 and TJ Faiane's contract expires this year as well.
You would think that one of them will look at moving to the Canes, most likely Black as Perofeta could stay at FB even if Barrett comes back as a 10.
Otherwise I'd say Black will look overseas.
I'd much prefer Black at the Chiefs to our current options, but I wonder if his keep the ball in front of the forwards' style is the right fit for any NZ team (we have the second best at that in Gatland I guess). Black would most likely be considered an excellent first five in the Northern hemisphere and until this week he was using the players around him really well. He and Nock together looked the best pairing but we've only seen that once, I think?
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Reckon Leon is handling the workload really well. We've got a strong tight forward rotation, and mixed it up in the backs.
I think Otere and Perofeta are the only ones who have played all minutes. Maybe rieko?
This struck me as the crusaders looked to be running Sam into the ground again. They could be slightly fatigued by the end of the round robin (false hope I know)
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The Ganellen Blues Under-20s enjoyed an encouraging shakedown ahead of the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa Under-20 tournament with a win over their Chiefs counterparts near Pukekohe.
They beat the Chiefs 26-12 in the friendly, scoring four tries to two in hot conditions at the Bombay Rugby Club, and will now prepare for the Super Rug by Aotearoa Under-20 tournament in Taupo starting on Sunday 11 April.
Head coach Steven Bates was pleased with their first outing and prospects for Taupo.
“I am rapt, I am absolutely rapt. The big positive for me was how we responded. They put a fair bit of pressure on us in the first 25 minutes and we had to defend a lot. We were able to withstand that pressure and reverse it and put the pressure on them.
“Another big positive was our scrum. We have worked hard on it and the scrum was fantastic.
“It was a good platform looking ahead to the tournament. We certainly did not get everything right but we got enough things right to know we are a team that can dig deep, and we will definitely put our best foot forward in Taupo.”
The Chiefs took the early lead after 10 minutes with an unconverted try from a driving maul before Manu Paea levelled the scores out wide.
The Ganellen Blues took the lead after 30 minutes when Allan Craig forced his way over from a driving run off the maul with Jock McKenzie adding the extras, before the Chiefs levelled the scores with an intercept try on halftime.
With a superior scrum, improving lineout work and some aggressive defence, the Ganellen Blues began to take control midway through the second half.
They made a number of telling breaks before diminutive replacement halfback Dayton Iobu darted over by the posts.
Rather than closing the game down, the Ganellen Blues showed their attacking flair five minutes later when winger Joel Cobb went over in the corner after a prolonged attack. McKenzie slotted the extras off the post for the final 26-12 scoreline.
Ganellen Blues 26 (Manu Paea. Allan Craig, Dayton Iobu, Joel Cobb tries; Jock McKenzie 3 conversions) Chiefs 12
Halftime: 12-12.
Replacement halfback Dayton Iobu stretches out for the try but was bundled into touch
