Trial: Blues v Waratahs, Whangarei, Saturday 9/2/13

[kiap]

Kickoff
Syd: 12:30 AEDT
Local: 14.30 NZDT

SJK has named the Blues team for Saturday's trial. Big Albert Nikoro, who impressed against the Reds gets a start at fullback. Rene Ranger and Ali Williams (the new captain) come into the lineup.

Williams to start for, lead Blues in Whangarei

Spoiler

All Blacks lock Ali Williams finally gets the chance to run out as Blues captain for the first time in Saturday's Super Rugby preseason clash with the Waratahs in Whangarei.

Williams was named Blues skipper late last year by new coach Sir John Kirwan but was rested for their opening trial against the Reds last weekend.

Kirwan has selected a stronger lineup for the clash with New South Wales and Williams is motivated to keep the rebuild of the Blues going on the right track.

"I've had a pretty good pre-season with a lot of hard work and it's great to eventually get out onto the paddock," the 77-test veteran said.

"I'm really excited. One thing I'm probably most excited about is being out in the pressure cooker with all these boys that have done the hard work together so it's going to be good.

"This is going to be the first real test. You can only really judge a captain by what happens on the field. First and foremost it's how they play and secondly it's how the team comes off.

"There are a few things for me to concentrate on but at the moment I'm loving it and having a great bunch of guys around me makes it easy."

Rene Ranger gets a start at centre on his home soil and Bay of Plenty's Chris Noakes starts at first five-eighths.

Wing George Moala will play his first game since fracturing his fibula during the NPC.

All Black prop Charlie Faumuina will get some game time off the bench, while lock Culum Retallick will also come off the pine to play his first game in five months since suffering a mid foot joint sprain.

BLUES:

15. Albert Nikoro,
14. George Moala,
13. Rene Ranger,
12. Francis Saili,
11. Lolagi Visinia,
10. Chris Noakes,
9. Bryn Hall,

8. Peter Saili,
7. Luke Braid,
6. Steven Luatua,
5. Ali Williams (captain),
4. Liaki Moli,
3. Angus Ta'avao,
2. Quentin MacDonald,
1. Tom McCartney.

Reserves: James Parsons, Tim Perry, Culum Retallick, Brendon O'Connor, Charlie Faumuina, Ronald Raaymakers, Kane Barrett, Jamison Gibson-Park, Malakai Fekitoa, Marty McKenzie, Baden Kerr, Waisake Naholo, Frank Halai.

Link

 

[Braveheart81]

McCartney playing prop?

That's interesting. I'll be impressed if their scrum can hold up against the Tahs.

 

[Micheal]

Anyone know where I can find a waratahs lineup?

 

[Ash]

I thought that McCartney has spent a few seasons switching between prop and hooker.

 

[qwerty51]

Still no team list

Waratahs
Michael Ala'alatoa (Southern Districts)*, Richard Aho (Randwick)*, Kotoni Ale (Manly)*, Tom Carter , Cam Crawford, Kane Douglas, Israel Folau , Bernard Foley (vice captain), Michael Hodge, Jed Holloway, Luke Holmes,Michael Hooper, Rob Horne , AJ Gilbert (Northern Suburbs)*, Tom Kingston , Matt Lucas, Brendan McKibbin (captain) ,Tolu Latu (Sydney University)*, Dane Maraki (Manly)*, Drew Mitchell, Elijah Niko (Eastern Suburbs)* , Greg Peterson , Paddy Ryan, Jeremy Tilse (vice captain), Lachie Turner, Peter Samu (Randwick)* , Will Skelton (Sydney University)*,John Ulugia,Ben Volavola
* Indicates non-contracted players

my guess:

1. Jeremy Tilse / Michael Ala'alatoa / Dane Maraki
2. John Ulugia / Luke Holmes / Tolu Latu
3. Paddy Ryan / Richard Aho
4. Kane Douglas / Will Skelton
5. Greg Peterson / Jed Holloway
6. Peter Samu / Kotoni Ale
7. Michael Hooper
8. AJ Gilbert
9. Brendan McKibbin / Matt Lucas
10. Bernard Foley / Ben Volavola
11. Drew Mitchell / Michael Hodge
12. Tom Carter
13. Rob Horne / Tom Kingston
14. Lachie Turner / Cam Crawford
15. Israel Folau / Elijah Niko

interesting no Grayson Hart? Maybe he's pencilled in already. No Timanis either

 

[fatprop]

I find that squad quite baffling

 

[wamberal]

I find that squad quite baffling

St Michael of Cheika can do no wrong, oh ye of little faith.

 

[JSRF10]

would i be correct in assuming this isn't televised anywhere?

 

[kiap]

would i be correct in assuming this isn't televised anywhere?

I believe so.

 

[Hawko]

I find that squad quite baffling

I do too. Clearly the Crusaders game is the one that will be used to prepare the team for the Reds game, but I don't know why Lopeti isn't going unless he's copped an injury. Maybe he's the first into team rehab this year. I would not think Lopeti is already pencilled in for the Crusaders or the Reds, except maybe on the bench. Leaving Sita at home to train makes sense to me though, along with all the other Wallabies.

Hart is a mystery too. Maybe he is first choice and Cheika wants to look at the back-ups or maybe Hart hasn't been very impressive and he will get a half as McKibben's back-up next week.

I think that with Chapman on the way back, Peterson will have to make a mark on Saturday. A bad game might be his last in sky blue.

If Tilse, Ryan and Ulugia can get over the top of the Blues scrum then I fear for the Blues' season. The team that they posted has some real up-and-comers but lacks a hard base of experience. T/R/U will want to remind Cheika that they are good enough to step up the moment someone falters, so I expect they will give it everything. They are unlikely to get more than 20 mins next week.

I notice Frank Halai in the reserves for the Blues. Given his sevens' pedigree I would not be surprised to see him do well this year.

St Michael of Cheika can do no wrong, oh ye of little faith.

I don't want to be a Cassandra but I thought the same about St. Robbie of Deans for the first year. But I think Cheika is made of sterner stuff.

 

[ACT Crusader]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/8283253/Blues-snatch-last-gasp-win-in-Whangarei

The Blues have picked up their first win of the preseason beating the Waratahs 40-36 in Whangarei.
Following on from their 45-31 loss to the Reds last weekend, there was some importance on the Blues ending up on the right side of the ledger in this game and it was something they only just achieved with Peter Saili scoring the match-winning try from the last play of the game.
Played in front of around 5000 spectators, this was a game where neither team's coaches would have been happy with their defensive play, but attacking wise they can be optimistic about the season ahead.
Drew Mitchell got a 'Welcome to New Zealand' message in the eighth minute when Blues captain Ali Williams put a crunching shoulder tackle in on the Wallabies winger to force a turnover.
Two minutes later Lolagi Visinia scored the opening try, benefitting from a great offload by Peter Saili as he was tackled 10m from the Waratahs' line.
In the 19th minute fullback Cam Crawford ran over the top of Visinia for the Waratahs' first points, with Brendan McKibbon kicking the extras, then eight minutes into the second quarter Peter Saili scored for the Blues as they drove over from a lineout deep inside the Waratahs' half.
Israel Folau came on for the Waratahs at the beginning of the second half as both sides made numerous changes and within a minute Jed Holloway scooped up a loose ball on the halfway line and ran all the way in for the try.
Seven minutes later Tom Kingston's dream day began, he rounded the Blues defence for the Waratahs' third try and Kingston got his second shortly after when he was fed the ball from Folau in a backline move.
Replacement prop Tim Perry stopped the rot with a try for the Blues in the 55th minute.
At the beginning of the final quarter there was some abysmal defending from the Blues as they slipped off tackles in a move that led to Folau bagging a try.
Waisaki Naholo scored for the Blues from the restart and Baden Kerr's conversion made the score 31-26 in the Waratahs' favour with 16 minutes to go.
Malakai Fekitoa's dance through the Waratahs defence four minutes later squared the scores and Kerr then put the Blues back in front with a kick from under the posts.
This was followed by Kingston's third try and it looked to be the match winner, especially as the Blues looked unable to get anything from a sustained period of pressure.
But with the last attack of the game Peter Saili crashed in from a metre out to snatch the victory.
Blues 40 Lolagi Visinia, Peter Saili 2, Tim Perry, Waisake Naholo, Malakai Fekkitoa tries; Albert Nikoro con, Baden Kerr 4 cons. Waratahs36 Cam Crawford, Jed Holloway, Tom Kingston 3, Israel Folau tries; Brendan McKibbon, Bernard Foley cons, Matt Lucas con. HT: 12-7
- © Fairfax NZ News

 

[Lee Grant]

Blues win 40-36 in last play of game.

6 tries each but Blues 2 more conversions.

Folau outstanding when he came on in 2nd half; Kingston 3 tries.

Tahs butcher one try when ball spilled over line.

Both teams had defensive issues.

This info from Silverfern Sports Talk forum.
.

 

[JSRF10]

Good to see Izzy go well. Hopefully we can put defensive issues down pre season friendly syndrome (low intensity etc). Plenty to work on ahead of the Crusaders game anyways!

 

[Lee Grant]

From ninemsn Wide World of Sports

NSW lost a tight 40-36 Super Rugby trial match to the Blues, after conceding an injury-time try in Whangarei on Saturday.

Peter Saili scored the winner, prompting a relieved Blues flanker Luke Braid to say it was good sneak home after a first up loss to the Reds.

Braid was impressed with the way the second-half team came back to win after the Waratahs looked to have done enough deep into the fourth quarter.
"It was awesome to watch how they hung in there and fought back over that whole half," he said.

All eyes were on the second-half appearance of former NRL superstar Israel Folau, who displayed flashes of brilliance with the ball in hand but is still very much a work in progress with a couple of wayward kicks showing his inexperience at this level.

But it was enough to impress Braid.

"He looked awesome," he said.

"It's great for Super Rugby to have guys like that jump across the codes especially if he's going to get people tuned in and watching."

After a gritty first spell, the Blues led 12-7 at the break, before the big names joined in after halftime.

After Jed Holloway scored to level things up, Folau ran 20 metres in a well-worked lineout play drawing two tacklers and allowing Tom Kingston an untouched run to the tryline.

The second half see-sawed after that with Kingston scoring again to extend their lead to 24-12 before Blues prop Tim Perry narrowed their advantage.
Folau then scored what could have been a game breaker, beating the fullback effortlessly after Elijah Niko had made the initial break at centre.

Kingston capped off a day to remember, by completing a second-half hat-trick.
The visitors' defensive lapses, especially a failure to take a kickoff which gifted Waisake Naholo the easiest try he'll ever score and sparked the Blues comeback, will no doubt be worked on before their final pre-season match against the Crusaders in Sydney next week.

Openside flanker Michael Hooper looked good in his debut match, making up for a missed tackle which led to the Blues opening try with a superb turnover from a Blues defensive ruck eventually leading to fullback Cam Crawford scoring.

Rene Ranger remained at the centre of any Blues backline threat before being replaced at halftime, while Chris Noakes was also good at flyhalf.

There is a small video clip of Izzy here:

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8607769
.

 

[Lee Grant]

From iafrica.com

Blues down 'Tahs

Sat, 09 Feb 2013

A try to Peter Saili in extra time snatched a thrilling 40-36 victory for the Blues over the Waratahs in their pre-season match in Whangarei on Saturday.

The Blues found themselves trailing late in the second half but wing Waisake Naholo scored two sensational tries before Saili bashed his way over from close range to clinch the win after the siren had sounded.

"I was really happy with their courage and commitment today," said Blues head coach John Kirwan.

"We did some really good things. We went away from our systems a wee bit but then worked really hard. We hung in there and never gave up so they’re all things that you can be proud of so I was pretty proud of them today," he said.

The Waratahs had the Blues stretched early on as they found space out wide, but it was the home side who struck first through exciting young wing Lolagi Visinia.

Following some quick ruck ball, Francis Saili sucked in two defenders before offloading to centre Rene Ranger, and from there it was a simple draw and pass as Visinia crossed the whitewash untouched.

Fullback Albert Nikoro’s conversion gave the Blues a 7-0 lead after 12 minutes, but the Waratahs hit back just before the end of the first quarter.

Wallabies flank Michael Hooper put in a strong performance and it was his turnover on the Blues' five metre line that led to fullback Cam Crawford scoring for the visitors.

From a quick line-out deep inside their own half the Blues sparked an attacking raid as Ranger, Francis Saili and Visinia combined to give the Blues an attacking five metre line-out.

From there the bruising forwards took over, mauling the ball over the try line as No.8 Peter Saili came up with the five pointer to give the Blues a 12-7 lead at halftime.

Kirwan made a raft of changes to personnel in the second stanza and it seemed to stifle the Blues' momentum as the Waratahs roared back into the match.

Centre Malakai Fekitoa’s grubber kick backfired as Waratahs flank Jed Holloway latched onto it and ran 40 metres to score.

Israel Folau's introduction to the game at half-time had an immediate impact as he found plenty of holes in the Blues' defence and set up wing Tom Kingston for a brace of tries.

The Blues managed to narrow the deficit to just five points through prop Tim Perry who produced a lovely show-and-go to crash over under the sticks, but some more slick footwork by Folau saw him carve up the defence to score a brilliant individual try.

However Waisake Naholo caught the ball from the ensuing re-start to run away for a sensational try, before bagging his second soon afterwards to put the Blues ahead 33-31 with just 11 minutes remaining.

Kingston's third try of the afternoon appeared to have clinched the victory for the visitors with just minutes left on the clock, but Saili's try at the death following a sustained passage of play snatched it for the Blues as the 5,000 strong Northland crowd erupted into applause.

Blues captain Ali Williams produced a solid performance in his first game of the year, putting in some big hits in defence and carrying the ball strongly before being substituted at half time.

Crowd favourite Rene Ranger always threatened with ball in hand and created a number of try scoring opportunities, while Culum Retallick, George Moala and Chris Noakes all made successful returns to action following injuries.

The Blues will complete their pre-season preparations with a trial match against the Highlanders in Queenstown on Friday.

The scorers:

For the Blues:
Tries: Peter Saili 2, Naholo 2, Visinia, Perry
Cons: Nikoro con, Kerr 4

For the Waratahs:
Tries: Kingston 3, Crawford, Holloway, Folau
Cons: McKibbin con,Foley con,Lucas

 

[kiap]

Tahs match report, condensed and cherry-picked is below - full version is: Here

Blues edge victory despite Kingston hat-trick​

​

9/02/2013 By Waratahs Rugby Media Unit​

​

..... Led by captain Brendan McKibbin, NSW scored six tries in all, including a second-half hat-trick from 21-year-old winger Tom Kingston. Although they held a slim advantage going into the final minutes, a last minute charge saw Saili bash his way over from close range to clinch the win after the siren had sounded.​

​

''A few blokes played well today,'' head coach Michael Cheika told reporters after the game. ''Kingston played well, Israel Folau had another good game and got a lot of touches.​

​

“I have been training them really hard so there is bound to be a bit of flow on. Considering what we've put into them, I was pretty happy with the condition they came out on to the field in.​

​

''What I don't like is losing, we should have won. But this was a good sign and we've still got seven or eight international players back home.''​

​

..... In his first game in NSW colours, Wallabies flanker Michael Hooper put in a strong performance and it was his turnover on the Blues’ five metre line that led to fullback Cam Crawford scoring for the visitors, his second try in as many appearances.​

​

..... When a grubber kick from Blues’ centre Malakai Fekitoa’s backfired, young NSW newcomer Jed Holloway latched onto it and ran 40 metres to score, levelling the scoreboard at 12-all.​

​

Folau’s introduction to the game at halftime had an immediate impact as he found plenty of holes in the Blues’ defence and set up flyer Kingston for a brace of tries, giving the visitors a two-score advantage..... some more slick footwork by Folau saw him carve up the defence to score a brilliant individual try to add to his two assists .....​

​

 

[fatprop]

some vid
www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/super-rugby/nsw-waratahs-allow-injury-time-try-to-lose-high-scoring-trial-against-the-blues-in-whangarei/story-e6frf4qu-1226574482950#.URbVC2cs18EHoritz