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Beauden Barrett absent from Blues team to face Melbourne Rebels
Star first-five Beauden Barrett won’t feature for the Blues in this weekend’s Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Melbourne Rebels at Eden Park in Auckland.
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Barrett has been rested as part of his All Blacks rest duties as the Blues target a 10th straight win this season, with young playmaker Stephen Perofeta coming into the starting side in his absence.
The addition of Perofeta to the starting team is one of six changes made by Blues head coach Leon MacDonald, who also welcomes back All Blacks duo Rieko Ioane and Hoskins Sotutu after they missed their side’s win over the Force last week.
Ioane and Sotutu replace Bryce Heem and Anton Segner at centre and No 8, respectively, while versatile utility forward Tom Robinson slots into the second row alongside James Tucker to form a new lock combo.
The selection of both players means former World Cup-winning All Black Luke Romano and youngster Sam Darry both drop out of the side, with the inclusion of Robinson enables All Blacks flanker Akira Ioane to remain at No 6.
Up front, Manu Samoa international Jordan Lay takes the place of All Blacks loosehead prop Alex Hodgman, while Mark Telea comes back into the starting team at right wing after AJ Lam’s run in the No 14 jersey in Perth.
Lam, Darry and Heem all drop to the bench where they are joined by fellow newbies Soane Vikena, Nepo Laulala and Sam Nock.
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Despite having kept their winning run alive last weekend, MacDonald implored his side to make an improved effort against the Rebels on Friday as they look to stay atop of the Super Rugby Pacific standings.
“We will definitely take the two wins, and there were aspects of both games that were really good. But we need a consistent 80-minute performance. We need to be more accurate, more disciplined and more patient,” MacDonald said via a statement.
“We were never under any illusion about the capability of the Australian teams and they have shown that they are very competitive. The Rebels are no different and we will need to execute with more precision if we want to earn a positive outcome.
“The team is excited to be back home for this game and looking to produce a display that our fans can be proud of, and we hope they will make it a sea of blue at Eden Park.”
Kick-off for Friday’s match is scheduled for 7:05pm NZT.
Blues team to face Melbourne Rebels
1. Jordan Lay
2. Kurt Eklund
3. Ofa Tu’ungafasi
4. James Tucker
5. Tom Robinson
6. Akira Ioane
7. Dalton Papalii (c)
8. Hoskins Sotutu
9. Finlay Christie
10. Stephen Perofeta
11. Caleb Clarke
12. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
13. Rieko Ioane
14. Mark Telea
15. Zarn Sullivan
Reserves:
16. Soane Vikena
17. Karl Tu’inukuafe
18. Nepo Laulala
19. Sam Darry
20. Adrian Choat
21. Sam Nock
22. Bryce Heem
23. AJ Lam
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
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