Blues 2019
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
I think winning at least one derby game and putting up a respectable home record would be the goal this year.
That would be a good start
MacDonald basically has a free pass this year. A new coach, with a squad he didn't pick, following a disaster of a season.
At this time of the year there are plenty of puff piece articles (every squad is the fittest they've ever been! high profile player x is in top form!) but I do like the comments about MacDonald/Coventry so far. Players praising both the detail and clarity of the instructions.
I would like to see some tries scored because players were put into space by a team mate. Not just tries from opposition errors and individual brilliance.
I would like to see a coherent exit plan after receiving a kickoff for the first time in half a decade.
I would like to see us defend a 5m lineout
I hope they've been talking to Auckland coaches to steal their ideas. Particularly the turnaround they made on defence.
etc etc@Duluth said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
I would like to see some tries scored because players were put into space by a team mate. Not just tries from opposition errors and individual brilliance.
are you suggesting that 'throw the ball around and hope for an insane line break leading to a try' is not a viable strategy at the top level? FFS, man, that's what the success of the Blues has been built on for the last decade
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@Duluth said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
I would like to see some tries scored because players were put into space by a team mate. Not just tries from opposition errors and individual brilliance.
are you suggesting that 'throw the ball around and hope for an insane line break leading to a try' is not a viable strategy at the top level? FFS, man, that's what the success of the Blues has been built on for the last decade
@nzzp although sometimes when the ABs play you think they are singing from that songsheet.
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@Daffy-Jaffy was that the start list from the practice game the other day that you posted and deleted?
If so, there were a couple of interesting observations (even with the danger of reading too much into pre-season selections)
Perofeta started at 15. Could have been a little experiment to tuck away should they decide to try a tactic similar to the ABs with BB/DMac? Black at 10 and Perofeta at 15 in some games?
Umaga is listed before Coventry
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From the Northland Rugby website:
Blues team vs Chiefs.Hodgman
Parsons
Mafileo
Goodhue
Olmstead
Robinson
Matich
Sotutu
Ruru
Plummer
Faiane
Aumua
Clarke
Nanai
PerofetaReplacements.
Li
Apisai/Moulds
Renata/Tamoaieta
James Tucker
Riedlinger-Kapa
Choat
Jack Grooby
Black
Telea
Tele'a
Aoake
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@Daffy-Jaffy was that the start list from the practice game the other day that you posted and deleted?
If so, there were a couple of interesting observations (even with the danger of reading too much into pre-season selections)
Perofeta started at 15. Could have been a little experiment to tuck away should they decide to try a tactic similar to the ABs with BB/DMac? Black at 10 and Perofeta at 15 in some games?
Umaga is listed before Coventry@Crucial This team list is from the Northland Rugby website re: todays game in Kaikohe.
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Its good to see James Tucker involved with a team. I thought he was excellent for the resurgent Waikato team last season and was surprised he wasn't picked for one of the wider squads at least. Although I guess it means Scrafton will not be playing from the outset. I don't know a lot about Jack Grooby but he is about the seventh Halfback involved in training with this team so I don't know what is going on there (Ruru, Pulu, Nock, Kitto, Gjaltema, McNaughton). I know Gjaltema is with the team in Northland but not named. Young loose head prop Rob Cobb is also with the team in Northland but not named.
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Its good to see James Tucker involved with a team. I thought he was excellent for the resurgent Waikato team last season and was surprised he wasn't picked for one of the wider squads at least. Although I guess it means Scrafton will not be playing from the outset. I don't know a lot about Jack Grooby but he is about the seventh Halfback involved in training with this team so I don't know what is going on there (Ruru, Pulu, Nock, Kitto, Gjaltema, McNaughton). I know Gjaltema is with the team in Northland but not named. Young loose head prop Rob Cobb is also with the team in Northland but not named.
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@Daffy-Jaffy The picture you posted lists Lua Li as replacement loosehead.
@Tim Thanks Tim, I deleted that post because it did not appear to post properly on my computer. Then I missed Li's name (added now) when I typed the team out (unnecessarily apparently), never mind it gave me something to do on a quiet night shift.
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@Tim said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
Perofeta at fullback would give them a much needed kicking option for exits.
Having Black and Perofeta could also give Perofeta much needed experience in the same way as BB and Dmac spent time at 15 learning to read the game at this level.
Perofeta is talented but had an accelerated progression due to other's injuries.
Will be interesting to see if this carries through to the real games though.
Another bonus is that I won't have to see Plummer's tiny out of proportion head. Looks freaky. -
@Tim said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
Perofeta at fullback would give them a much needed kicking option for exits.
Having Black and Perofeta could also give Perofeta much needed experience in the same way as BB and Dmac spent time at 15 learning to read the game at this level.
Perofeta is talented but had an accelerated progression due to other's injuries.
Will be interesting to see if this carries through to the real games though.
Another bonus is that I won't have to see Plummer's tiny out of proportion head. Looks freaky.@Crucial Post Grant Fox Auckland backs have not
usually needed large heads due to not needing them to accommodate any brains. Its evolution at work. -
Going to go out on a limb and predict the following XXIII for the Crusaders round one match:
- Hodgman
- Parsons
- Tu'ungufasi
- Scrafton
- Tuipulotu
- Olmsted
- Gibson (c)
- Ioane
- Ruru
- Black
- Ioane
- Nonu
- Aumua
- Nanai
- Perofeta
- Tu'inukuafe
- Mafileo
- Moulds
- Goodhue
- Papalii
- Pulu
- SBW
- Duffie
If Nonu gets used at centre next week, then I'll have TJ Faiane at 12 and him at 13.
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Going to go out on a limb and predict the following XXIII for the Crusaders round one match:
- Hodgman
- Parsons
- Tu'ungufasi
- Scrafton
- Tuipulotu
- Olmsted
- Gibson (c)
- Ioane
- Ruru
- Black
- Ioane
- Nonu
- Aumua
- Nanai
- Perofeta
- Tu'inukuafe
- Mafileo
- Moulds
- Goodhue
- Papalii
- Pulu
- SBW
- Duffie
If Nonu gets used at centre next week, then I'll have TJ Faiane at 12 and him at 13.
Is Ross Wright on a full contract with chiefs or just injury cover?
Good call by McDonald throwing as many of the Northland lads in there...was listening to McKinnon on the radio last night and he said they need to try and make Northland feel like they are part of the Blues as they probably haven't most of the time.
But he seemed pretty on to it
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Interesting that the Blues aren't giving any of their full-squad opensides a run. Very much a B-team?
@Tim said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
Interesting that the Blues aren't giving any of their full-squad opensides a run. Very much a B-team?
Who exactly? Blake Gibson is injured and Papalii is an AB and ABs are being held out of playing preseason for all NZ teams.
As for Grooby I saw a lot of Ta$man last year and I was impressed - very quick service is his strength.
