Wellington v Hawkes (RS)

Duluth2 years ago

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wellingtonlions.co.nz

1 Xavier Numia – Oriental-Rongotai
2 James O’Reilly – Hutt Old Boys’ Marist
3 Siale Lauaki – Tawa
4 Dominic Bird – Upper Hutt Rams
5 Caleb Delany – Old Boys University
6 Brad Shields – Petone
7 Du’Plessis Kirifi – Northern United (Captain)
8 Peter Lakai – Petone
9 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara – Tawa
10 Aidan Morgan – Marist St Pats
11 Connor Garden-Bachop – Northern United
12 Riley Higgins – Petone
13 Billy Proctor – Marist St Pats
14 Losi Filipo – Petone
15 Ruben Love – Wainuiomata

16 Penieli Poasa – Oriental-Rongotai
17 Cameron Orr – Western Suburbs
18 PJ Sheck – Tawa
19 Hugo Plummer – Tawa
20 Dominic Ropeti – Oriental-Rongotai
21 Kyle Preston – Old Boys University
22 Peter Umaga-Jensen – Wainuiomata
23 Julian Savea – Oriental-Rongotai

Stargazer2 years ago

Considering who's available and who's not, they probably got the forwards right. I'm glad Farrell is on the bench; he offers more than Tu'ungafasi. In the backs, I'd obviously change 12-15.

Bovidae2 years ago

This game should be played on Sat night, not competing with another game in the 2 pm slot. I won't see any of it.

Stargazer2 years ago

@Bovidae Yeah, a RS challenge should be at prime time and the sole game at a time slot.

Higgins2 years ago

Prime time in my books has always been 2.30pm on a Saturday afternoon so no grumbles from me on this one's start time.

Stargazer2 years ago

@Higgins Yeah, good point, but the main problem is two games at the same time. They could also have played the Waikato game at 7.05pm (after the Black Ferns game instead of before).

foobaNZ2 years ago

Also have no problem with 2.05pm - should mean a bigger crowd rocks up too. I'll head along.

Canes4life2 years ago

Man I hope we play our best game so far this season and lock up the log for the year. Definitely don’t want to lose it to a team that we took it off.

Good to see Higgins start at 12, Tiatia and Grigg are in for a long day at the office.

#10

foobaNZ2 years ago

#10

Pretty strong HB side to be honest. But, we've been solid all season no reason to believe we won't be now.

#11

Canes4life2 years ago

#11

Good interview with Big 'Dominic' Bird. He's been super instrumental to the Lions success over the last year or so. Don't know why the F he didn't start for the Canes this year. He's forming a pretty solid combination with Caleb Delany though which would be great to see at the next level.

#12

Canes4life2 years ago

#12

@foobaNZ our defense needs to turn up again for sure but I'm confident we'll get the job done. Our hunger defensively has been something else.

To add to the spice of it all the two unions have met each other 112 times overall. Wellington has won 75, Hawke’s Bay 33 and there have been four draws. Wellington has scored 2,775 points and conceded 1,754.

#13

cgrant2 years ago

#13

@Canes4life said in Wellington v Hawkes (RS):

Good interview with Big 'Dominic' Bird. He's been super instrumental to the Lions success over the last year or so. Don't know why the F he didn't start for the Canes this year. He's forming a pretty solid combination with Caleb Delany though which would be great to see at the next level.

View embedded content

Yes, he's been great for the Lions. From an outsider's point of view, it seems weird Blackwell was the preferred choice for the Canes.

#14

Stargazer2 years ago

#14

Terrible weather in Wellington. About 7 degrees, a cold and strong southerly wind, and rain.

#15

Winger2 years ago

#15

@cgrant said in Wellington v Hawkes (RS):

@Canes4life said in Wellington v Hawkes (RS):

Good interview with Big 'Dominic' Bird. He's been super instrumental to the Lions success over the last year or so. Don't know why the F he didn't start for the Canes this year. He's forming a pretty solid combination with Caleb Delany though which would be great to see at the next level.

View embedded content

Yes, he's been great for the Lions. From an outsider's point of view, it seems weird Blackwell was the preferred choice for the Canes.

@cgrant said in Wellington v Hawkes (RS):

@Canes4life said in Wellington v Hawkes (RS):

Good interview with Big 'Dominic' Bird. He's been super instrumental to the Lions success over the last year or so. Don't know why the F he didn't start for the Canes this year. He's forming a pretty solid combination with Caleb Delany though which would be great to see at the next level.

View embedded content

Yes, he's been great for the Lions. From an outsider's point of view, it seems weird Blackwell was the preferred choice for the Canes.

It was weird indeed the ongoing preference for Blackwell. It started when Plumtree was calling the shots. Bird started a few games this year due to injuries or resting players. He performed well yet as soon as other options came back, he was dropped. At times the team started with another short player covering lock. When Bird was available

Blackwell was fine against the weaker team but not against the top sides,. It was also weird the way he left. Nothing from either the Canes or Wellington

But thank God he's gone (and Gibbes & Holland too). And I hope the new head forward coach if they find one (what going on here) doesn't find another short lock with poor ball skills to start week after week regardless of form.

#16

Winger2 years ago

#16

@Stargazer said in Wellington v Hawkes (RS):

Terrible weather in Wellington. About 7 degrees, a cold and strong southerly wind, and rain.

I used to dread bad weather when Wellington and the Canes had flash back but weak forwards. But now it's different with a strong pack and no such great back. There are some though who have the goods. Including Higgins who looks a future AB

#17

Canes4life2 years ago

#17

@Winger lol our backs aren’t bad. Maybe in the halves but outside that we have talent aplenty, especially in the centres.

#18

Canes4life2 years ago

#18

@Stargazer just how we like it. Primed to give you Bay boys a mauling.

#19

Winger2 years ago

#19

@Canes4life said in Wellington v Hawkes (RS):

@Winger lol our backs aren’t bad. Maybe in the halves but outside that we have talent aplenty, especially in the centres.

I wouldn't mind the forward pack starting at super rugby level. But only 3 of the seven backs are at this level

#20

Canes4life2 years ago

#20

@Winger Higgins, Proctor and Love? Yeah you’re probably right. Umaga-Jensen aswell but he’s hot and cold.