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Several All Blacks return for Blues’ pre-season clash with Chiefs
All Blacks Rieko Ioane, Finlay Christie, Mark Tele’a and Dalton Papali’i will see the field for the first time this pre-season when the Blues take on the Chiefs in Takapuna on Friday.
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With both clubs returning to New Zealand following two-match tours in Japan, the New Zealand rivals will have one last chance to test themselves before the Super Rugby Pacific regular season gets underway next week.
Bryce Heem and AJ Lam are also in line for their first minutes of the year, and the same can be said for playmaker Harry Plummer who will captain the Blues during the first half.
👀
See you tomorrow
Watch on Sky or NZR+ ✅ pic.twitter.com/C3hCKOfECw
— The Blues (@BluesRugbyTeam) February 15, 2024
The Blues have named two different teams of 15 to take the field at Onewa Domain on either side of the half-time break, with Plummer leading a side that includes Jordan Lay, Ricky Riccitelli and Cameron Suafoa.
But fans will be eager to see the Blues take the field after the break as a host of All Blacks, including Hoskins Sotutu, Stephen Perofeta and Caleb Clarke, take the field.
“We are pleased with the team’s efforts in Tokyo,” head coach Vern Cotter said in a statement.
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“The boys are starting to piece things together on the park and it’ll be good to give some minutes to hose players who haven’t featured yet ahead of our Round One match against the Drua in Whangarei.
“The Chiefs are a perfect match up this Friday – they were finalists last year and always bring a strong physical element every time they take the park.
“We play the Fijian Drua in Round One, so I want to see a strong performance around our basics against the Chiefs to prepare us for our opening match in Whangarei.”
The Blues have confirmed that the match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 1 and streamed on NZR+. For those looking to attend the fixture, gates open at 3:00 pm NZT on Friday while the match will get underway an hour later at 4:00 pm.
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Kicks under 14 go free while tickets for adults at Takapuna Rugby Football Club cost $10.
Blues team to take on Chiefs
First half
- Jordan Lay, 2. Ricky Riccitelli, 3. PJ Sheck, 4. James Thompson, 5. Ed Annandale, 6. Sam Hainsworth-Fa’aofo, 7. Adrian Choat, 8. Cameron Suafoa, 9. Taufa Funaki, 10. Harry Plummer (c), 11. Kade Banks, 12. Corey Evans, 13. Bryce Heem, 14. AJ Lam, 15. Cole Forbes
Second half
- Joshua Fusitu’a, 2. Kurt Eklund, 3. Angus Ta’avao, 4. Laghlan McWhannell, 5. Josh Beehre, 6. Anton Segner, 7. Dalton Papali’i, 8. Hoskins Sotutu, 9. Sam Nock, 10. Stephen Perofeta, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Harry Plummer, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Mark Tele’a, 15. Zarn Sullivan
Reserves: Soane Vikena, Marcel Renata, Ben Ake, Finlay Christie, Lucas Cashmore, Meihana Grindlay, Alex Harford, Caleb Tangitau
Not available for selection: Akira Ioane (calf), Rob Rush (calf), Sam Darry (neck), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (knee), Patrick Tuipulotu (jaw)
Comments on RugbyPass
I’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
37 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
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