@Canes4life

I don't think they are on a website. I have access to some stats

I'll post the Canes number in another thread

Do you start Darry or McWhannell this week? I think our set piece has been better with McWhannell this year.

I expect the Chiefs to rest some players, some by necessity. Narawa was getting treatment on his leg during the Hurricanes game so clearly wasn't 100%. I would start Ioane at 1st 5 too. No need to risk DMac.

If we lose this game we guarantee that we don't have to go to Canberra in the 2nd round (assuming we can get past the Reds).

I don't see much difference between playing the Blues away or the Canes away in the 2nd round, so I agree with @Bovidae - I'd put a few players on ice by necessity or design and focus on beating the Reds.

Either way, in all honesty, I think we'd consider it a success to make the semis and lose there, hopefully to the eventual champion. It would be pretty tricky to win away two weeks in a row against the teams we'll face.

Training jersey colours suggest Suafoa and Choat are in the 23 and Segner isn't. I wonder if he has a niggle?

Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Ricky Riccitelli
Marcel Renata – 50th Blues cap
Patrick Tuipulotu (c)
Sam Darry
Akira Ioane
Dalton Papali’i
Hoskins Sotutu
Taufa Funaki
Harry Plummer
Caleb Clarke
AJ Lam
Rieko Ioane
Mark Tele’a
Stephen Perofeta

Kurt Eklund
Joshua Fusitu’a
Angus Ta’avao
Cameron Suafoa
Adrian Choat
Finlay Christie
Corey Evans
Cole Forbes

Players not considered: Lucas Cashmore (hamstring), Bryce Heem (calf), Jordan Lay (ankle, season), Laghlan McWhannell (concussion protocol), Zarn Sullivan (knee)

Cashmore still injured so only two fit 10's

Suafoa covering lock

Gone back to having size at 12

Bloody power cuts!

I wouldn't have picked both locks and midfielders would be changed.

Unavailable for selection: Kaleb Trask, Josh Lord, Gideon Wrampling, Malachi Wrampling, Tupou Vaa’i, and Anton Lienert-Brown.

@Bovidae

Is Parker covering lock or would Finau move?

AJ Lam back at 12.

Could he be seen as a permanent 12 option for next year?

@Duluth said in Blues v Chiefs:

Is Parker covering lock or would Finau move?

Probably Finau, although Parker has played lock before.

At least McMillan and co have worked out that Boshier shouldn't be starting at 7. More interest is that Poihipi is the 1st 5 cover.

Hmm looks like a token effort from Chiefs for a result. More about getting peripherals more game time in readiness for QF.

Dead rubber for Chiefs.
Power shortage up in tight five, but robust loosies and the match up with Blues trio will be tasty.
And that midfield given ball is very skillful and could dent a couple of repuations.

Watch out Harry Plummer, Samipeni Finau is looking for you.

A stat from today's newspaper:

427

That's the number of days since the Chiefs and Blues last played each other.

In that time the Blues have played the Crusaders four times, while the Chiefs have played the Hurricanes and Crusaders four times each.

This just shows how poorly designed the SR draw is, as there was meant to be some rotation in the number of times you played each NZ opponent.

Looking forward to this one. The battle of the loosies should be good. Great to see Finau back.