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Blues new captain returns to starting side for clash with the Chiefs
The Blues welcome back their new captain and All Black, Dalton Papalii to the starting line-up for Saturday’s return to Eden Park to take on neighbours the Chiefs in DHL Super Rugby Pacific.
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The team, returning to Auckland on Thursday afternoon from the temporary base in Queenstown, is virtually the same combination that was pipped 33-32 in the first outing against the Hurricanes.
The only changes to the starting line-up see Papalii back to full fitness on the openside flank, and NPC player of the year, Stephen Perofeta to start at fullback.
The pack has a strong look with Alex Hodgman, Nepo Laulala, Luke Romano, Hoskins Sotutu and Papalii all having worn the All Black jersey.
The inside back combination of Finlay Christie, Harry Plummer, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Rieko Ioane return along with wingers Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea, who both enjoyed storming games last weekend.
A powerful bench includes Ofa Tuungafasi with a potential return for fellow All Black Beauden Barrett, bracketed on the bench, as he returns to full fitness from a head knock.
“The team is looking forward to returning home to their families, although we have some strict protocols in place to keep as safe as possible from the covid virus,” said head coach Leon MacDonald.
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“For over 70 minutes we were pleased with the rugby that the boys played. On the plus side, it was our first game and we will be better for that run, although the boys clearly understand that the game is played over 80 minutes.
“There were a lot of things we did well, but we will need to keep improving every game, especially with the challenge the Chiefs present with a strong pack and talent across the field.”
The game will be played without crowds, but with a smattering of stakeholders, with kickoff at the earlier time of 4.45pm.
Blues team to play Chiefs:
1. Alex Hodgman (43 caps)
2. Kurt Eklund (25)
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3. Nepo Laulala (14)
4. Luke Romano (1)
5. Josh Goodhue (39)
6. Tom Robinson (35)
7. Dalton Papalii (45)
8. Hoskins Sotutu (25)
9. Finlay Christie (19)
10. Harry Plummer (45)
11. Caleb Clarke (28)
12. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (1)
13. Rieko Ioane (74)
14. Mark Telea (26)
15. Stephen Perofeta (32)
Reserves:
16. Ricky Riccitelli (1)
17. Ofa Tuungafasi (108)
18. Marcel Renata (20)
19. Sam Darry (5)
20. Adrian Choat (5)
21. Sam Nock (42)
22. Beauden Barrett (7)/Zarn Sullivan (7)
23. AJ Lam (9)
Not considered with injury: Akira Ioane
Comments on RugbyPass
My heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
75 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
5 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real people. They claim free speech. Free speech for anonymous trolls/voilent thugs threatening people under false names? The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
75 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
5 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to comments