SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies

[Bovidae]

That's the Chiefs team I expected if all players were fit.

[Duluth]

@Bovidae said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

Tyrone Thompson listed in the no.16 jersey.

Ok I'll assume the Chiefs website knows their own team. Updated my post

[Crucial]

@Bovidae said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

That's the Chiefs team I expected if all players were fit.

must be very close to early fan picking of a first XV at the squad announcement time.

[Crucial]

Went back in the Chiefs 23 thread and found this

@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2023:

This is the team I expect:

1 Ross
2 Taukei'aho
3 Ta'avao
4 Retallick
5 Vaa’i
6 Ah Kuoi
7 Cane
8 Jacobson
9 Weber
10 Gatland (McKenzie)
11 Nanai-Seturo/Malimali
12 Nankivell/Poihipi
13 Lienert-Brown
14 Stevenson (Narawa)
15 McKenzie (Stevenson)

16 Thompson
17 Norris
18 Moli/Dyer
19 Selby-Rickit
20 Sowakula
21 Roe
22 Poihipi/Nankivell
23 Narawa (Gatland/Ioane)

Pretty close
No AT so at the time Ryan wasn't in the frame.
Finau hadn't leaped ahead
Roe may have kept Ratima at bay if not injured.

So in that respect we've got the team we wanted. No glaring omissions or bad picks

[Bovidae]

My guesses in the backs were based on where DMac played. I favoured the players in brackets, but wasn't sure the coaches would agree with me.

Blindside is the most interesting as McMillan talked up using Ah Kuoi in the media but never followed through on it.

[Bones]

So is Lord just dropped? Ouch.

[Yeetyaah]

@Duluth said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

Darcy Swain

Oh boy I can't wait for that fluffybunny to come onto the field

[Dan54]

@Bovidae said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

Media release:

https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/experienced-gallagher-chiefs-side-named-for-semi-final

Edit: Tyrone Thompson listed in the no.16 jersey.

Interesting call, although really like this young fella!

[Tim]

@Yeetyaah A proper royal welcome?

[cgrant]

No Josh Lord on the team sheet is a big surprise for me as he was coming back strongly. I thought his lineout expertise would have been welcome against the Brumbies giant locks.

[Bovidae]

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

So is Lord just dropped? Ouch.

Refer to my earlier post. If Lord doesn't start he won't be on the bench as a specialist lock with the utility value of Ah Kuoi.

[Bones]

@Bovidae said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

So is Lord just dropped? Ouch.

Refer to my earlier post. If Lord doesn't start he won't be on the bench as a specialist lock with the utility value of Ah Kuoi.

Yeah, can understand it, just thought he looked to offer a heck of a lot more than Vaai, and surely if they rate Vaai he provides the same cover from the bench, especially when you have PGS there anyway?

[ARHS]

Read the email of team announcement from Chiefs and stopped when they said loose forward trio unchanged. Ouch! Thankfully they had it wrong and Luke J is at 8. I agree with the the team named as best available.

[ACT Crusader]

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bovidae said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

So is Lord just dropped? Ouch.

Refer to my earlier post. If Lord doesn't start he won't be on the bench as a specialist lock with the utility value of Ah Kuoi.

Yeah, can understand it, just thought he looked to offer a heck of a lot more than Vaai, and surely if they rate Vaai he provides the same cover from the bench, especially when you have PGS there anyway?

Lord should be back in the AB frame IMO. Showed real physicality and would be a good back up to Retallick.

[Nepia]

@ARHS said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

Read the email of team announcement from Chiefs and stopped when they said loose forward trio unchanged. Ouch! Thankfully they had it wrong and Luke J is at 8. I agree with the the team named as best available.

Wasn't Luke J actually named to start at 8 last week, but was swapped out before kick off? (Or did I just make that up in my head?)

[bobily2]

@Nepia

I missed the start of the game, but I'd heard he had a stomach ache and so was moved to the bench

[Nepia]

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bovidae said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

So is Lord just dropped? Ouch.

Refer to my earlier post. If Lord doesn't start he won't be on the bench as a specialist lock with the utility value of Ah Kuoi.

Yeah, can understand it, just thought he looked to offer a heck of a lot more than Vaai, and surely if they rate Vaai he provides the same cover from the bench, especially when you have PGS there anyway?

I've found the recent Fern underrating of Vai'i a bit weird. He's put together a decent amount of tests and has always performed for the Chiefs. (Which is not discounting Lord, I expect next year they'll complement each other in the Chiefs engine room).

[Windows97]

Heading along to this one with the lads - very much looking forward to it regardless of the result (though the beer will taste a lot better if we win).

I can then also give my expert "I was there" opinion on here afterwards should I care to disagree with complete strangers on the internet, of course watching in between chatting with the lads and complaining about the cost of aforementioned beers.

[Windows97]

@Nepia said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bovidae said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

So is Lord just dropped? Ouch.

Refer to my earlier post. If Lord doesn't start he won't be on the bench as a specialist lock with the utility value of Ah Kuoi.

Yeah, can understand it, just thought he looked to offer a heck of a lot more than Vaai, and surely if they rate Vaai he provides the same cover from the bench, especially when you have PGS there anyway?

I've found the recent Fern underrating of Vai'i a bit weird. He's put together a decent amount of tests and has always performed for the Chiefs. (Which is not discounting Lord, I expect next year they'll complement each other in the Chiefs engine room).

I think Vai'i has had one of his better seasons, he was good in the pre season and has carried his form through the competition.

I do wonder however that with the absence of the SA sides that dynamic/lighter/mobile locks don't get shown up by the brute physicality of the SA sides and hence "look better"?

[Crucial]

@Windows97 said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Nepia said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bovidae said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

@Bones said in SF: Chiefs vs. Brumbies:

So is Lord just dropped? Ouch.

Refer to my earlier post. If Lord doesn't start he won't be on the bench as a specialist lock with the utility value of Ah Kuoi.

Yeah, can understand it, just thought he looked to offer a heck of a lot more than Vaai, and surely if they rate Vaai he provides the same cover from the bench, especially when you have PGS there anyway?

I've found the recent Fern underrating of Vai'i a bit weird. He's put together a decent amount of tests and has always performed for the Chiefs. (Which is not discounting Lord, I expect next year they'll complement each other in the Chiefs engine room).

I think Vai'i has had one of his better seasons, he was good in the pre season and has carried his form through the competition.

I do wonder however that with the absence of the SA sides that dynamic/lighter/mobile locks don't get shown up by the brute physicality of the SA sides and hence "look better"?

Vaa'i needs to be compared with a young Whitelock not with BBBR. In that regard he is doing his job.
Lord looks to be the BBBR replacement and he should get a good run at that job next season.