The AB restrictions make the selections this week even more difficult

Tuipulotu can only play 47mins, Rieko can only play 43mins

Start both and sub early? I think the best option is to start Tuipulotu and use Rieko from the bench. If we only get one half of Ioane it might as well be against tired defenders

TJ got found out at 13. So surely it's a SBW/Nonu midfield? SBW is not playing well but he's likely to play 80mins because he's the preferred captain when Tuipulotu goes off

IMO Hodgman should start ahead of Tu'inukuafe on form. Also Parsons is really struggling. I think he's only good for 20mins.. Moulds should get the start

I think we need to have a look at Tele'a at 13 soon. However he'll probably be needed to start on the wing.. maybe he gets some time at 13 late in the game

Collins? Sigh. Do we have the resources on tour to drop him? With Rieko only getting half a game and Clarke injured we are probably stuck with him.
Unless someone else flew over? Or maybe Black to fullback and Plummer to start?

Hinton's article in Stuff indicated they would fly over a replacement for Clarke. However, I think most likely Blues are stuck with Collins at 15 one more week.

Just to talk about something different for a change, I'm on board for Moulds being given a shot over Parsons. His advantage of being a better lineout option seems to have regressed now, and Moulds gives us a lot more around the park.

Parsons running the ball up is almost as bad as Owen Franks.

@Duluth I'm less fussed, and care more that we play like week 1.

The hard and direct running from the back (yes, even from Collins) asked questions of the Canterbury defence. We need to be more phyiscal and direct.

Also, only a 7 hour time difference this week. That's got to be easier

NZZP's predictions for teh season:
We're going to play more and more like 'week 1' , and less and less like 'week 2' as the coaching has an effect. We may drop this game, but I think at some point we're going to go on a tear, and win 4-5 on the bounce. Success for me is ending the season heading in the right direction - with some sort of structure, and an ongoing squad refresh, 2020 could be our year

@Kirwan said in Jaguares vs Blues:

Just to talk about something different for a change, I'm on board for Moulds being given a shot over Parsons. His advantage of being a better lineout option seems to have regressed now, and Moulds gives us a lot more around the park.

Parsons running the ball up is almost as bad as Owen Franks.

Well, worse, as Franks is a good scrummager. Parsons is a great dude no doubt, but not sure he's effective in this comp, at this level. That said, he's got one more AB cap than me, so what do I know

Success this season, is a pretty low bar. Wins over NZ sides, Maul defence improvement, tidy exits from the 22, dropping players for poor performance.

Everything else is a bonus.

@Kirwan said in Jaguares vs Blues:

Wins over NZ sides, - THIS IS OUR YEAR TO GET TWO WINS IN OUR CONFERENCE

Maul defence improvement, - Mauls, not so much, but defence much better

tidy exits from the 22, - Much improved

dropping players for poor performance. - Attempted

@nzzp said in Jaguares vs Blues:

@Kirwan said in Jaguares vs Blues:

Wins over NZ sides, - THIS IS OUR YEAR TO GET TWO WINS IN OUR CONFERENCE

Maul defence improvement, - Mauls, not so much, but defence much better

tidy exits from the 22, - Much improved

dropping players for poor performance. - Attempted

Yeah, only two games but you can see a better structure and has been some good on the line defence. But those are the first things I thought of that Tana and Jackson didn't fix over three years.

So I want to see those areas improve, then look for other areas.

There is nothing Leon and Coventry can do about squad selection right now, but that's another area to look at later this year.

@Kirwan said in Jaguares vs Blues:

@nzzp said in Jaguares vs Blues:

@Kirwan said in Jaguares vs Blues:

Wins over NZ sides, - THIS IS OUR YEAR TO GET TWO WINS IN OUR CONFERENCE

Maul defence improvement, - Mauls, not so much, but defence much better

tidy exits from the 22, - Much improved

dropping players for poor performance. - Attempted

Yeah, only two games but you can see a better structure and has been some good on the line defence. But those are the first things I thought of that Tana and Jackson didn't fix over three years.

So I want to see those areas improve, then look for other areas.

There is nothing Leon and Coventry can do about squad selection right now, but that's another area to look at later this year.

The way things are looking and the way the Blues are playing compared to The Chiefs, then you will walk the two matches against us.

54 (or was it 57?) points shifted against a rubbish Brumbies side!

The way things are looking and the way the Blues are playing compared to The Chiefs, then you will walk the two matches against us.

54 (or was it 57?) points shifted against a rubbish Brumbies side!

I'm not counting any chickens, and I think that Chiefs performance was partly mental. Surely they can't stay that bad.

@Kirwan Just hope it's like Canes first up vs Brumbies in '15

@Kirwan said in Jaguares vs Blues:

The way things are looking and the way the Blues are playing compared to The Chiefs, then you will walk the two matches against us.

54 (or was it 57?) points shifted against a rubbish Brumbies side!

I'm not counting any chickens, and I think that Chiefs performance was partly mental. Surely they can't stay that bad.

did you miss 1996 to 2011?

@Hooroo I wouldn't call the Brumbies rubbish. They almost made the playoffs last year and they look a better side this year.

@KiwiMurph They lost to the Rebels in round 1 though.

@Stargazer That doesn't make them a rubbish side.

@KiwiMurph said in Jaguares vs Blues:

@Hooroo I wouldn't call the Brumbies rubbish. They almost made the playoffs last year and they look a better side this year.

Almost made the playoffs? 6 of 15 teams ban make the play offs and all you have to do is win the weak Aussie conference. That makes them rubbish to me.

@KiwiMurph yeah on paper, the Rebels look handy this year. (which is why I tipped them in week 1 )

And the Chiefs in week 1 lost to the Highlanders who in week 2 scraped by, at home, to the Reds, who will easily be the worst Aussie side.

For most kiwi teams this year, the trans-tasman games are going to be a shitfight.

^ That's a Marc Hinton article. You've been warned.

Also, for those in Auckland a bit of a plug for the Jaguares Blues watching party at Waitakere on Sunday morning.

Should be a good morning out - get out with some fellow die hard supporters. @DrivingMaul @Steven-Harris will be there, and interviewing an AB.

@antipodean and?

@KiwiMurph said in Jaguares vs Blues:

@antipodean and?

It's a civil service notifying people that an article is written by that moron. I don't require thanks.

@KiwiMurph said in Jaguares vs Blues:

Hinton's article in Stuff indicated they would fly over a replacement for Clarke. However, I think most likely Blues are stuck with Collins at 15 one more week.

They said it was Matt Duffie on one of the sky shows. Throw him straight in the starting side

:grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

No Collins which is a positive, even if it means Nanai moving to fullback.

Poor selecting from MacDonald in the centres thus far. All three guys have an established body of work and Rangi should have a strong opinion on how the centre combination fits together.

Playing Faiane-Nonu round one, the switching it up to Nonu-Faiane round three is just sloppy selecting and an indication he has no fundamental game plan he is working off.

I would prefer TJ and Nonu the other way around. It went ok in week one and TJ did not defend well at 13 last week

No specialist outside back reserve. I guess Black moves to fullback if anyone gets injured. That's surprising because they are meant to sub Rieko after 47mins.

@Duluth I wonder if the Blues have been given a bit of leeway on Rieko given that they are on tour + Clarke's injury + theyve got the Sunwolves next week.

@Duluth said in Jaguares vs Blues:

I would prefer TJ and Nonu the other way around. It went ok in week one and TJ did not defend well at 13 last week

No specialist outside back reserve. I guess Black moves to fullback if anyone gets injured. That's surprising because they are meant to sub Rieko after 47mins.

Black to fullback and Nanai back to his preferred wing position.

TJ can probably cover wing in an emergency also.

Nonu looked a little out at sea at 13 also. He could probably use TJ better when he’s at 12 than the other way round.

@KiwiMurph said in Jaguares vs Blues:

@Duluth I wonder if the Blues have been given a bit of leeway on Rieko given that they are on tour + Clarke's injury + theyve got the Sunwolves next week.

I hope so

The bye after the Sunwolves helps that argument too

@ACT-Crusader said in Jaguares vs Blues:

Nonu looked a little out at sea at 13 also. He could probably use TJ better when he’s at 12 than the other way round.

TJ has struggled with defence at this level and he gets beaten easily when there's a bit of room. I prefer him defending in narrower channels

Last week he made 3 tackles and missed 5

@KiwiMurph I'd say the 180 mins in 3 rounds is a 'guide' so Rieko likely to come off after 55/60 mins.

Similarly with BBBR supposedly needing to come off before the half, I would say he'll do a full half, maybe even a few on the other side.

190 mins aint gonna be a big deal (unless they are unlucky enough to get injured in the last couple of mins...)

Confirmation that Rieko and Tuipulotu will have to sub early

The Blues have made three of their four personnel changes in the backs, handing a first start to impressive rookie Tanielu Tele'a on the right wing, moving Melani Nanai back to fullback with Michael Collins dropping out of the 23 altogether and bringing back Ma'a Nonu to start at second five-eighths

Holy shit - it's almost as if the coaches read the Fern too. How long has it taken to have Collins dumped?

@antipodean They dropped Collins out of the 23 last week but Caleb Clarke got injured in the final training run so Collins ended up starting.

Wouldve preferred Tele'a to either bench again given his impact off it - or given a go in the midfield but probably the only option given the squad they have at the moment. So when Rieko goes to the bench , TJ goes to the wing and SBW 12? Telea has decent speed but probably not Super rugby wingers pace....Jaguares may look to expose/target this?

@Nogusta When Rieko goes off - Otere to 15, Plummer to 10, Nanai to wing is another option. SBW to replace Nonu i'd say.

@KiwiMurph said in Jaguares vs Blues:

@Nogusta When Rieko goes off - Otere to 15, Plummer to 10, Nanai to wing is another option. SBW to replace Nonu i'd say.

I’d rather SBW and Nonu keep swapping like that. You can’t play them together any more. Too slow.

I know he's coming back from injury, but Cowley-Tuioti needs a big game.