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Blues get All Black boost for South Africa trip
By Online Editors
Sonny Bill Williams and Jerome Kaino return to the Blues' starting lineup for their away clash against the table topping Lions.
Williams returns after missing one game with a leg injury, while Kaino makes his first start of the season after making an impact from the bench in week three.
Williams forms an All Black partnership with Rieko Ioane in the midfield, and Ioane's vacant wing spot is awarded to Melani Nanai.
Four-test All Black midfielder George Moala has been dropped from the 23 after starting the first two games at outside centre.
21-year-old Sam Nock fills in for injured captain Augustine Pulu, linking up with Bryn Gatland in the No 10 jersey.
Promising young five eighth Stephen Perofeta is named on the bench and is primed for a return after suffering a broken hand in preseason.
Hooker James Parsons will lead the side in Pulu's absence.
Coach Tana Umaga has gone for a six forwards-two backs split on the bench, hoping the strategy will help combat the altitude in Johannesburg.
“The Lions are a formidable team. We well remember our last time here two years ago and we are keen to put that right,” said Blues Coach Tana Umaga.
“They have scored a lot of tries this season off their lineout drive so we have worked hard on this aspect. We need to be disciplined and not give them attacking chances from penalties although at the same time we need to be our usual aggressive selves at the breakdown."
Swys de Bruin has named an unchanged starting side for his Lions.
He has made three changes to the bench, with loose forwards Kwagga Smith and Hacjivah Dayimani returning to the side along with utility back Ashlon Davids.
De Bruin has also opted for a six-two forwards and back split, with back-up scrumhalf Marco Jansen van Vuren out of the 23.
BLUES
1. Alex Hodgman, 2. James Parsons (C), 3. Ofa Tuungafasi, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu, 5. Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Antonio Kiri Kiri, 8. Akira Ioane; 9. Sam Nock, 10. Bryn Gatland, 11. Melani Nanai, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Matt Duffie,15. Michael Collins.
Reserves: 16. Ross Wright, 17. Pauliasi Manu, 18. Michael Tamoaieta, 19. Scott Scrafton, 20 Jimmy Tupou, 21. Murphy Taramai, 22. Jonathan Ruru, 23. Stephen Perofeta.
LIONS
1. Jacques van Rooyen, 2. Malcolm Marx, 3. Ruan Dreyer, 4. Andries Ferreira, 5. Marvin Orie, 6. Cyle Brink, 7. Franco Mostert, 8. Warren Whiteley (C), 9. Ross Cronje, 10. Elton Jantjies, 11. Aphiwe Dyantyi, 12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 13. Lionel Mapoe, 14. Sylvian Mahuza, 15. Andries Coetzee.
Reserves: 16. Robbie Coetzee, 17. Dylan Smith, 18. Jacobus Adriaanse, 19. Lourens Erasmus, 20. Albertus Smith, 21. Ashlon Davids, 22. Harold Vorster, 23. Hacjivah Dayimani.
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Latest Comments
I read some of the online comments on this and their were thoughtless and veering to misogyny.
As well as the pay gap women tend to recover quickly from the emotional intensity of matches. The match is over they shake hands and they can get quickly over a loss. THis doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.
Many men tend to view rugby as a test of manhood. They are aggressive, and take a big loss about as well as they would take a castration.
To judge women against men in this way is obviously stupid. The Welsh team are trying to promote publicity for the sport as well as trying to win matches. Suling for months wont attract girls to the support, no matter how much men online demand a period of self flagellation.
Go to comments“bring in a double bonus point instead” I don't think this is a great idea. We need the premiership to be a breeding ground for test match players. If we try to turn it into a defense optional try fest, we're going to come unstuck. It's not like teams really need an incentive to score more tries once they get to 4 tries.
England will no doubt benefit from more highly skilled attacking players (assuming they allow them to play with some autonomy) but test matches are rarely high scoring affairs. It's good that our players are becoming more skilled, we've long played second fiddle in those stakes to the SH (and still do) but the players also need to learn how to grind out gnarly wins. The Premiership is already a very high scoring league, we don't need to push it any further.
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