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Blues captain eyes return
By Online Editors
The Blues hope the potential return of a big name will provide a much-needed boost for their Super Rugby clash against the Jaguares at Eden Park on Saturday.
With 19 players on the injured list last week, the Blues have named captain Augustine Pulu and Gerard Cowley-Tuioti for a return from injury, although captain Pulu is bracketed.
They will be without two starters from last week, with midfielder TJ Faiane out for at least two weeks with an ankle sprain and lock Patrick Tuipulotu out with illness.
“It is definitely nice to see some players back out running with the team on the training field, but for those bracketed, it will depend how they come through our contact session this afternoon,” said head coach Tana Umaga.
“While our injured list has been well publicised, equally we do not want to rush players back, especially those who have been out of action for some time. We have who are close to full fitness but their long-term health and welfare is our main priority and we won’t rush them back.”
North Harbour prop Sione Mafileo earns his first start while hooker Leni Apisai joins the reserves as a reward for his showing with the Blues A side last week.
Kara Pryor will need to come through training today after a knock in last week’s game and is bracketed with Dalton Papalii at openside flanker.
Injuries to three key midfielders mean that Rieko Ioane moves back to the midfield with Orbyn Leger while Tumua Manu, who scored a try off the bench in his debut last week, gets a start on the left wing. All Black Matt Duffie starts at fullback.
In light of the injury situation, Umaga will name his reserves closer to the game.
BLUES
1. Pauliasi Manu, 2. James Parsons (C), 3. Sione Mafileo, 4. Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 5. Josh Goodhue, 6. Jimmy Tupou, 7. Kara Pryor/Dalton Papalii, 8. Akira Ioane; 9. Augustine Pulu/Jonathan Ruru, 10. Stephen Perofeta, 11. Tumua Manu, 12. Rieko Ioane, 13. Orbyn Leger, 14. Jordan Hyland,15. Matt Duffie.
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Latest Comments
GB is England, Scotland, Wales. They are the 3 constituent countries in Great Britain. Ergo playing only those three countries is a tour of GB. The difference between GB and the UK is Northern Ireland. It's not a huge deal to be accurate and call places by their correct name. But please refrain from your idiotic attempts to BS that GB=UK. It doesn't.
Go to commentsThe 2023 draw was only criticized when it became apparent that the top 5 sides in the world were on the same side of the draw. Nowhere did they discuss the decision to backtrack to 2019 rankings which ensured that England and Wales (ranked #12 in 2023) were ranked top4.
The parties who trashed out the schedule were England Rugby, NZ Rugby and ITV. It is bordering on corrupt that a Rugby nation has the power to schedule its opponents to play a major match the week before facing them in a QF.
You won't find commentary by members of the relevant committees because a committee did not make the scheduling decision. I have never heard members of World Rugby speak out on the draw or scheduling issues.
For example in 2015 Japan were hammered by Scotland 4 days after beating SA. The criticism only happens after a cock up.
A fair pool schedule is pretty straightforward: The lowest two tanked teams must play on last pool day but not against each other. That means that TV can focus on promoting big matches with a Tier2 involved for that Friday.
Why does NZ Always get its preferred slot playing the hardest pool match on day 1?
Why do other teams eg France, Ireland, Scotland get so often scheduled to play a hard match the week before the QFs?
If you believe the rules around scheduling are transparent then please point me in the right direction?
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