Super Rugby 2016: New Zealand Conference

[waiopehu oldboy]

Season previews on the blog:

Blues (edited version) -

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/blues-2016-preview-an-idiots-opinion/

Author wasn't happy with some of the editing so posted the pre-edit version on the forum:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...nd-blues-to-infinity-and-beyond.13827/page-12

Chiefs -

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/chiefs-2016-season-preview/

Crusaders -

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/crusaders-2016-season-preview/

Highlanders -

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/highlanders-2016-season-preview/

Hurricanes -

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/hurricanes-2016-season-preview/

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Chiefs rehab list getting longer:

Nepo Laulala (knee) out for season
Dominic Bird (foot) 10 weeks
Gus Pulu (broken arm) 8+ weeks
Mitch Karpic (knee) 6-9 months

Seven (!!!) Hurricanes came off v Blues but only Matt Procter (knee) looks likely to miss much footy. Ben May (shoulder) & Motu Matu'u (calf) won't play this week but should be OK for Round 1 if required.

Highlanders have lost Richard "Barracuda" Buckman (shoulder) for the season.

Crusaders currently in team rehab are:

Israel Dagg (shoulder) due back in March EDIT: now aiming for April:
http://www.planetrugby.com/news/dagg-eyeing-april-comeback/
Ryan Crotty (thumb) due back in March
Robbie Fruean (torn pec) due back in March

Blues appear to be free of any major injury concerns ATM.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Reckon the Blues could be a real smokey for the finals this year. Good squad and good coach could get them into the top two or three in the NZ conference.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Awesome from 6-8 & 12-15 but not much depth in the tight five or halves. West will need to go a lot better than last year & wont be helped by the lack of an experienced HB to take some of the load off. But, yeah, if they can get enough ball to Moala, Ranger & co then look out............

Still think they'll struggle this year & that 2017 could be their year Finals-wise.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Good coaching could see the tight five play stronger than the sum of its individual parts - see how the Highlanders played last year. And the 9 and 10 just have to get the ball wide as fast as possible, as you say, to unleash the power runners out there. At the very least, they will cause other sides a whole lot of problems imo.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

James Broadhurst still not over his concussion & no time-frame for his return.

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/broadhurst-sidelined-by-concussion/

Big problem for 'canes.

 

[qwerty51]

Canes beat the Crusaders 74-7

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

All part of Todd's cunning plan

Bloos 24-12 Tribe despite Kaino copping his first-ever RC just after HT. He claims to have been freeing his arm & that the contact was accidental........

 

[zer0]

Meh. Nothing in it.

 

[Braveheart81]

He'll miss the first couple of rounds at least.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

 

[brokendown]

Meh. Nothing in it.

yep he intended to miss!

 

[qwerty51]

He'll miss the first couple of rounds at least.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

Well it's a NZRU hearing rather than a SANZAAR one so I think he'll get off.

 

[ChargerWA]

Spewing that the Barracuda is out of action for a season. One of my favourite players to watch.

He doesn't seem to have the skills, pace or talent of some of the other players, but he's just as effective. Everyone loves a bloke who punches above his weight.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Spewing that the Barracuda is out of action for a season. One of my favourite players to watch.

He doesn't seem to have the skills, pace or talent of some of the other players, but he's just as effective. Everyone loves a bloke who punches above his weight.

Keep an eye out for Ryan Tongia, he's very much from the same mould. Won't get too many runs due to the Clan's insane amount of back-three talent but given half a chance he'll give it 110%.

Well it's a NZRU hearing rather than a SANZAAR one so I think he'll get off.

Copped a week so out of Bloos v Clan season-opener:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...ematch-ban-for-punch-in-warmup-against-chiefs

 

[swingpass]

. Everyone loves a bloke who punches above his weight.

except perhaps Pauliasi Manu

.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Kieran Read to return as early as this week:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...kieran-read-to-return-early-for-the-crusaders

Hope it's not some kinda knee jerk reaction to that HorrorCanes horror show the other night.........

Todd won't play on Saturday but should be OK for next week & looks like Mo'unga will get first shot at 10.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/77202258/crusaders-shake-off-74point-drubbing

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Naholo has re-fractured his leg, out for eight weeks:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...-for-up-to-eight-weeks-after-breaking-his-leg

Guess those magic leaves musta worn off

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Team of the Week:

NZ TEAM OF THE WEEK - ROUND 1

1. Moody 2. Taylor 3. Franks 4. Tuipulotu 5. Retallick 6. Seu 7. Gibson 8. Luatua 9. Hall 10. Cruden 11. Lowe 12. Ngatai 13. Tamanivalu 14. Nanai 15. McKenzie

Note: Ellison (& Thompson) not eligible for AB selection otherwise I'd have given him the 13 (sorry @Dismal)

 

[zer0]

Team of the Week:

NZ TEAM OF THE WEEK - ROUND 1

1. Moody 2. Taylor 3. Franks 4. Tuipulotu 5. Retallick 6. Seu 7. Gibson 8. Luatua 9. Hall 10. Cruden 11. Lowe 12. Ngatai 13. Tamanivalu 14. Nanai 15. McKenzie

Onehunga, f*ck yeah!

 

[Dan54]

Highlanders will be a bit gutted losing Naholo to another broken leg, that's him out for a couple of months and Buckman for the year, not how they would want to start season.