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Disruptive injuries at the Blues could open the door for an Akira Ioane return

By Online Editors
Akira Ioane. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Injuries were always going to play a major role in testing squad depth and determining the inaugural Super Rugby Aotearoa champions.

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One week in, the Blues may be forced to reshuffle their loose forwards after suffering multiple blows against the Hurricanes.

Spirits were high as the Blues trained at their Alexandra Park base on Tuesday following their opening-round 30-20 victory over the Hurricanes, but the combative nature of the New Zealand derbies is already taking its toll, with Tom Robinson and Blake Gibson absent from the squad and likely to miss Saturday’s trip to Hamilton to face the Chiefs.

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Auckland Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu spoke to media following the news that he has signed a new 3 year deal with the club.

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Auckland Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu spoke to media following the news that he has signed a new 3 year deal with the club.

Equally capable at lock, Robinson started in his favoured blindside flanker role against Hurricanes where he delivered another relentless shift but he is now awaiting scan results on a knee injury sustained on Sunday. Even if the injury is not severe, Robinson may not be risked at this early stage of the brutal 10-week derby competition.

Fellow flanker Gibson took a head knock and then came from the field with ice on his hamstring midway through the first half against the Hurricanes. Gibson’s absence from Tuesday training suggests the openside is unlikely to feature against the Chiefs, which could leave two starting spots to fill.

Fortunately for the Blues, if there is one area depth can cover injuries it is their loose forwards.

All Blacks flanker Dalton Papalii replaced Gibson against the Hurricanes and impressed by snaffling two turnovers while contributing to a sound team defensive performance.

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The double injury blow could see the Blues promote Papalii into the seven jersey and recall Akira Ioane, who did not make the squad last week.

In naming his team last week Blues coach Leon MacDonald singled out Ioane as unlucky not to make the team, saying his skin folds were better than ever and noting he was pushing hard for his chance.

The door now appears to have quickly opened for Ioane to deliver his impact – either from the starting side, possibly on the blindside, or from bench against the Chiefs, with American international Tony Lamborn another option.

Likewise Papalii, should he get the nod to start alongside in-form No 8 Hoskins Sotutu, is ready to seize his chance to potentially challenge All Blacks captain Sam Cane, who missed the Chiefs’ loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin due to a back injury but is expected to return for the Blues.

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“Every New Zealand team is going to be tough – it’s a derby out there – so the body is feeling it but I’ll nail the recovery and get out there,” Papalii said. “Getting those minutes and that first turnover really helped with my confidence throughout the whole game. I felt like I carried that through so hopefully I’ll carry that into this week.

“Around the flanker position in the Blues it’s bloody tough we’ve got so many good players. It’s healthy competition we’re all pushing each other.”

Papalii has played three tests for the All Blacks – one starting, two off the bench – since debuting in late 2018. While a versatile prospect comfortable in all three loose forward positions, the 22-year-old has his eyes firmly fixed on the seven jersey.

“I want to be a true seven going forward. I don’t want to be a Jack of all trades master of none. I want to really push myself and dominate the seven position but at the end of the day if the six and eight jersey pops up and I get to start and I get the minutes I want then why not. The end goal for me is to win a championship with the Blues so the closer we get to that the more sacrifices I’ll make.”

Despite 62 penalties being handed out in the opening round, Papalii endorsed the policy of cracking down on the breakdown during Super Rugby Aotearoa.

“I really enjoyed the rules. I felt there were more opportunities to go over the ball. You’re not milking any penalties you’re trying to steal it for counterattack so I think it’s actually given a bit of life to the seven position. For a while there they changed the rules and it sort of killed the seven role but these new rules it’s brought it back.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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