Chiefs v Wales

[Lizard]

I have my ticket and a day off work booked.

Chiefs:
1. Mitchell Graham (23)
2. Rhys Marshall (30)
3. Hiroshi Yamashita (7)
4. Dominic Bird (5)
5. Michael Allardice (17)
6. Mitchell Brown*
7. Lachlan Boshier (2)
8. Tom Sanders (9)
9. Brad Weber (36)
10. Stephen Donald (87) Captain
11. Sam Vaka (3)
12. Andrew Horrell (53)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (18)
14. Toni Pulu (7)
15. James Lowe (31)
RESERVES:

16. Hika Elliot (98)
17. Siegfried Fisi’ihoi (5)
18. Atu Moli (5)
19. Taleni Seu (12)
20. Tevita Koloamatangi (7)
21. Kayne Hammington (6)
22. Sam McNicol (6)
23. Latu Vaeno (2)

( ) = Gallagher Chiefs caps in brackets
*denotes Gallagher Chiefs debut

Not considered for selection: Nepo Laulala, Mitchell Karpik, Johan Bardoul, Pauliasi Manu, Sam Henwood, Glen Fisiiahi, Chase Tiatia, Michael Leitch, Maama Vaipulu, James Tucker, Augustine Pulu (All Blacks Sevens) and Shaun Stevenson (New Zealand U20s).
All Blacks: Charlie Ngatai, Brodie Rettalick, Sam Cane, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Seta Tamanivalu, Nathan Harris, Aaron Cruden and Damian McKenzie


Wales:
Wales: Matthew Morgan (Bristol); Eli Walker (Ospreys), Tyler Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Tom James (Cardiff Blues); Rhys Priestland (Bath) Gareth Davies (Scarlets); Rob Evans (Scarlets), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (capt, Racing 92), Josh Turnbull (Cardiff Blues), James King (Ospreys), Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff Blues).

Replacements: Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester), Aled Davies (Scarlets), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Rhys Patchell (Cardiff Blues).


Wales have a mixed record in Hamilton:
1988 tour: Waikato 28 – Wales 19
2003: All Blacks 55 – Wales 3
2010: All Blacks 29 – Wales 10
2011 (RWC): Fiji 0 – Wales 66
2011 (RWC): Samoa 10 – Wales 17

[Sandydragon]

Hard to call this one. The Welsh team has some good players, but it's a scratch side in reality so I expect the chiefs to be better organised, despite the absence of so many first choice players.


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[Son of Mathonwy]

Hard to call this one. The Welsh team has some good players, but it's a scratch side in reality so I expect the chiefs to be better organised, despite the absence of so many first choice players.

Yep, makes it interesting though.

Also our wingers will be fighting to fill George North's shoes (figuratively, coz literally is probably impossible), which might be fun if we have a gameplan which includes our wingers. Unless Nipper gets that slot (minimum 5 tries required).

[Numbers]

Hard to call this one. The Welsh team has some good players, but it's a scratch side in reality so I expect the chiefs to be better organised, despite the absence of so many first choice players.


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I'm not sure, I would expect the chiefs to win this one quite comfortably 10-15 points minimum.

[WaspInWales]

Looks like a fairly inexperienced Chiefs side. 7 players in the starting lineup with less than 10 caps including a debut. Another 6 on the bench.

You'd expect a full strength Welsh team to be too strong but the selected Welsh team is anything but full strength.

Hoping it'll be a good game. Wales win edge it.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Wales SHOULD thump that Chiefs team. It's shorn of an awful lot of experience and ability. Still, these midweek games rarely work out like that as there are plenty of mooloo men who won't get another opportunity like this in their lives. In contrast the Welsh players will know from painful experience that Gatland doesn't change his team much, so even a great performance is unlikely to propel anyone into the Test side. Wales will have to play well to assert their authority and any sort of win is an achievement.

[Lizard]

I would hope that as part of the team talk, Dave Rennie takes the boys upstairs to the members' lounge and points up above the bar to where the Springbok head trophy from 1956 sits, and reminds them of the proud tradition Waikato-based teams have against touring nations.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Hard to call this one. The Welsh team has some good players, but it's a scratch side in reality so I expect the chiefs to be better organised, despite the absence of so many first choice players.

Yep, makes it interesting though.

Also our wingers will be fighting to fill George North's shoes (figuratively, coz literally is probably impossible), which might be fun if we have a gameplan which includes our wingers. Unless Nipper gets that slot (minimum 5 tries required).

Actually, what am I thinking? It'll be Anscombe at full back and Liam on the wing.

Yay, more of those missed tackles that saw Read score his try on the weekend.

[Numbers]

Hard to call this one. The Welsh team has some good players, but it's a scratch side in reality so I expect the chiefs to be better organised, despite the absence of so many first choice players.

Yep, makes it interesting though.

Also our wingers will be fighting to fill George North's shoes (figuratively, coz literally is probably impossible), which might be fun if we have a gameplan which includes our wingers. Unless Nipper gets that slot (minimum 5 tries required).

Actually, what am I thinking? It'll be Anscombe at full back and Liam on the wing.

Yay, more of those missed tackles that saw Read score his try on the weekend.

I'd much rather Nipper at fullback for the next test than Anscombe who missed another crucial tackle on the weekend, if we're going to pick someone with defensive frailties at least make sure they have outstanding attacking abilities.

I still think Biggar at 15 and Priestland/Anscombe at 10 would be a better option.

[Sandydragon]

Yep, makes it interesting though.

Also our wingers will be fighting to fill George North's shoes (figuratively, coz literally is probably impossible), which might be fun if we have a gameplan which includes our wingers. Unless Nipper gets that slot (minimum 5 tries required).

Actually, what am I thinking? It'll be Anscombe at full back and Liam on the wing.

Yay, more of those missed tackles that saw Read score his try on the weekend.

I'd much rather Nipper at fullback for the next test than Anscombe who missed another crucial tackle on the weekend, if we're going to pick someone with defensive frailties at least make sure they have outstanding attacking abilities.

I still think Biggar at 15 and Priestland/Anscombe at 10 would be a better option.

I agree. If the idea is to play a more expansive game, then let's get our more expansive fly half nearer the ball. I'd trust Biggarva lot more in defence, Anscombe has been found out a couple of times at full back now.

[zer0]

FWIW, France defeated the Blues 38-15 in 2013, and England defeated the Crusaders 38-7 in 2014. You really should win this by >20 points.

But in saying that, the Chiefs do have a far better, and smarter, coach than either the Blues or Crusaders had.

[Billyfish]

Good to Charteris playing. May need him in the lineout if for no other reason.

Warbers in for Ellis Jenkins (tight thigh) apparently, bit of a shame, he had a good stint when he came on would like to have seen him get a full game.

[Billyfish]

7-0.

Oh dear.

[Lizard]

14-0

[Sandydragon]

Faletau and Roberts on the bench as well. I really hope they don't have to do too much, otherwise Saturday is going to be one very long and painful experience.

[Saint Huck]

This is getting embarrassing now!! FFS!!


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[Spy]

Damn. Assumed a 7.30 kick off and flicked the telly box on just in time to see the ref blow half time. 21-0! What the hell has been going on?

[morepork]

This is getting embarrassing now!! FFS!!


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Kia ora Huck!

You there?

[Lizard]

It's an 80 minute game. Let's not get carried away yet.

[Sandydragon]

21-0.

[zer0]

Damn. Assumed a 7.30 kick off and flicked the telly box on just in time to see the ref blow half time. 21-0! What the hell has been going on?

The Beaver is on the warpath. That and some crazy (scrambling) defence.

[Spy]

It's an 80 minute game. Let's not get carried away yet.

That sounds pretty sober for a Hamiltronian expat visiting the motherland watching his home boy bogans smashing a visiting international side.

[Sandydragon]

I half expected to lose this game as this is an experimental Wales team but with the Chiefs down so many players I thought it might be closer. Gatland may empty the bench to change the game but that undermines our very slim chances for Saturday. Will this be the curtain call for the Welsh management?

[Billyfish]

Oooofff...sounds like our attacking limitations are being shown up rather starkly.

[Saint Huck]

This is getting embarrassing now!! FFS!!


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Kia ora Huck!

You there?

No mate, stuck in a shitty Auckland motel!


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