Magpies 2021
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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@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. -
About one of the HB Saracens players:
Wind the clock back to the Hawke's Bay Saracens rugby team's 62-19 win over Wairarapa Bush in Masterton on Queen's Birthday. One of the first names Magpies head coach Mark Ozich mentioned when quizzed on the Saracens standouts was 19-year-old Napier Technical No 8 Xavier McCorkindale. Despite only weighing 87kgs, McCorkindale (pictured above, photo JT Photography) produced a gutsy 20 minutes off the subs bench at lock and scored a try. "There was a shortage of locks. I made the most of it and I couldn't drop lip for not getting to play in my regular position," McCorkindale explained. "It was a different level but enjoyable," McCorkindale recalled. A third-year Davcon Construction building apprentice who hails from Wairoa, McCorkindale, left Wairoa College for his Year 12 and 13 studies at Napier Boys' High School but couldn't progress beyond the 2nd XV. "I've found the love for playing again this year. Everything just seems to be working and hopefully, I can gain Magpies selection within the next two years. Hopefully, I can get up to 95kgs to boost my chances," McCorkindale said.Magpies forwards coach Josh Syms labelled McCorkindale as "a prospect for the future who just needs a bit more size." "With his form in club rugby he was hard to ignore. He has been with us for a couple of weeks and his training ethic is outstanding. He is a really hungry driven man," Syms said.https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/sport/sport/gutsy-texans-loosie-eyes-challenge-shield-upset
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About one of the HB Saracens players:
Wind the clock back to the Hawke's Bay Saracens rugby team's 62-19 win over Wairarapa Bush in Masterton on Queen's Birthday. One of the first names Magpies head coach Mark Ozich mentioned when quizzed on the Saracens standouts was 19-year-old Napier Technical No 8 Xavier McCorkindale. Despite only weighing 87kgs, McCorkindale (pictured above, photo JT Photography) produced a gutsy 20 minutes off the subs bench at lock and scored a try. "There was a shortage of locks. I made the most of it and I couldn't drop lip for not getting to play in my regular position," McCorkindale explained. "It was a different level but enjoyable," McCorkindale recalled. A third-year Davcon Construction building apprentice who hails from Wairoa, McCorkindale, left Wairoa College for his Year 12 and 13 studies at Napier Boys' High School but couldn't progress beyond the 2nd XV. "I've found the love for playing again this year. Everything just seems to be working and hopefully, I can gain Magpies selection within the next two years. Hopefully, I can get up to 95kgs to boost my chances," McCorkindale said.Magpies forwards coach Josh Syms labelled McCorkindale as "a prospect for the future who just needs a bit more size." "With his form in club rugby he was hard to ignore. He has been with us for a couple of weeks and his training ethic is outstanding. He is a really hungry driven man," Syms said.https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/sport/sport/gutsy-texans-loosie-eyes-challenge-shield-upset
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@stargazer A lock who needs size! Finally we’re going to get a regular Canes starter.
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MMT also returning in 2021. As expected; I hope he'll come back from injury early in the season!
