So a 6-2 split on the bench. You know your injuries worries are big if you have no reserve lock and no reserve halfback. I guess Flanders covers lock and either McClutchie or Falcon covers halfback.
Hawkes
Match thread
Bay of Plenty v Shield Match!
@stargazer I know Solomone Funaki went OK against Otago but surely Gareth Evans would have the inside running over him when it comes to starting. Sounds possibly like shades of TBW's mysterious non selections.
I also like Josh Kaifa at openside but with Funaki's selection it looks like the selectors are trying to bulk up the forward pack. Incidentally apart from Waa (and to a lesser extent Sapsford) there is also an alarming lack of physical size amongst the reserves.
@snollygoster Is there any inside info on why so many leading players missing or benched for this one? e.g. Ah Kuoi, Mafileo, Webber, Broughton, Garland, Filipo. Tanimo all missing out on 23. I get that Eklund and Cane are injured. Surprised that Black, Harris and Van den Hoven in reserves, unless strategically there to close out. Is it around fitness levels/ability to train. Ah Kuoi far more active on social media than on the field.
@arhs I'm really not 100% sure. Apparently there is one player who is tied up in the Auckland border crossing thing but I'm not sure who that is. Ah Kuoi was carrying an injury but I saw him at the Ta$man game (6 weeks ago) and didn't look to incapacitated. I'm pretty sure he would be playing in the place of Sangster if available. I spoke to Mafilio at one of the games and he said he had a back injury. Webber has been seen training on Facebook and looked okay. Garland was unavailable early in the season because of family matters but I'm not sure of his availability now. Filipo and Broughton were only ever in the Wider training group. I think you're probably right about the strategic inclusion of Black, Harris and Van den Hoven and maybe the non-inclusion of several players is because of form. You also have to remember that Black hasn't played for a quite a while so I'm sure they will be easing him in a bit. Its still a pretty handy team given that two ex All Blacks can come on as reserves.
For me, the only real surprise is Sangster.
Matt Garland is stuck in Australia - his father is not well.
@snollygoster said in Hawkes v Bay of Plenty - Shield Match!:
Its still a pretty handy team given that two ex All Blacks can come on as reserves.
I'm hoping that one of those ex ABs comes on early ... unless of course Vella is worse at lineouts than him?
Would Garland even be a starter if he was available?
A bit surreal. First Shield challenge in years, but no plotting of road trips and no home crowd either.
Nevertheless, it’s underway!
Visinia is such a frustrating player. Sometimes he looks world class but then makes basic errors
How bad is the commentary - have twice called a player as McClutchie when it was Ili, and once when it was Visinia
@steven-harris said in Hawkes v Bay of Plenty - Shield Match!:
..gonna be one of these games
And sure enough, now about to be 14 - 12.
@donsteppa hold on to your seat ,Try to new Moana pacifika loose forward Funaki..
@donsteppa like a ball of muscle ..
Early subs from the bay
Right call getting Karpik off. Hawkes loosies have been winning the contact.
@steven-harris said in Hawkes v Bay of Plenty - Shield Match!:
I have got say this , given the Steamers roster and the quality they have got in terms of super players and they could still turn this around i have been quite underwelmed and that not being offensive to the magpies
Their coach being Darryl Gibson might explain this.
LOL, start watching the game again and immediately here Laban shouting "It's a second man play!"
With everything going on in the world, now the blood pressure gets a close Ranfurly Shield game finish! 
Bring them home Hori!
