Beauden Barrett set to kickstart a new era of Blues rugby as Rieko Ioane springs positional switch
There will be no new age approach for the Blues for the 2020 Super Rugby competition.
Head coach Leon MacDonald said his 40-strong squad will follow a philosophy of hard work on and off the field if they are to realise their expectations this season.
While the likes of high-profile players Sonny Bill Williams, Ma’a Nonu and Melani Nanai have gone this year, the bulk of the 2019 squad, 26 of them in all, are returning for 2020 with another four who have come through the Blues development system or been part of the team before.
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There are 16 of the 22-strong forwards returning, led by All Blacks Patrick Tuipulotu, Ofa Tuungafasi, Karl Tu’inukuafe and Dalton Papalii, centurion James Parsons and outstanding loose forwards Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane and Tom Robinson, who enjoyed a superb debut Super season.
The Blues have looked for more experienced hookers with Kurt Eklund (Bay of Plenty) and Samoan international Ray Niuia (Tasman) at 27 and 28 years respectively, both returning to their Auckland roots.
Uncompromising provincial locks James Tucker (Waikato) and 29-year-old Baden Wardlaw (Bay of Plenty) are rewarded for their Mitre-10 Cup campaigns to join the middle row stocks.
The Blues exciting back row of Gibson, Ioane, Papalii, Robinson and Hoskins Sotutu will be augmented by New Zealand under-20 rep Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Auckland), a Blues apprentice, and USA International Tony Lamborn, who has played in Hawkes Bay and Southland along with 22 appearances for the Eagles.
It's out with the old and in with the new for the Highlanders as they welcome 15 new faces into their side for the 2020 Super Rugby campaign.https://t.co/VBDtkJdCF7
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 12, 2019
Tasman’s Finlay Christie returns to the Auckland region to join Sam Nock and Jonathan Ruru at halfback, while Stephen Perofeta re-joins first-fives Harry Plummer and Otere Black after a season out with injury. They are joined by two-time world player of the year, Beauden Barrett, who arrives mid-season, and rookie Jack Heighton, an exciting young North Harbour prospect.
Rieko Ioane, TJ Faiane and Tanielu Tele’a return to fill the midfield, with the All Black keen to move in from the wing this season, and they will be supported with the arrival of exciting English international Joe Marchant on sabbatical leave. He will balance the loss of Caleb Clarke, who joins the New Zealand Sevens Olympic campaign.
That leaves Matt Duffie as the only outside back from last year but he will be joined by Blues replacement player Jordyn Hyland, who has been rewarded for outstanding form for Northland and in his previous appearances with the club.
There is excitement in two young running talents in North Harbour’s Mark Telea, 21, another to come through the Blues system, and Fijian wing/fullback Emoni Narawa, 20, who was so exciting for Bay of Plenty in the Mitre-10 Cup. North Harbour’s Jared Page, a talented allrounder who has been beset by injury in recent years, has been included as a utility.
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“It’s important that last year’s experiences count. We must build on that. And we have made no bones about the fact that we are going to be a hard-working team,” said MacDonald. “Our coaching group and other staff have looked closely for players to fit this mould and that has been reflected in our selections.
“We also want to play a fast, open brand of rugby. To that end we already have some outstanding players and we have added some exciting players to this. We want players who are capable of seeing space and playing what is in front of them.
“We also believe we have a number of players with the ability to play in different positions and this versatility will no doubt prove advantageous.
“The vast majority of players are from our system or are returning back to the region, but where we could not find the right fit, then we have not hesitated to acquiring the type of player we are looking for.
“Now the hard work begins. There won’t be any predictions coming from this group, just a promise that it will be a case of no guts, no glory for the Blues in 2020.”
The squad begins at the end of the month, with a New Year start for the Rugby World Cup All Blacks.
The Blues squad is: Beauden Barrett, Otere Black, Finlay Christie, Caleb Clarke, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Matt Duffie, Kurt Eklund, TJ Faiane, Blake Gibson, Josh Goodhue, Jack Heighton, Alex Hodgman, Jordan Hyland, Akira Ioane, Rieko Ioane, Tony Lamborn, Ezekiel Lindenmuth, Sione Mafileo, Joe Marchant, Emoni Narawa, Ray Niuia, Sam Nock, Jared Page, Dalton Papalii, James Parsons, Stephen Perofeta, Jacob Pierce, Harry Plummer, Marcel Renata, Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa, Tom Robinson, Jonathan Ruru, Hoskins Sotutu, Mark Telea, Tanielu Tele’a, James Tucker, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ofa Tuungafasi, Baden Wardlaw.
– Blues Rugby
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Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
26 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
26 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
26 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
26 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
26 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
26 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
26 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments