BOP

1 Josh Bartlett (C), 2 Kurt Ekland (C), 3 Pasilio Tosi, 4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 5 Aisake Vakaisiuola, 6 Jacob Norris, 7 Veveni Lasaga, 8 Nikora Broughton, 9 Charlie Sinton, 10 Lucas Cashmore, 11 Fehi Fineanganofo, 12 Seamus Bardoul, 13 Lalomilo Lalomilo, 14 Kele Lasaga, 15 Cole Forbes

Reserves: 16 Taine Kolose, 17 Haereiti Hetet, 18 Tevita Mafileo, 19 Semisi Paea, 20 Joe Johnston, 21 Richard Judd, 22 Reon Paul, 23 Ngahorohi McGarvey-Black

Ta$man

1 Ryan Coxon, 2 Tomasi Maka, 3 Sam Matenga, 4 Antonio Shalfoon, 5 Lopeti Faifua, 6 Tayne Hemopo, 7 Sione Havili Talitui, 8 Fletcher Anderson, 9 Jay Renton, 10 William Havili, 11 Macca Springer, 12 Levi Aumua, 13 Cooper Robers, 14 Kyren Taumoefolau, 15 David Havili (C)

Reserves: 16 Samuela Moli, 17 Lavengamono Moli, 18 Quinn Harrison-Jones, 19 Joseph Domoni, 20 Tone Ng Shiu, 21 Wil Thornalley, 22 Maloni Kunawave, 23 Jack Gray

I'm all for a centre forming a close combination with his wingers, but - call me old-fashioned - taking the bloke's name is a stretch.

Someone having a joke with both 13s I think.

Should be ok now? Blame AI for misreading an image (I need the team in text format)

Hmmm - not very optimistic about this one.

That Ta$man team is looking a bit threadbare with injuries and All Black call-ups.

Off the top of my head - Odenryn, Sykes-Martin, Strange, Leppien, Blackadder, Christie, Drummond, Faingaánuku and Robinson missing from the 23.

Ignoring Lomax, Hotham, Tavatavanawai and Jordan whom we were unlikely to get any of.

Why is it Willie Havili and David Harrrrveeely.

Twenty minutes of shithouse rugby so far. Great dedication from both sides to copy the worst parts of the AB gameplay.

Ta$man winning the aerial battle, but fucking discipline!

Don't give away dumb penalties!!!

7-3 to us!

@Chris-B lucky the last one wasn't yellow!

Synton looks to have an accurate pass, but man his fuckaboutery makes Christie look express.

@Bones A keystone cops couple of minutes as Ta$man decide to forget how to pass.

Hope Juddy can get some urgency into bop in second half. Josh Bartlett having a stormer. Tosi walking a lot.
Taumoefolau looks very dangerous for Ta$man.
Just started raining here at the game

That was so entertaining from Cashmore & the smaller Lasaqa

So with multiple coaches seemingly deciding Ah Kuoi is a lock only and not a 6...is he just really slow?

Cashmore putting his hands up to the Chiefs. Having a stormer

Poor defence on Cashmore. Errors mounting now.

Great try BOP. Tosi did SFA when he was on the field.

Jono Gibbes needs to be on the phone to Cashmore & Fineanganofo needs to be in the ABs XV team

Shame Broughton didn't finish that haha. Ta$man are falling to pieces

Thanks for coming!

@Chris-B said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for turning up. Didn't think we played all that well ...

Ta$man today though played like..

i have a semi for the semis...

Cashmore and Broughton great today, great result

@KiwiPie said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

@Chris-B said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for turning up. Didn't think we played all that well ...

But still favourites to win it all I reckon.

Kele Lasaqa the sort of player I'll be tuning into nz 20s for next year he's a pitbull

Now cheering on Counties so we can be back in Tauranga next weekend

@SouthernMann said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

Cashmore putting his hands up to the Chiefs. Having a stormer

Hell he keeps giving me the jitters with his from the hand kicking, and has not been able to unleash the backs when outside Sinton. But he is great under the high ball and positionally.
Would have hoped you might have more faith in your own players, Millar and Muliaina.

@ARHS said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

@SouthernMann said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

Cashmore putting his hands up to the Chiefs. Having a stormer

Hell he keeps giving me the jitters with his from the hand kicking, and has not been able to unleash the backs when outside Sinton. But he is great under the high ball and positionally.
Would have hoped you might have more faith in your own players, Millar and Muliaina.

I have a lot of faith in Jacomb and Muliania. My opinion on Millar is that he is just a kicking 10 and has no attacking ability apart from intercepts and a flat ball.

@Grooter said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

Kele Lasaqa the sort of player I'll be tuning into nz 20s for next year he's a pitbull

Most the Chiefs U20 backline will be back for 2026 so they should be fun to watch. Assuming there is a tournament.

There’s definitely a world where I can see Fehi in the ABs. He’s been on fire all season for BOP.

@Canes4life if he could be developed into a centre. He's the third-best winger in his NPC team

My take from the sideline was that momentum changed when Judd and Mafileo came on just after halftime. Bop lacked cohesion and forward momentum before that.
Judd's top notch box kicks and knack of feeding players on the burst made a big difference. The forwards energy lifted with so much forward momentum.
What may have not got noticed was the number of times Bop backs were getting scragged off the ball. Only saw it pinged once. Springer needs to improve his discipline. And the midfield needs remedial training on passing both sides.
Pleased that Chiefs have Taumoefolau. He looks dangerous whenever he is near the ball.

@ARHS
BoP are lucky to have two very good props on the bench. Eklund's facial injury looked nasty. BoP lost three or so lineouts after Kolose came on

If Kolose is to be Slater's replacement at the Chiefs he will need to improve his lineout throwing, as that has always been shaky. Another converted loose forward.

@barky1 said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

@Canes4life if he could be developed into a centre. He's the third-best winger in his NPC team

Fehi Fineanganofo has scored the most tries in the NPC and he's the third best winger in the Steamers? That's a hot take.

Yeah I reckon he has passed Reon Paul and Cole Forbes now to be third ranked. Kele Lasaga pushing him though. Spoiled for riches. Frank Vaenuku and Ngatori MGB are v good too

@barky1 said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

@Canes4life if he could be developed into a centre. He's the third-best winger in his NPC team

Fehi is brilliant on the wing for now but in future certainly could be a silky centre in the mould of a Lukanho Am

@Grooter said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

@barky1 said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

@Canes4life if he could be developed into a centre. He's the third-best winger in his NPC team

Fehi is brilliant on the wing for now but in future certainly could be a silky centre in the mould of a Lukanho Am

Its interesting you use the word silky. He is apparently a similar weight to Caleb Clarke though they're not really similar players.

@Canes4life said in QF: BOP v Ta$man:

There’s definitely a world where I can see Fehi in the ABs. He’s been on fire all season for BOP.

He was strong for Hurricanes too (as well as AB 7s). Should be on the radar.