Five All Blacks named in Auckland Mitre 10 squad
Auckland have named five All Blacks in their Mitre 10 squad as they mount the defence of the title they won in 2018.
The season begins in earnest next Friday night at Eden Park against North Harbour. The annual ‘Battle of the Bridge’ will surely produce an enthralling contest on the back of the squad announced by Alama Ieremia and his coaching team.
The 40-man strong squad named – which includes five All Blacks – for the campaign features several notable returnees from last year as well as new up-and-coming talent from the local club scene in Auckland.
Dalton Papalii, Angus Ta’avao, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Patrick Tuipulotu and Rieko Ioane are all vying for a spot in Steve Hansen’s 31-man squad, and are unlikely to feature heavily in the Mitre 10.
In the forwards, Robbie Abel, Jack Whetton, Dalton Papalii, Blake Gibson and Akira Ioane are all back for another tilt at the title. Scott Scrafton also returns after missing all of last year’s campaign with injury.
New players to squad include young flanker Cameron Suafoa of College Rifles who is primed to add valuable experience at a higher level to his already considerable frame. Hooker Michael Lea and Lock Peter-Chanel Tagaloa, both of Marist, will look to bring their own brands of dynamic physicality from the club scene to the Mitre10 Cup.
The backs, once again, have an exciting flavour to them. Jonathan Ruru and Harry Plummer will aim to build on their relationship at the 9-10 axis with TJ Faiane, Tumua Manu and Tanielu Tele’a battling it out in the midfield. Caleb Clarke and Salesi Rayasi will ensure there’s no shortage of speed, power and guile on the flanks.
Providing plenty of competition and support out wide will be new and local lads to the group. Danny Tusitala, of Ponsonby and the Samoan Sevens team, will look to bring his high tempo game at halfback. Papatoetoe’s D’Angelo Leuila is also likely to be afforded time in the middle to show off his own dazzling array of skills in the playmaker role.
Alama Ieremia will once again lead the side as Head Coach with able support provided by Filo Tiatia, Tai Lavea, Mike Casey and Sir Graham Henry.
Ieremia is under no illusions heading into the opening round as to how difficult it will be to repeat last year’s efforts.
“For us, it’s about going out and winning it all over again. 2018 has been and gone, and we celebrated those achievements last year. It’s now all about being prepared and ready for each challenge and each game that awaits us.”
Regarding those selected in the squad, Ieremia conceded that not all would play right away, but that good form would be rewarded if players performed for other representative sides.
“Our representative programme is aligned from the top-down, and we’re extremely lucky to have great support from our clubs and their coaches to allow us to pick from such a strong and talented player-base.”
2019 Auckland Mitre 10 Cup squad:
Robbie Abel (College Rifles)
Leni Apisai (Loaned)
Michael Lea (Marist)
Jarred Adams (Suburbs)
Rob Cobb (Ponsonby)
Marco Fepulea’i (Ponsonby)
Alex Hodgman (Suburbs)
Taniela Koroi (Marist)
Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Suburbs)
Marcel Renata (University)
Angus Ta’avao (Eden)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Grammar TEC)
Jamie Lane (Ponsonby)
Scott Scrafton (Grammar TEC)
Peter-Chanel Tagaloa (Marist)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Ponsonby)
Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC)
Lyndon Dunshea (University)
Cameron Suafoa (College Rifles)
Adrian Choat (Waitemata)
Blake Gibson (Ponsonby)
Dalton Papalii (Pakuranga)
Akira Ioane (Ponsonby)
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Ponsonby)
Hoskins Sotutu (Marist)
Desma Liaina (Eden)
Jonathan Ruru (University)
Danny Tusitala (Ponsonby)
Daniel Kirkpatrick (University)
D’Angelo Leuila (Papatoetoe)
Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC)
TJ Faiane (Pakuranga)
Tumua Manu (College Rifles)
Tanielu Tele’a (Marist)
Caleb Clarke (Suburbs)
Kurt Heatherley (Loaned)
Rieko Ioane (Ponsonby)
AJ Lam (Grammar TEC)
Salesi Rayasi (Marist)
Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby)
*One Back to be added
– Auckland Rugby
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments