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Auckland Blues vs. Wellington Hurricanes

  • Thread starter THE CHIROPRACTOR101
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THE CHIROPRACTOR101

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...and what better way to start the new era of southern hemisphere club rugby with two of the most explosive backlines in the competition and with forward packs boasting young future allblacks

i am hoping for a hectic opener,who wouldnt with the talent on show?...

jerry collins vs nick williams...umaga vs mcalistair and faatau,maa nonu vs rokocoko and howlett

the tight five will be a completely different struggle

both young packs that have been boosted with experience since the northern hemisphere tour...allblacks galore!

im sticking with my blues for 12+ victory

go blues

and discuss....
 
Things to watch...

Tana on McAlister... old Master vs the new futrue
Smith on Atiga... intellegance vs strength
Ma'a Nonu vs Smoking Joe... strength vs speed

This game has got he potential to lift the roof... star players on both sides... a solid 15+ All Blacks taking the field.

Think the Blues will dominate the forwards and provide quality ball, but look for some BIG defence coming from the Hurricanes back line and Rodney So'oialo, Jerry Collins and Chris Masoe to win at the breakdown.

Hurricanes by 10
 
Front Rows:

McDonell - Hore - Tialata vs Woodcock - Mealamu - Afoa

Pretty much hands down to the Blues here unfortunately. Woodcock and Mealamu will be remembered as All Black greats oneday. Afoa and Tialata are relative newbies and could make it eventually. Hore is an AB benchwarmer at best only because of injuries to other hookers. McDonell is pretty average.

Andrews - Eaton vs Rawlinson - Williams
Again, the Blues win it here. Eaton is Mr Potential but Williams is proven and should be dominant in tonights match. Rawlinson is big and strong and offers support to Williams, Andrews nothing more than a provincial lock.

Collins - Masoe - So'oialo vs Williams - Braid - MacDonald
Hurricanes easily. A very powerful All Blacks loose forward trio against a makeshift trio consisting of a lazy fat Samoan, a shrimpy little honky and a tall lanky blindside playing 8.

Weepu - Gopperth vs Senio - Lavea
How the hell is Senio playing and Devine on the bench? Weepu to absolutely destroy him. Gopperth and Leave pretty even as neither is too flash.

Umaga - Smith vs McAlister - Atiga
Umaga and McAlister will be very even. Atiga is crap though.

Nonu - Fa'atau - Toeava vs Rokocoko - Howlett - Nacewa
Easily the Blues, but both are very exciting and talented back 3 combinations. Either was it will be a good battle but Nonu isn't a winger, Fa'atau can't catch and Toeava is over-rated.


Blues by lots, but not by 9 because thats what Ripper predicted.
 
Originally posted by ..::ERIC::..@Feb 10 2006, 12:34 PM
a shrimpy little honky and a tall lanky blindside playing 8.

hey watch your mouth!!! :bravo:


seriously if mcalistair and atiga decide to go head on with umaga and smith they will get smashed to bits...they will get school'd on attack and defence if they go real physical in the midfield and against tana schmana and his understudy..they gotta work with all the players around them to progress through the hurricanes centre pairing

a more suitable combo would be tipoki and tuitevake with mcalistair at 10 if they were to play the agressive game but i can see there plan is the natural auckland style ...give it to the back three and attack from everywhere

shows nucifora is not changing the game drastically to suit him and more so the strengths of the team..all good coz thats where other teams in the super12 faild by trying to play outta there comfort zone and the reason why auckland and cantabury dominated the super12 in the past and also at npc level...coz they played to there strengths and excelled from it

should expect more from wellywood now that they have a solid core of players that suit there dynamic play

going back to my first point...umaga will own mcalistair this one night if luke goes full frontal on attack and d but luke will be better for it..so im hoping he does for his playing sake..
 
Would have liked to see McAlistar at 10 and Devine at 9 (why's he on the bench?)
 
i need help - im in the uk and the ******** aint showing this game - is there anyway i can watch it online for free?
 
Sorry Lora, nothing I've heard of.
There a couple of sites that give you text bassed live scores...

Will have look around
 
thanks i dont mind paying up to 5 uk pounds - as that all ive got in my bank - but itll have to be trustworthy site if im going to part with cash
 
apparently senio had an awesome preseason....and devine is still under an injury cloud..nothing major they just weighing up the options
ofcourse devine is the preferred starter but i guess they giving senio his time off his gud form from the pre-season

i dont trust his partnership with lavea for some reason..both seem a little too immature

and what happened to there npc halfback?..the tongan guy?...where has he gone?
 
moa didn't make the cut I don't think. they brought in that harbour guys name begining with p as the third halfback.

yeah I have heard the same chiro devine is still possibly injured a bit and is recovering from previous injury and I guess not quite ready to play the full 80. he will be good impact and it gives senio a chance to get some game time.

the key is possesion if blues can get enough they have the backs to do the rest.

the forwards battle will be awesome and intense. both have some new guys in mixed with some experince.

should be a good opening to the super 14 and proabbly a high scoring game
 
Blues will win by 9.

Even with Tasea Lavea (Who is the only person who rates ahead of Pat Lam on my hit list) starting (McAlister would've been the logical option, whatever way you look at it), but like Eric said, the Blues Front Row will be too strong and Ali Willaims will destroy Eaton (Funny how Eric has hopped on the Ali bandwagon...)

Possession? Territory? Don't mean **** with these two backlines, either can score anytime, anywhere... Aucklands Advantage upfront will be negated by Lavea and the Backrow... although I have faith in Nick Williams to do some damage, and the lack of Brent Ward's name has me shivering. All in all, should be a good game, and Auckland to win 35-26.

Either way, they could both smash any NH team who had the balls to face them.
 
bloody hell...see why steven devine was benched?...

anyways gud game to the canes...umaga was rapid in the first half and i thought that his departure would give the blues the advantage but i forgot they had hurrican nonu waiting on the wing....and he carved the blues midfield from the get go

i thought the wiser option to counter attack for the blues was to bring in either ward or rua tipoki as mcalistair,lavea and atiga kept trying to hang on to nonus legs for dear life

id reckon tipoki would hav put a stop to that nonsense and slam nonu down...

ohwell enough experimenting now...mcdonald is diffinetly not a number 8...so put him at 6 where he belongs next time

ice and faatau was a smooth link combo and they will do well with the midfielders they have feeding them


but HOLY CRAP

AUCKLAND TIGHT 5 > THE WORLD!
 
Chiro : "AUCKLAND TIGHT 5 > THE WORLD! " - Yeah right....only that `THE WORLD` means much more than your puny island :D

Seriously now, it`s the thris consecutive seasons for the Blues when they start lousy! Somewhere around week 4 it`s possible to be back in the competition.
 
mealamu is the best hooker in the world and woodcock is the best loosehead in the world so it might aswell be...and ali williams aint half bad either

history only lays a foundation....only repeats by coincidence...go talk about your lack luster performing cats before you go around and talk about other teams you know nothing of
 
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