Blues Thread

[Spy]

2016 Squad:

Props
Charlie Faumuina
Sione Mafileo
Nic Mayhew
Sam Prattley
Ofa Tu'ungafasi
Namatahi Waa

Hookers
Quentin MacDonald
Matt Moulds
James Parsons

Locks
Josh Bekhuis
Hoani Matenga
Gerard Tuioti-Mariner
Patrick Tuipulotu
Scott Scrafton

Loose forwards
Blake Gibson
Akira Ioane
Jerome Kaino (c)
Tanerau Latimer
Steven Luatua
Kara Pryor
Jack Ram
Joe Edwards

Halfbacks
Billy Guyton
Bryn Hall
Sam Nock

First Five-Eighths
Matt McGahan
Ihaia West
Piers Francis

Midfielders
Rieko Ioane
George Moala
Rene Ranger
Male Sa'u
TJ Faiane
Matt Vaega

Wings
Matt Duffie
Ben Lam
Tevita Li
Melani Nanai
Afa Fa'atau

Fullbacks
Lolagi Visinia
Michael Little
Jordan Trainor

[Spy]

I love this time of year. The warm air of summer lingers, and the sweet smell of possibility around a new Blues season hasn't yet begun it's inevitable decay to the rank stench of underachievement and bitter defeat. For now a crisp season ticket, a new coach and the illusion of a fresh start mean disappointment and recrimination can wait a few weeks.

Looking at the squad, there are as usual plenty of names I don't know. Plenty of familiar ones there too though. I think we have the makings of a decent Super Rugby level pack. The loose forward list in particular is packed with experience and talent. The weakness is still in the halves - Ihaia West had a tough season last year, and I don't know much about Hugh McGahan's boy.

Great to see the Ranger back. He and Moala will be a handful in the centres, although neither is a great distributor. Gas out wide with Visinia and Tevita Li.

What I'd really like to see is a tougher, stronger team culture. Last year was abysmal. A tough ask for Tana to turn it around, but I think he was the right choice to take the poisoned chalice of coaching the premier rugby team in NZ's largest city. Kaino needs to really lead the team too. Supporters need to see a team with a bit of ticker.

I don't think we have anything like a championship side, but I'd like to see us contesting for a top 2 spot in the NZ conference.

[J Dory]

I always start a season feeling like this will be the year, not sure what that says about me being a Northland supporter, but fuck it, THIS WILL BE THE YEAR!

[Parsifal]

Thought this would be about Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa et al. As you were...

[J Dory]

Thought this would be about Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa et al. As you were...

[Lizard]

Thought this would be about Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa et al. As you were...

Wrong Fred http://www.rugbyrebels.co/board/viewtop ... t=60#p2948

[zer0]

As long as Umaga does better than Kirwan's sloganeering mob, then I'll be happy. Hardly a lofty goal, but he is starting from a very low base.

[Spy]

An inauspicious start, with Captain Kaino suspended from the opening match against the Highlanders. A punch earned him a red card in the pre-season match v Chiefs.

https://assets.stuff.co.nz/video/produc ... Kaino-.mp4

Probably not a deliberate punch, but Manu did cop a fair belting from it and it's hard to argue that it didn't deserve a sanction.

[morepork]

Bloos.

[J Dory]

Bloos.

Most intelligent thing you've written on here for sometime. Didn't get a chance to check in on all the pre-season games, how have the Crusaders been doing?

[morepork]

Piss off Judy Bailey.


Bloos.

[zer0]

Top of the table, bitch.

[Spy]

More good rugby from the Blues in that match than we saw in the entire season last year. The Highlanders started with much better defensive line speed, but slowed down with the Blues dominance of the second half. West's chip kick for the Blues first try exploited the Highlanders rush defence beautifully.

I thought our starting halfback had a good game, and the pack were solid enough. The best thing was just seeing the side play like a team, and not like a pack of headless chooks. They seemed to grow in confidence in the second half, and that win will do them a lot of good.

This could be the best false dawn in several seasons.

[Spy]

Agree with all that.

Pretty good quality game for a season opener overall, actually.

[Spy]

2 streakers too.

[zer0]

That's Harbour's own Bryn Hall. You'd better recognise.

St. Peter's College is in Auckland, isn't it?

[J Dory]

Finally got to watch the match last night. How good are the smifs? Great game, great win. Nice to see Ranger back in blue. I have a good feeling about this team, maybe they're a bit young, but if the 9-10 partnership can progress, who knows. C'mon the Blues!

[zer0]

Be at ease good folk. Normal shambolic Blues service has resumed. The coach carries on his predecessors stupid selection strategy of squandering Rd 1 wins by changing a large chunk of the team the next week. As for the players? Well, as soon as they leave Eden Park they regress into something that can only be described as non-primate as their brains and opposable thumbs seem to disappear.

Fortunately the Crusaders can't do much more than scrummage. So instead of being a belting its a grind.

[Spy]

Indeed. Some strange selection decisions, as you say, but not sure it would have made a difference. The Blues weren't in the match at all. Even with the late intercept try, the score still flattered the northerners.

[Len]

Dickheads

[Spy]

Keep your dirty midget hands off my thread.

[Len]

Blues poos

[Spy]

Another loss, but a good contest and an enjoyable game to be at. An inability to turn early territory into points cost us in the washup. Ihaia West can be a sparky runner from broken play, but his goalkicking is not up to standard. I'm not suggesting there's a better option,though. Barrett was poor from the tee too, come to think of it.

The pack looked better with Faumuina starting, and Tuipolotu had a good game off the bench. I couldn't figure out how the Perenara try was awarded - seemed like a clear knock-on in the lead-up - but so it goes.

They look a much better team with much more direction than last year, which is an admittedly low bar.

[Spy]

Another woulda/shoulda/coulda game for the Blues. Scrum was a big problem - not sure if they got hard done by on some calls, but they came badly second. Looking at the front row and locks, I wouldn't expect them to be getting beaten up so badly, but the Crusaders just took them apart and the Reds also did a number on them.

Overall though, I thought the Blues had the winning of that. Their lineout and breakdown work was better, they just dropped the ball. Sometimes with the line literally open. I think they've extended their away record to about 24 matches without a win. That takes some doing.

[zer0]

The Shambles rolls on I see. Never going to get far when the coach chops and changes the team but still always picks a wobble bottom with a bad haircut at loosehead and a high school flat track bully on the wing.

Kaino is out for a month and Luatua hasn't done enough to retain a starting spot so drop him for Tuipulotu and give Edwards a go at blindisde. Akira Ioane probably should've stuck with one of Sevens or SR instead of choping and changing between the two.

And drop that diving prima donna McGahan.