Chiefs v Blues

Snowy

While I am bored of this question, will the teams be named today? or tomorrow?

It's Thursday too, some sort of normality returns!

Tim

Interesting to see Renata at loosehead - that's where he started out before converting. Wonder if he's been putting in good shifts there at practice sessions?

KiwiMurph

Pleased to see Mafileo on the bench.

Not sold on a lot of that bench though.

Akira gets his chance.

Dice

They've finally given the Akira/Papali'i/Sotutu backrow a chance. I remember the last time Akira and Sotutu got a bit of time on the field together, which was in the 2nd half/OT of the 2018 NPC Final, and that was a beautiful sight.

The bench does lack a bit of attacking power. I'm hoping Narawa gets a chance in that 23 jersey at some point. It's weird they've gone with two tighthead props on the bench.

MN5

@Nepia said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Hooroo said in Chiefs v Blues:

@mariner4life said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 TJ Faiane, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Otere Black, 9 Sam Nock; 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu , 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Alex Hodgman.

Reserves: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Marcel Renata, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Tony Lamborn, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Matt Duffie.

Players not considered with injury: Karl Tu’inukuafe (leg strain), Jack Heighton (quad), Jared Page (pec), Stephen Perofeta (fractured foot), Blake Gibson (hamstring), Tom Robinson (knee). Season ending: Ray Niuia, James Tucker, Tanielu Tele’a

that bench is total dogshit (clutching at straws reeeaaal hard)

I hope Akira is fat......

Apparently. according to Rangi his skin folds are great at the moment.

I guess we've just solved the AB 6 conundrum.

"Great" as in he's trim or "great" as in the Blues have used him as a landmark to do laps around ?

Tim

Gatland still running on GMT?

Machpants

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

to form an exciting back four with Rieko Ioane at centre and wings Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea.

Back four? Making shit up was they go along

mariner4life

@Machpants said in Chiefs v Blues:

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

to form an exciting back four with Rieko Ioane at centre and wings Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea.

Back four? Making shit up was they go along

outside backs always started at 13 when i was younger

Machpants

@mariner4life did you have letters instead of numbers, too? Never heard of that!

Duluth

Hooroo

@Duluth said in Chiefs v Blues:

I look at that team and it does give me some confidence

Tim

We should roll that forward pack, even if they are fired up and at home.

Tim

Chiefs $1.61
Blues $2.20

nzzp

@Tim said in Chiefs v Blues:

We should roll that forward pack, even if they are fired up and at home.

yeah, but Blues, playing away, in a derby, with referee interpretations...

I still have horrible memories of crushing their scrum (last year??), earning 4 scrum penalties in a row, but the ref declining to card or do anything else. Still boggles my brain a bit.

Also, we weren't good enough to actually DO anything with all the ball we got!