Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Caleb Clarke set for milestone match as Blues unveil team for season opener

Caleb Clarke with the ball in hand for the Blues in Cross-Border rugby action, Japan. Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images

New Zealand internationals Caleb Clarke and Angus Ta’avao will reach club milestones on Saturday afternoon when the Blues take on Fijian Drua in the opening round of the new season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Clarke and Ta’avao have both been named to start in their 50th matches in Blues colours while lock Josh Beehre will debut in his hometown of Whangarei.

The trio form part of the Blues’ First XV for Round One of the new Super Rugby Pacific season, with the team including eight All Blacks in total.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

“Naturally, I’m excited to make my debut, seeing my name up on the screen at the team meeting was a bit of a buzz for sure,” Beehre said in a statement.

Related

“I went to school at Whangarei Boys and I remember going to a Blues game in Whangarei when I was young, so for this to come full circle is pretty surreal.

“Hopefully the locals get down to Semenoff Stadium to watch the boys put on a show this weekend.”

Debutant Beehre will pack down alongside Sam Darry in the second-row, while the formidable trio of Joshua Fusitu’a, Kurt Eklund and milestone man Ta’avao make up the rest of the tight five.

ADVERTISEMENT

Anton Segner joins All Blacks Dalton Papali’i and Hoskins Sotutu in the loose forwards.

“It’s cool, this is the club I looked up to when I was young. I’m an Auckland boy born and bred and I wanted to play for the Blues as a young kid,” Ta’avao said.

“My family has put up with a lot for me to be here. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

In the backs, capped All Blacks Finlay Christie and Stephen Perofeta will link as part of a lethal halves combination, and the players outside of the pair as equally as dangerous.

Playmaker Harry Plummer joins Rieko Ioane in the halves, while Caleb Clarke, Mark Tele’a and Zarn Sullivan make up the rest of the starting side.

ADVERTISEMENT

There are also two potential debutants on the bench with lock Laghlan McWhannell and outside back Cole Forbes getting the nod from coach Vern Cotter.

The match between the Blues and Fijian Drua kicks off at 4:35 pm NZT at Whangarei’s Semenoff Stadium.

Blues team to take on Fijian Drua

  1. Joshua Fusitu’a
  2. Kurt Eklund
  3. Angus Ta’avao (50th Blues appearance)
  4. Sam Darry
  5. Josh Beehre (Blues debut)
  6. Anton Segner
  7. Dalton Papali’i
  8. Hoskins Sotutu
  9. Finlay Christie
  10. Stephen Perofeta
  11. Caleb Clarke (50th Blues appearance)
  12. Harry Plummer
  13. Rieko Ioane
  14. Mark Tele’a
  15. Zarn Sullivan

Reserves

  1. Ricky Riccitelli
  2. Jordan Lay
  3. Marcel Renata
  4. Laghlan McWhannell (potential Blues debut)
  5. Adrian Choat
  6. Sam Nock
  7. AJ Lam
  8. Cole Fobes (potential Blues debut)
ADVERTISEMENT

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 6 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'If any Welsh side makes the URC knockout games, it will be worth applauding’ 'If any Welsh side makes the URC knockout games, it will be worth applauding’
Search