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Warm Up Match 2: Blues v British & Irish Lions (Auckland)

TRF Mr Fish

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Well the Blues side has been named...
1. Tu'ungifasi
2. Parsons (C)
3. Faumuiina
4. Cowley-Tuioti
5. Scrafton
6. Ioane
7. Gibson
8. Luatua
9. Pulu
10. Perofeta
11. Ioane
12. SBW (Faiane)
13. Moala
14. Duffie
15. Collins

16. Faiva
17. Hodgman
18. Mafileo
19. Tuipolotu
20. Pryor
21. Nock
22. West
23. Faiane (Nanai)

So, not full strength, but pretty close to it. The Lions will need to step it up big time if they want to put this side away.

Definitely the most notable feature of this side is Perofeta at 10. He's still eligible for the u20s and this will be his 1st start for the Blues... definitely been thrown into the deep end by Tana. He's a very exciting talent though, so it'll be good to see how he goes.
 
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I really hope SBW does start and get a full game. Warrenball is going to find it difficult to breach that midfield if SBW does get a full match.

Hard to call this. I'm not sure what to make of the Lions at this stage after the opener. This game could go either way at this stage. The Lions should have slept of their "jet lag" by now, so no more excuses.
 
Is it just me or is this an even weaker side than the one that faced the NPBs. Keep in mind I don't really follow NH rugby outside of tours, what are the NH poster's thoughts?

The only obvious improvements from the previous team that I can see with my scrub SH eyes are Cole, both Locks and perhaps the back three.

That said (sorry Blues fans) I don't have a huge amount of faith in this Blues team, they are serial underperformers with a lot of wasted potential. I fully expect the Lions to take this but if they bring the same weak s%#& the brought against the Baba's they will be in for a very tough game.
 
Did Owens earn the captaincy because he led a chorus at the airport? Should have been Stander IMO. I also note that 1/2P gets goal kicking duties to cement his place in the test side. It's no coincidence that 1/2P plays in a side where Farrell and Sexton are nowhere to be seen. Nicely done Gats!
 
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Is it that bad of a captain selection? Owens is captain of the Scarlets and they just won the pro12. Stander is not even captain of Munster.
A pro12 win that he wasn't part of, neither was he part of the semi final. Stander has plenty of captaincy experience and it's clear who has more of a leading role at international level. Owens will do a fine job but I'm sure most will agree that Stander would've been the better option.
 
Of the players selected Owens is a contender but it's yet another marginal call going towards a Welsh player. Also, I suspect that team selection is being done in such a way to give certain players a bit of limelight and a safe passage through to the test 23 e.g. 1/2P

Barring injury, I predict that every Welsh player selected (except Biggar if Sexton finds form) will make the test 23. I also predict that AWJ will captain a side before the tour ends.
 
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Is it just me or is this an even weaker side than the one that faced the NPBs. Keep in mind I don't really follow NH rugby outside of tours, what are the NH poster's thoughts?

The only obvious improvements from the previous team that I can see with my scrub SH eyes are Cole, both Locks and perhaps the back three.

That said (sorry Blues fans) I don't have a huge amount of faith in this Blues team, they are serial underperformers with a lot of wasted potential. I fully expect the Lions to take this but if they bring the same weak s%#& the brought against the Baba's they will be in for a very tough game.

I wouldn't say it was weaker, if anything it's got players who are in a little more form than the previous game. People like Laidlaw, Warbs, AWJ hadn't been playing for a long time or had no form. Half backs, centres and 2nd rows being tested as combinations here. The front row also is going to be a good place to look as that selection isn't set in stone. What's more interesting is what this section means for the big one on Saturday, but we can discuss that later. Looking forward to seeing Stander from 8 and Itoje will add a bit of x-factor in the pack.

Ken Owens will make a good captain, really vocal, passionate, will lead form the front - exactly what you want as a captain. I don't want to see Best captain at all this tour, he's got enough to focus on with improving his throwing in. However, there's a chance he might take the armband when the front row is changed.
 
That looks like a pretty fearsome Lions line up to me.
The Blues will be up against it
We don't know whats the story with nanai or SBW at the moment?
Who is this greenhorn kid at 10?
Thats a massive ask but fair play to Tana for giving him a run.
 
Looking forward to seeing this second row/back row have a run out...
We know the Crusaders are full strength so looks like Farrell/Warbuton/Toby/North/Hogg/Watson will be saved for that game!
 
He's picked Owens cause he knows he will start first test.. By the time the first test comes it'd be good to have 3 or 4 lads who have captained this team starting the first test!
 
That looks like a pretty fearsome Lions line up to me.
The Blues will be up against it
We don't know whats the story with nanai or SBW at the moment?
Who is this greenhorn kid at 10?
Thats a massive ask but fair play to Tana for giving him a run.
SBW has a ****ly knee injury... he's an almost certainty to play, but they just wanna see how comes through training tomorrow.

There's nothing with Nanai, Tana just doesn't wanna pick him. God knows why, because it's clear for all to see that Nanai is all class and a better player than Collins. It's a bit of a shame really because Nanai is being starved of the opportunites that he deserves to prove himself and stake his claim for higher honours (which he is fully capable of). Tana clearly sees it differently though, so oh well.

Perfoeta is a massive prospect. He's been injured for most of the year which is why he haven't seen him get any game time, but he's very talented kid. He was held back from the U20 WC because the Blues wanted to utilize him. He could be the answer to their 1st 5 woes, but that's still way too early to call.
 
Looking forward to seeing this second row/back row have a run out...
We know the Crusaders are full strength so looks like Farrell/Warbuton/Toby/North/Hogg/Watson will be saved for that game!

Crusaders are not at full strength. They will not have K.Read or R.Crotty.

Big questions marks over whether S.Whitelock and O.Franks will be played too.
 
Is it just me or is this an even weaker side than the one that faced the NPBs. Keep in mind I don't really follow NH rugby outside of tours, what are the NH poster's thoughts?

The only obvious improvements from the previous team that I can see with my scrub SH eyes are Cole, both Locks and perhaps the back three.

That said (sorry Blues fans) I don't have a huge amount of faith in this Blues team, they are serial underperformers with a lot of wasted potential. I fully expect the Lions to take this but if they bring the same weak s%#& the brought against the Baba's they will be in for a very tough game.

IMO on paper this team is

Front 5 - Stronger
Backrow - Equal
Halfbacks- Equal
Centres - Stronger
Back 3 - Equal

There are more international combinations in this team too so they should be more organised and cohesive hopefully.
 
Is it that bad of a captain selection? Owens is captain of the Scarlets and they just won the pro12. Stander is not even captain of Munster.
Yes you are right, there are too many Anti Welsh dudes on this forum, why on earth wouldn't he give the captaincy to a proven club captain rather than CJS who doesn't captain his club
 

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