German teenager named alongside All Blacks and Super Rugby stars in strong Tasman Mitre 10 Cup squad
Tasman have named an impressive squad that features four All Blacks, 21 Super Rugby stars and a German teenager to defend their Mitre 10 Cup crown.
Co-head coaches Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody announced on Saturday a 32-man roster that boasts experience, depth and talent across the board.
Nine players from the Super Rugby Aotearoa-winning Crusaders squad have been included, with perhaps the most notable inclusion being that of All Blacks wing Sevu Reece.
The 23-year-old is among a raft of new faces in the Mako squad after joining the province from Waikato for the 2020 campaign.
He joins fellow newbie and standout Blues rookie Mark Telea, who has signed on after previously representing North Harbour, in a talent-laden outside back contingent that features captain David Havili, Will Jordan, Tima Fainga’anuku and Jamie Spowart.
Reece and Telea aren’t the only new signings, with the Mako calling upon the services of former stars from years gone by.
Ex-Maori All Blacks hooker Quentin MacDonald and Manu Samoa midfielder Kieron Fonotia have re-joined the side after five and four year stints in European club rugby, respectively.
Fonotia’s international teammate Dwayne Polataivao has also been recruited from the Utah Warriors in Major League Rugby, while Crusaders prop Isi Tu’ungafasi, younger brother of All Blacks star Ofa, has shifted down from Northland.
All of those players will add a multitude of experience that should balance out the exciting youth provided by the likes of Mitre 10 Cup rookie and former New Zealand Schools star Anton Segner.
The 19-year-old loose forward has been included in the Tasman squad in his first year out of school after having impressed for the Nelson College 1st XV since moving to New Zealand from Germany three years ago.
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Segner had only planned on spending six months in New Zealand when he first arrived, but now he harbours hopes of becoming the first German to play for the All Blacks after signing a two-season deal with Tasman last year.
Standing at 1.92m and 108kg, he looms as a formidable prospect and could earn substantial game time should Highlanders loose forward Shannon Frizell be tied up with All Blacks commitments over the coming months.
Even if COVID-19 forces the international schedule to deteriorate, Ethan Blackadder’s knee injury could pave the way for Segner to shine in his debut campaign of first-class rugby.
Blackadder is among a group of six players – which includes standout Highlanders lock Pari Pari Parkinson, Chiefs and All Blacks prop Atu Moli and veteran Hurricanes playmaker James Marshall – that have been ruled out for the season through injury.
Their voids have been filled by four local club players – Louie Chapman, Braden Stewart, Max Hicks, Kershawl Sykes Martin – who will train with the squad as “potential injury replacements”.
Tasman will begin their title defence next Saturday when they travel to Pukekohe to take on Counties Manukau.
2020 Tasman Mitre 10 Cup squad:
Hookers: Quentin MacDonald, Andrew Makalio, Sam Moli
Props: Ryan Coxon, Tyrel Lomax, Sam Matenga, Isaac Salmon, Isieli Tu’ungafasi
Locks: Alex Ainley, Te Ahiwaru Cirikdaveta, Mahroni Ngakuru, Quinten Strange
Loose Forwards: Taina Fox-Matamua, Shannon Frizell, Sione Havili, Jacob Norris, Hugh Renton, Anton Segner
Halfbacks: Finlay Christie, Dwayne Polataivao
First Fives: Mitch Hunt, Tim O’Malley
Midfielders: Keiron Fonotia, Alex Nankivell, Fetuli Paea, Leicester Fainga’anuku
Outside Backs: Tima Fainga’anuku, David Havili (c), Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Jamie Spowart, Mark Telea
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments