Blues Thread

[Spy]

2016 Squad:

Props
Charlie Faumuina
Sione Mafileo
Nic Mayhew
Sam Prattley
Ofa Tu'ungafasi
Namatahi Waa

Hookers
Quentin MacDonald
Matt Moulds
James Parsons

Locks
Josh Bekhuis
Hoani Matenga
Gerard Tuioti-Mariner
Patrick Tuipulotu
Scott Scrafton

Loose forwards
Blake Gibson
Akira Ioane
Jerome Kaino (c)
Tanerau Latimer
Steven Luatua
Kara Pryor
Jack Ram
Joe Edwards

Halfbacks
Billy Guyton
Bryn Hall
Sam Nock

First Five-Eighths
Matt McGahan
Ihaia West
Piers Francis

Midfielders
Rieko Ioane
George Moala
Rene Ranger
Male Sa'u
TJ Faiane
Matt Vaega

Wings
Matt Duffie
Ben Lam
Tevita Li
Melani Nanai
Afa Fa'atau

Fullbacks
Lolagi Visinia
Michael Little
Jordan Trainor

[Spy]

I love this time of year. The warm air of summer lingers, and the sweet smell of possibility around a new Blues season hasn't yet begun it's inevitable decay to the rank stench of underachievement and bitter defeat. For now a crisp season ticket, a new coach and the illusion of a fresh start mean disappointment and recrimination can wait a few weeks.

Looking at the squad, there are as usual plenty of names I don't know. Plenty of familiar ones there too though. I think we have the makings of a decent Super Rugby level pack. The loose forward list in particular is packed with experience and talent. The weakness is still in the halves - Ihaia West had a tough season last year, and I don't know much about Hugh McGahan's boy.

Great to see the Ranger back. He and Moala will be a handful in the centres, although neither is a great distributor. Gas out wide with Visinia and Tevita Li.

What I'd really like to see is a tougher, stronger team culture. Last year was abysmal. A tough ask for Tana to turn it around, but I think he was the right choice to take the poisoned chalice of coaching the premier rugby team in NZ's largest city. Kaino needs to really lead the team too. Supporters need to see a team with a bit of ticker.

I don't think we have anything like a championship side, but I'd like to see us contesting for a top 2 spot in the NZ conference.

[J Dory]

I always start a season feeling like this will be the year, not sure what that says about me being a Northland supporter, but fuck it, THIS WILL BE THE YEAR!

[cashead]

A good season would be an overall top half finish. They won't win the title, and probably won't make the play-offs, but they'll probably tip over some of the more favoured teams. There have been some clever acquisitions as well, like bringing back Quentin MacDonald and securing Tanerau Latimer for the season. MacDonald is the kind of player that would probably be mentioned by the ABs coaches when discussing a potential squad as a bolter, but loses out to talent depth, but has logged some time for the Maori ABs, and Latimer, while having a brief test career, has got a bit of mileage on him.

There's stacks of potential in the team, with a fairly high ceiling, and I like that Umaga has brought in players from all 3 Blues feeder provinces and Counties, making it feel more representative of the wider Auckland region. Under previous coaches, particularly Pat Lam, it did often feel like players were picked primarily on which province they were with more than anything else.

[Parsifal]

Thought this would be about Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa et al. As you were...

[J Dory]

Thought this would be about Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa et al. As you were...

[Lizard]

Thought this would be about Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa et al. As you were...

Wrong Fred http://www.rugbyrebels.co/board/viewtop ... t=60#p2948

[zer0]

As long as Umaga does better than Kirwan's sloganeering mob, then I'll be happy. Hardly a lofty goal, but he is starting from a very low base.

[Spy]

An inauspicious start, with Captain Kaino suspended from the opening match against the Highlanders. A punch earned him a red card in the pre-season match v Chiefs.

https://assets.stuff.co.nz/video/produc ... Kaino-.mp4

Probably not a deliberate punch, but Manu did cop a fair belting from it and it's hard to argue that it didn't deserve a sanction.

[cashead]

Yeah, looked like a rush of blood to the head. Silly, silly thing for him to do, and it looked like he got Manu flush on the side of the head. That looked like it sucked for him.

[morepork]

Bloos.

[J Dory]

Bloos.

Most intelligent thing you've written on here for sometime. Didn't get a chance to check in on all the pre-season games, how have the Crusaders been doing?

[morepork]

Piss off Judy Bailey.


Bloos.

[zer0]

Top of the table, bitch.

[cashead]

Title as good as won

[Spy]

More good rugby from the Blues in that match than we saw in the entire season last year. The Highlanders started with much better defensive line speed, but slowed down with the Blues dominance of the second half. West's chip kick for the Blues first try exploited the Highlanders rush defence beautifully.

I thought our starting halfback had a good game, and the pack were solid enough. The best thing was just seeing the side play like a team, and not like a pack of headless chooks. They seemed to grow in confidence in the second half, and that win will do them a lot of good.

This could be the best false dawn in several seasons.

[cashead]

I thought our starting halfback had a good game

That's Harbour's own Bryn Hall. You'd better recognise.

Blake Gibson also had a stormer of a game at 7. Constant nuisance at the breakdown, flirting with the offside line like any self-respecting 7 should, and was wrecking ball with ball in hand.

It was pretty clear that Ranger needs a bit of time to get back to where he left off, but I guess it's expected after a long injury lay-off involving neck surgery.

[Spy]

Agree with all that.

Pretty good quality game for a season opener overall, actually.

[Spy]

2 streakers too.

[zer0]

That's Harbour's own Bryn Hall. You'd better recognise.

St. Peter's College is in Auckland, isn't it?

[cashead]

That's Harbour's own Bryn Hall. You'd better recognise.

St. Peter's College is in Auckland, isn't it?

Poor boy can't help which side of the bridge he comes from.

[J Dory]

Finally got to watch the match last night. How good are the smifs? Great game, great win. Nice to see Ranger back in blue. I have a good feeling about this team, maybe they're a bit young, but if the 9-10 partnership can progress, who knows. C'mon the Blues!

[zer0]

Be at ease good folk. Normal shambolic Blues service has resumed. The coach carries on his predecessors stupid selection strategy of squandering Rd 1 wins by changing a large chunk of the team the next week. As for the players? Well, as soon as they leave Eden Park they regress into something that can only be described as non-primate as their brains and opposable thumbs seem to disappear.

Fortunately the Crusaders can't do much more than scrummage. So instead of being a belting its a grind.

[Spy]

Indeed. Some strange selection decisions, as you say, but not sure it would have made a difference. The Blues weren't in the match at all. Even with the late intercept try, the score still flattered the northerners.

[cashead]

They pretty much got taken apart and ground down. The Crusaders should be disappointed that they weren't able to secure a BP. Blues are a typical momentum team, and they got stopped cold by the Crusaders, pretty much.

They also looked a lot better with Hall and West at 9 and 10. Ranger didn't offer a whole lot, and still looks fairly off the pace.