Auckland Blues To Infinity and Beyond

[2bluesfan]

So far he's taken it quite well, I think:

"Total spineless brainless flame-retardant capitulation from the Blues.

"42 degrees on the field and fahrenheit 451 in their tiny pea-hearted brains, burn the books, this one never happened. The Blues with a timely reminder, after a seaosn of non-Blues rugby, that THEYRE STILL THE AUCKLAND FUCKING BLUES AND WILL FUCK UP THE UNFUCKABLE FROM ANYWHERE ON THE PARK"

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...ng-australian-teams.17375/page-51#post-953091

I'm actually giving some serious thought to cutting & pasting it into my Un-Australian Activities blog (with a writing credit, of course ).

Well, to be fair, if you do add it in to the blog (AND YOU SHOULD!) it would be obvious to any GAGR regular who the author is. But, credit where credit's due (and obviously I'm not referring to the Blues).

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Too good to not share.......

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Nothing to see there, just a solid pass off the right hand executed with eyes-closed confidence.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^ Bloos designated saviour circa 2020 getting some early practice in for the first "oh shit!" moment of his career.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

2020!? The poor little bastard will only be 6 years old!

Too early to pin the entire hopes of the franchise on such young shoulders.

Even the great Isaia Toeava did not make his Blues debut until he was 11 years old.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^ you've gotta start practicing those "oh shit!" moments early if you wanna get them down

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Rene Ranger confirmed as signed by La Rochelle:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11897213

Given he's now 30, injury prone & Bloos have a heap of midfield options, probably a good move on his part.

 

[2bluesfan]

Rene Ranger confirmed as signed by La Rochelle:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11897213

Given he's now 30, injury prone & Bloos have a heap of midfield options, probably a good move on his part.

Yeah, good move for Rene. Love watching him play but it's time for him to maximise his earnings while he can.

 

[jimmydubs]

I don't think this takes into account the blues normally losing to burns unit xv's and beating the best in the world.

Anyhow puts the Aussie draw whinging into perspective

 

[No4918]

Not really.

 

[zer0]

You're always going to have the toughest draw when 50% of your matches are against four of the five best teams in the competition. That they also play the Lions in Johannesburg, straight off the plane, is just another kick in the balls.

EDIT: I see we're also playing the Sunwolves in Tokyo during the middle of the day, again. And the Crusaders at the back end of the season. Twice. Was this draw put together in Christchurch or something?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Otere Black will probably miss the entire 2018 Super Rugby season after rupturing his ACL last night:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...tere-black-staring-at-long-stint-on-sidelines

I guess that makes Stephen Perofeta the designated messiah by default?

 

[RoffsChoice]

God damn it, Black is incredible! What a tragedy.

 

[zer0]

FFS.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

And the designated messiah for 2018 is (drum roll) Dan Kirkpatrick who last played for them (six times) in 2010 & has most recently been playing French D2.

Blues squad:
Hookers: Leni Apisai, Matt Moulds, James Parsons.
Front row: Alex Hodgman, Sione Mafileo, Pauliasi Manu, Isaac Salmon, Mike Tamoaieta, Ofa Tuungafasi.
Locks: Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Josh Goodhue, Scott Scrafton, Patrick Tuipulotu, Jimmy Tupou
Loose forwards: Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane, Jerome Kaino, Dalton Papalii, Glenn Preston, Kara Pryor, Murphy Taramai.
Halfbacks: Sam Nock, Augustine Puli, Jonathan Ruru.
First Five: Otere Black/Daniel Kirkpatrick, Bryn Gatland, Stephen Perofeta.
Midfield: Matt Johnson, George Moala, Tamati Tua, TJ Faiane, Sonny Bill Williams.
Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, Melanie Nanai, Jordan Trainor.

Appears Otere Black is still officially on the books (& presumably included under the salary cap) despite the fact he'll miss the entire season.

 

[Dan54]

There a few good players there, I wonder if they all are already planning how to disappoint their supporters next season!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^ Awesome on paper loosies & backs, starting tight five looks OK but not too much depth. Gunna be another long season, I think & that's gotta be a worry for NZRU esp given how poor Auckland were in M10.

 

[zer0]

F*ck it. Sign him for the 2018 season. He and Aaron 'Will' Smith can lead the 90's retro revival.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Looking forward to Dan Kirkpatrick running the team from Week 1 after Gatland and Perofeta idiotically collide at first preseason training and concuss each other for life.

He and Aaron 'Will' Smith can lead the 90's retro revival.

Aaron Smith. ANOTHER player CUT by the Blues. Not up to it. Thanks anyway. We'll go with fat guts Piri handbraking our shit halfway to fucken Henderson and back In related news, wonder what A.Smith calls that new hairdo of his. A classic Pubus Transplantus Platformus Elevatorus.