Blues vs Highlanders, Super Rugby QF, Sat June 4th 2022

[Dismal Pillock]

Date: SATURDAY 4 JUNE 2022
Venue: Eden Park
Kickoff: 7:05 NZT.

Official Blues Team Matchday GIF:

Official Highlanders Team Matchday GIF:

 

[zer0]

Something is fishy about the order of these official match day gifs...

Regardless. Time to crush the southern dandies under the weight of as many massive powerful cnuts as possible.

EDIT: Speaking of. Cameron Suafoa. Fucken oath get this big powerful lump of South Auckland in there. Chuck him and Blues stalwart and undefeated captain Luke Romano on the bench to get stuck into 'em in the final quarter.

 

[Derpus]

Blues should flog em

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Official Blues Matchday Jersey

 

[Dismal Pillock]

HELLO, HIGHLANDERS

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Frizell got through 40 minutes for Taeri on Saturday & Clan AC reckons he's available to start if required which he might be given Lentjes' shoulder is troublesome. Also in the maybe column are CG-B (concussion) & Gregory (flu). Hunt (concussion) still on the injured list.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Excerpt from a dream I had last
night about Womanbeater Frizzle:

 

[KiwiM]

The Blues team to play the Highlanders is (with Blues caps in brackets):

1. Alex Hodgman (52)
2. Kurt Eklund (35)
3. Ofa Tuungafasi (118)
4. James Tucker (10)
5. Tom Robinson (43)
6. Akira Ioane (92)
7. Dalton Papalii© (55)
8. Hoskins Sotutu (34)
9. Finlay Christie (28)
10. Beauden Barrett (15)
11. Mark Telea (36)
12. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (9)
13. Rieko Ioane (83)
14. Bryce Heem (18)
15. Stephen Perofeta (42)

16. Soane Vikena (13)
17. Karl Tu’inukuafe (40)
18. Nepo Laulala (23)
19. Luke Romano (12)
20. Adrian Choat (17)
21. Sam Nock (49)
22. AJ Lam (18)
23. Zarn Sullivan (17)

 

[zer0]

No Riccitelli, thank Christ. Otherwise more or less as expected. Though idk how well the scrum goes with a loosie at lock.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Clan: Connor Garden-Bachop, Fetuli Paea, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Scott Gregory, Mosese Dawai, Marty Banks, Aaron Smith (captain), Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Billy Harmon, High Renton, Josh Dickson, Bryn Evans, Jermaine Ainsley, Andrew Makalio, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Leni Apisai, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Saula Mau, Max Hicks, Shannon Frizell, Folau Fakatava, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Denny Solomona.

 

[Dan54]

Shows how players come on during season, who would of thought early in season that James Tucker would be one of first named in finals ahead of Romano and Goodhue.
Have to say I thought after he moved into 10 last week and how well he went, I would almost just have Zarn at back up 10 and leave Perofeta at 15. Mind you I been saying I see that as his position for a couple of years, so maybe I just wanting to be proven right??

 

[Derpus]

Shows how players come on during season, who would of thought early in season that James Tucker would be one of first named in finals ahead of Romano and Goodhue.
Have to say I thought after he moved into 10 last week and how well he went, I would almost just have Zarn at back up 10 and leave Perofeta at 15. Mind you I been saying I see that as his position for a couple of years, so maybe I just wanting to be proven right??

Zarn was pretty average last week IMO - clutch droppie aside.

Blues had no spark in attack and he badly fucked up several kicks.

 

[zer0]

tbf you don't need your motley collection of backs to do much more than exist when your forwards can win scrums with 6 men and march mauls ~30m downfield.

I wonder if Schmidt has many intricate multiphase moves setup for the Blues. From what I recall, their phase attack against the Hurricanes in week 1 was exceptional, and looked very much like the well planned Schmidt Ireland plays. I don't recall them reaching anything near that level for the rest of the season, so hopefully we see a return to that in the knockout matches. Really shouldn't be needed against the Highlanders, but would definitely be welcome in the later rounds (assuming they make it that far...).

 

[Derpus]

True. Tahs forward pack was fairly embarrassing that game.

 

[Dan54]

Zarn was pretty average last week IMO - clutch droppie aside.

Blues had no spark in attack and he badly fucked up several kicks.

Ok mate, I thought he steered tham around quite well.

 

[KiwiM]

Zarn was pretty average last week IMO - clutch droppie aside.

Blues had no spark in attack and he badly fucked up several kicks.

He looked better when he went to 10 in the last 20 minutes or so. I think 10 is his future.

 

[Dan54]

He looked better when he went to 10 in the last 20 minutes or so. I think 10 is his future.

Me and you obviously saw similar stuff Kiwi, I always reckoned he a 10, and still believe it, but understand getting used to super at 15.

 

[zer0]

Smith not looking likely to play.

The Highlanders confirmed on Friday evening that the All Blacks halfback has suffered a groin injury, and was “in doubt”. Given the nature of the injury, Smith is highly unlikely to play – and may take two or three weeks to fully recover for the All Blacks’ series against Ireland in July. Groin injuries are notoriously niggly, particularly for players who kick the ball a lot and generate a lot of force through their bodies to pass the ball. Folau Fakatava is likely to take Smith’s place in the Highlanders starting side, with Kayne Hammington moving to the bench.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[zer0]

Feels bad man.

Blues captain and All Blacks flanker Dalton Papalii is expected to miss Saturday's quarter-final with the Highlanders at Eden Park and potentially be sidelined for up to six weeks due to a medical issue.

The Blues declined to comment when approached, saying the matter was private, but the Herald understands Papalii could miss the remainder of the Super Rugby season and be in major doubt for the All Blacks' three-test series against Ireland next month.

Papalii was named to start at openside flanker for the Blues, alongside Akira Ioane and Hoskins Sotutu, against the Highlanders but the medical issue is believed to have since flared up.

Big blow: Blues star set to miss playoffs, in doubt for All Blacks

Exclusive: The Blues are set to be without one of their stars for the rest of the season.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Time for Blues legend and undefeated captain Luke Romano to take the fancy befeathered captain's hat.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Smith not looking likely to play.

The way Bar-Kays Fakatava has been playing it's not the biggie it wouldve once been

Big blow: Blues star set to miss playoffs, in doubt for All Blacks

Exclusive: The Blues are set to be without one of their stars for the rest of the season.

www.nzherald.co.nz

FFS.

JUST when he was about to put that busted old carthorse Cane out to pasture.

Understandable he doesnt want the details revealed; the medical world would be in uproar if the general public found out "Being Too Awesome" is a medically diagnosable ailment.