No Beauden Barrett as Blues name strong team for first Super Rugby Pacific clash
The Blues will welcome eight All Blacks, past or present, into their line-up for the first appearance in the DHL Super Rugby Pacific.
They take on the Hurricanes, who impressed in their opening loss against the Crusaders, at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday night.
Prop Nepo Laulala, loose forward Hoskins Sotutu, halfback Finlay Christie and centre Rieko Ioane will start with prop Ofa Tuungafasi coming off the bench from the All Blacks who went on the northern tour, while Alex Hodgman, Luke Romano and Caleb Clarke have all worn black.
There is considerable interest in the appearance of two players set to make their Blues debuts, although both are far from rookies.
Romano, with 137 Super Rugby caps for the Crusaders and 32 for the All Blacks, is among the most experienced locks in the competition, while there is excitement in the first Super Rugby showing for Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who has amassed 195 appearances in the NRL and 20 caps for New Zealand in Rugby League.
Coach Leon MacDonald said he has been impressed with the efforts both on and off the field from Romano and Tuivasa-Sheck.
“Luke has settled into life here really well and has been an outstanding contributor already, although he has to get through the Thursday training with an injury niggle.
“Likewise Roger has settled in extremely well and fitted into rugby like the professional he is. If we can get some good front-foot ball it will be interesting to see the backline in action.”
The Blues missed the opening clash with Moana Pasifika unable to play, although MacDonald says that will not be an excuse for his side.
“It is something we need to overcome. All teams have come in with a short pre-season and with the obvious challenges in these bubbles,” said MacDonald.
“For us it is about pride in our jersey and our Blues region, overcoming any perceived adversity, and having the confidence to play our game to the standards we have achieved on the training fields.
“The attitude and aptitude have been excellent and it is a matter of taking that form from the training pitch into the game situation.
“We know it will be a super-fast and open game as it always is under the roof at Forsyth Barr.”
Key players missing with injuries include All Blacks Beauden Barrett and captain Dalton Papalii, both recovering from head knocks, and Akira Ioane.
Blues team to play Hurricanes:
1. Alex Hodgman (42 Blues caps)
2. Kurt Eklund (24)
3. Nepo Laulala (13)
4. Josh Goodhue (38)
5. Luke Romano (0)
6. Tom Robinson (34)
7. Adrian Choat (5)
8. Hoskins Sotutu (24)
9. Finlay Christie (18)
10. Harry Plummer (44)
11. Caleb Clarke (27)
12. Roger Tuivasa-Scheck (0)
13. Rieko Ioane (73)
14. Mark Telea (25)
15. Zarn Sullivan (7)
Reserves:
16. Ricky Riccitelli
17. Ofa Tuungafasi (107)
18. Marcel Renata (19)
19. Sam Darry (5)
20. Anton Segner (0)
21. Sam Nock (41)
22. Stephen Perofeta (31)
23. Tanielu Tele’a (13)
Comments on RugbyPass
Sux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
6 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
6 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
6 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
212 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
23 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
23 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
212 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
2 Go to commentsWorst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
6 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
23 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
212 Go to commentsA very English thing to do hey Courtney, blerrie kant
4 Go to commentsIt sounds like Andrew is trying to convince himself or has just lost all perspective. The team did look jaded for the last couple of games of the six nations but a few things were wrong there. Italy tackled their hearts out and made Ireland work hard for every try. Outsmarted by Scotland? Huh? Ireland got held up over the line about 4 times. Scotland did nothing on attack the whole game other than one breakaway near the end. A recharge and reset is needed which they hopefully will have had before the SA your.
23 Go to commentsIncluding SA and Argie teams was great for the quality of rugby, but middle of the night games and player travel/ jet lag make that unworkable. I think that SA in Europe and Argie building an American league with USA, Canada etc would be better long term. If Oz can't sustain Rebels then next cab off the rank should be a Japanese team. Keep regional comps to time zones, both club and test rugby. Then existing test windows for test tours plus RWC.
8 Go to commentsMisogynists have feelings too!
6 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to comments