Blues v Moana Pasifika
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@African-Monkey said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:
Renata, Fusitua and even Tupaea went well last week. Agree on Ta'avao, he's really starting to show his age now.
I'm becoming concerned about out front row options. Ta'avao is on the way out and Renata and Ofa aren't getting any younger either. Fusitua is starting to improve, but who else do we have coming through?
I don’t think the Blues are alone in their lack of tighthead depth. Pretty much every NZ franchise struggles with producing SR-level tightheads. The Crusaders have Seb Calder and Sam Matenga behind Newell, neither of whom are at the level required. Highlanders have Wingham, who looks very raw. Chiefs have decent depth, with Dyer, O’Neill and Ahio. It’s really only the Hurricanes who have actual depth, with Lomax, Tosi and Mafileo.
As far as upcoming players are concerned, I guess Kurene Luamanuvae and Tamiano Ahloo at least have the right frames and athletic profiles to eventually get to that level? But both are still far from getting there. I personally don’t think Sheck will ever be a SR-level tighthead. His best chance would be to focus on loosehead.
If I’m at the Blues, I’d be looking at Tevita Mafileo and try to offer him a good deal.
@Mauss said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:
@African-Monkey said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:
Renata, Fusitua and even Tupaea went well last week. Agree on Ta'avao, he's really starting to show his age now.
I'm becoming concerned about out front row options. Ta'avao is on the way out and Renata and Ofa aren't getting any younger either. Fusitua is starting to improve, but who else do we have coming through?
I don’t think the Blues are alone in their lack of tighthead depth. Pretty much every NZ franchise struggles with producing SR-level tightheads. The Crusaders have Seb Calder and Sam Matenga behind Newell, neither of whom are at the level required. Highlanders have Wingham, who looks very raw. Chiefs have decent depth, with Dyer, O’Neill and Ahio. It’s really only the Hurricanes who have actual depth, with Lomax, Tosi and Mafileo.
As far as upcoming players are concerned, I guess Kurene Luamanuvae and Tamiano Ahloo at least have the right frames and athletic profiles to eventually get to that level? But both are still far from getting there. I personally don’t think Sheck will ever be a SR-level tighthead. His best chance would be to focus on loosehead.
If I’m at the Blues, I’d be looking at Tevita Mafileo and try to offer him a good deal.
Lauaki is a big prospect IMO.
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@Mauss said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:
@African-Monkey said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:
Renata, Fusitua and even Tupaea went well last week. Agree on Ta'avao, he's really starting to show his age now.
I'm becoming concerned about out front row options. Ta'avao is on the way out and Renata and Ofa aren't getting any younger either. Fusitua is starting to improve, but who else do we have coming through?
I don’t think the Blues are alone in their lack of tighthead depth. Pretty much every NZ franchise struggles with producing SR-level tightheads. The Crusaders have Seb Calder and Sam Matenga behind Newell, neither of whom are at the level required. Highlanders have Wingham, who looks very raw. Chiefs have decent depth, with Dyer, O’Neill and Ahio. It’s really only the Hurricanes who have actual depth, with Lomax, Tosi and Mafileo.
As far as upcoming players are concerned, I guess Kurene Luamanuvae and Tamiano Ahloo at least have the right frames and athletic profiles to eventually get to that level? But both are still far from getting there. I personally don’t think Sheck will ever be a SR-level tighthead. His best chance would be to focus on loosehead.
If I’m at the Blues, I’d be looking at Tevita Mafileo and try to offer him a good deal.
Lauaki is a big prospect IMO.
@cgrant said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:
Lauaki is a big prospect IMO.
The Hurricanes are trying to turn him into a loosehead, though. His only game for them this year was at 1 and he's playing there for the Hurricanes Hunters as well. I think the move does make sense: he seemed to struggle a bit with the technicality of tighthead, and loosehead might suit his scrummaging tendencies (he looks to me to have been more comfortable pushing upwards rather than holding his weight with downward pressure). It's a risk moving him but his development was stagnating so they needed to do something.
I do agree he has massive potential. But he needs to find his feet in the set-piece at the professional level first. Once he does that, I think he'll move up the levels very quickly.
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Good start for the Blues. Keeping it close may be the name of the game today.
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Hope it does’nt come down to goalkicking
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Hope it does’nt come down to goalkicking
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I think the Blues should have taken 3 there.
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Nice try...jeez I do agree with Ardie there though
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Nice bit of skill there by Beaudy. Ardie should be rightly aggrieved about the rip from Dalton. Shit refereeing.
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Nice try...jeez I do agree with Ardie there though
@taniwharugby said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:
Nice try...jeez I do agree with Ardie there though
Yup great try but that was a penalty.
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Nice try...jeez I do agree with Ardie there though
@taniwharugby Paul Williams has got that wrong and too arrogant not get the TMO to look at it
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Moana getting beaten up at set piece.
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Taumoefolau needed to pass 2 trailing support players
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MP need to limit the 1st half damage given how well they have been finishing
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Tuipulotu in, off a massive BB touch finder.
Blues been very smart so far.
