Magpies 2021
-
There will be a second Ranfurly Shield challenge for a Heartland province! We already knew that North Otago would get a challenge on 30 June, but the HBRU has this morning announced that Ngati Porou East Coast gets a challenge on 24 July!
From Facebook:
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better! The Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union have today announced that Ngati Porou East Coast have had their challenge for the Ranfurly Shield accepted and everyone’s favorite second team will travel to Napier to play the Magpies on Saturday afternoon July 24th. Ngati Porou East Coast Chief Executive Cushla Tangaere-Manuel said ‘’NPEC are excited to be heading to Ngati Kahungunu/Hawkes Bay for our ninth Ranfurly Shield challenge. This will be a pinnacle event in the celebration of our centenary, and a major challenge in Coach Hosea Gears first year on the ground with us’’ Ex All Black Gear has recently returned home to help the next generation of Ngati Porou and their will be plenty of interest in his homecoming. Tangaere-Manuel added ‘‘The game will be of major significance to Ngati Porou around the country and we look forward to the challenge!’’ This will be the Magpies second defense for 2021 if they manage to get past the first challenger, 2019 Meads Cup winners North Otago, who the Magpies are scheduled to face on Wednesday June 30th. “Its brilliant to be able to fit another challenge into our condensed preseason but to host one of our neighbors and in their centenary year is fantastic and we know that the crowd will be chocka fill of their supporters in ‘Sky Blue’ come July 25th’ HBRU CEO, Jay Campbell said today. Campbell added ‘I was living in London in 2001 when HB hosted the coast in that epic final, but plenty of my mates have told me the atmosphere was up there with a test match and knowing how passionate the ngati porou are, will no doubt be similar come kick off on the 25th July’’ Magpies Coach, Mark Ozich added ‘’It’s a great opportunity to connect with our provincial neighbors and despite being in the Heartland competition we know that East Coast will arrive in Napier with an abrasive attitude and a desire to play entertaining rugby. If we’re lucky enough to hold on to the shield verses North Otago it will be a great way to build into our NPC campaign ‘ Tickets for both shield games go on sale from Thursday 10th June with Magpie season tickets available from Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union Office which include all 2021 Magpies NPC games, the two heartland shield challenges and the club finals weekend to be held at McLean Park. -
They also shared this clip of the 2001 Div 2 Final between the Magpies and East Coast (with IWL's dad!).
https://www.facebook.com/hbmagpies/posts/5827392350634791
Same, but different link: https://fb.watch/5SlZeRYwRo/
-
This is the full Hawke's Bay Saracens squad for the game against Wairarapa-Bush on Monday. No official team naming, yet.
Joe Apikotoa (Taradale)
Shamara Brooks (Tamatea)
Jacob Devery (Hastings R&S)
Dom Devine (Napier OBM)
Mason Emerson (Hastings R&S)
Harry Godfrey (Central)
Trent Hape (Clive)
Andrew Hayward (Hastings R&S)
Kienan Higgins (Taradale)
Joel Hintz (Central)
Josh Kaifa (Clive)
Paula Latu (MAC)
Frank Lochore (Central)
Tupou Ma'afu Afungia (MAC)
Iakopo Mapu (Taradale)
Elijah Martin (Napier Tech OB)
Lincoln McClutchie (Tamatea)
Xavier McCorkindale (Napier Tech OB)
Troy McIvor (Central)
Connor McLeod (Hastings R&S)
Tianua Poto (Clive)
Dennon Robinson-Bartllett (Tamatea)
Hamaua Samasoni (Taradale)
Jonty Stewart (Napier OBM)
Gene Syminton (Taradale)
Hugh Taylor (Napier Pirate)
Jordan Thompson-Dunn (Hastings R&S)
Will Tremain (Napier OBM)
Anzelo Tuitavuki (Clive)
Jay Tuivaiti (Clive)
Nathan Tweedy (Taradale)
Jayden Walker (Taradale)From this article:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/rugby-annual-match-big-chance-for-hawkes-bay-magpies-hopefuls/FINVQXPOBU4NIU645KDHXLGPBA/ -
This is the full Hawke's Bay Saracens squad for the game against Wairarapa-Bush on Monday. No official team naming, yet.
Joe Apikotoa (Taradale)
Shamara Brooks (Tamatea)
Jacob Devery (Hastings R&S)
Dom Devine (Napier OBM)
Mason Emerson (Hastings R&S)
Harry Godfrey (Central)
Trent Hape (Clive)
Andrew Hayward (Hastings R&S)
Kienan Higgins (Taradale)
Joel Hintz (Central)
Josh Kaifa (Clive)
Paula Latu (MAC)
Frank Lochore (Central)
Tupou Ma'afu Afungia (MAC)
Iakopo Mapu (Taradale)
Elijah Martin (Napier Tech OB)
Lincoln McClutchie (Tamatea)
Xavier McCorkindale (Napier Tech OB)
Troy McIvor (Central)
Connor McLeod (Hastings R&S)
Tianua Poto (Clive)
Dennon Robinson-Bartllett (Tamatea)
Hamaua Samasoni (Taradale)
Jonty Stewart (Napier OBM)
Gene Syminton (Taradale)
Hugh Taylor (Napier Pirate)
Jordan Thompson-Dunn (Hastings R&S)
Will Tremain (Napier OBM)
Anzelo Tuitavuki (Clive)
Jay Tuivaiti (Clive)
Nathan Tweedy (Taradale)
Jayden Walker (Taradale)From this article:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/rugby-annual-match-big-chance-for-hawkes-bay-magpies-hopefuls/FINVQXPOBU4NIU645KDHXLGPBA/The return of Tiaan Falcon
-
@number-10 That's great news! It will be interesting to see whether they're going to use him at 10 or at fullback, and what this means for McClutchie and Makene (when he returns from injury). Definitely more pressure on McClutchie now, who could/should take this as a learning opportunity if he can't get a firm grip on the 10 jersey this year. I hope this also means that Baker won't return in black & white, Olympics or no Olympics.
-
I'd like the sports media to find out whether Flanders is injured and how bad it is. We can't lose him, too, with Mikaele-Tu'u alredy in the injury ward. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes never give injury updates and the journos in Wellington never seem to ask, unless it concerns an All Black.
-
@number-10 What the hell! He's still only 23.
-
Half time: Wai-Bush 19 - 24 Hawke's Bay Saracens
I'm surprised/disappointed it's so close, but it's hard to say anything about it, without knowing who's actually been on the field during the first half.
@stargazer I could not go up (had to help my whangai in their cafe and flatmate decided to play golf instead of going up!) but can only assume that either the bus arrived fifteen minutes after the appointed kick off time (and they started at the appointed hour despite the absence of one team) or the astroturf surface is not helping.
-
Full time: Wai-Bush 19 - 62 Hawke's Bay Saracens
That's the kind of score you'd expect from a game like this. The Saracens kept Wai-Bush scoreless in the second half.
I always keep hope, without having any expectation. In this case, I hope someone filmed the game and posts a highlights clip. If so, it will probably come from Wairarapa Bush, because our own union couldn't even be bothered announcing this game. Thumbs up to the Wai-Bush Facebook admin for providing the score updates.
-
Found the match day programme for last Monday's preseason game on the website of Wairarapa-Bush.
This was the HB Saracens line-up for the game:
And here are two write-ups of the game:https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/sport/sport/higgins-grabs-hat-trick-as-saracens-run-riot-in-masterton
-
Found the match day programme for last Monday's preseason game on the website of Wairarapa-Bush.
This was the HB Saracens line-up for the game:
And here are two write-ups of the game:https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/sport/sport/higgins-grabs-hat-trick-as-saracens-run-riot-in-masterton
@stargazer @Number-10 A few names that are unknown to me. Does anyone have the good oil/goss about numbers 6, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27 and Assistant Coach Deformes please?
-
@stargazer @Number-10 A few names that are unknown to me. Does anyone have the good oil/goss about numbers 6, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27 and Assistant Coach Deformes please?
@higgins Here's some of what I've been able to find and had written down about them over the past few months:
6 Tupou Ma'afu Afungia, was born in Nuku`alofa and went to Tonga College 'Atele, then - I assume he was offered a scholarship - Westlake Boys. He's a lock/loosie who already played for the Hawke's Bay Saracens, last year. I don't know how he ended up in the Bay.
16 Gene Symington, former Lindisfarne prop, transformed into a hooker while playing in/for Manawatu. Played 2 games for the Turbos in 2018 and 3 games in 2020 (all as a sub). Returned to the Bay, late last year.
17 Dom Devine - more info in this article:
18 Jayden Walker - very talented young prop from the same Napier Boys 1st XV squad as the Thompson twins that made the Top 4 final in 2018; he's a year younger than the twins and his last year at NBHS was 2019. He didn't initially make the NZ Schools' team in 2019 and was named in the NZ Maori U18 squad instead, but I vaguely remember him being called into the NZ Schools' or NZ Schools' Barbarians team late, due to injury. He was part of this year's Hurricanes U20 squad. Academy player.19 Nathan Tweedy seems to be someone who moves around. What I could find about him is that he went to St Peter's School (Cambridge); after his final year (2014) he moved to Manawatu. He made the Hurricanes U20 in 2015. At some stage he moved to Hawke's Bay, played club rugby and made the Hawke's Bay Saracens squad (and played for them). Not sure when, but he played (semi)professionally in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Scottish), but returned because of COVID. He played for Norths in Wellington, last year. And now he's back in Hawke's Bay.
19 Hugh Taylor - Couldn't find much about him, but he attended Wairoa College and made the Hawke's Bay U16 Development team in 2017 and Hawke's Bay U18 team in 2019. I think he's an Academy player.
21 Jonty Stewart - captained the Feilding HS 1st XV in 2020 and received a rugby scholarship from Hawke's Bay, according to this article. I assume that's why he's in our Academy squad. He's a fullback, who was in the Hurricanes U20 squad, but hardly got game time.
22 Andrew Hayward - was part of the Hastings Boys 1st XV that became Top 4 champions in 2019. I think he's in his first year out of school and he's in the Academy squad. I assume he'll play for this year's U19s team. Talented outside back.
23 Tianua Poto - one of the older players (27) in this line-up. He's been around for a while in club rugby. A first five-eight/fullback and good goal kicker. Plays for Clive and has played in Ireland.
More info in this article: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/rugby-tianua-poto-will-step-up-in-falcons-absence/K44ZMGOA7AQ7TV7YSRL2TF3ZX4/24 Jay Tuivaiti - comes from Auckland (Waitemata), where he was part of the 2016 Auckland Colts squad. See also this post from @Steven-Harris:
@steven-harris said in 2021 Hawke's Bay club rugby:
A player who has transferred to the Hawkes Bay from Auckland this season is Jay Tuivaiti ,younger brother of former North Harbour no 8 Jim who now plays in Italy.
A real athlete at 6”4,plays 6 or 8 equally well,and has brilliant skills in the air and is a devastating ball carrier ..he was on Auckland’s radar 2 x seasons ago and highly rated by some very good rugby people .
I tried to get him up to Northland, but he broke his ankle leading up to the start of the 2019 Mitre 10 cup season and was in rehab throughout most of 2020
He’s one to watch ,not sure which club he has linked up with
27 Xavier McCorkindale - 19 years old, so I assume this is his first year out of school; I think he initially attended Wairoa College, but then moved to Napier Boys. He played for the 3rd XV in 2017, captained the 2nd XV team in 2018. I can only assume he was part of the 1st XV later. Can't find much more about him.Francisco Deformes has been with the team for a few years now. He's from Chile originally and is the scrum coach.
@DrivingMaul did this interview with him, last year.
