Super Rugby Team Namings: Canes and Chiefs headline weekend's action
The Hurricanes and Chiefs headline this weekend's Super Rugby Pacific action, with the Canes naming a similar side to the one that beat the Brumbies in Canberra last weekend. Meanwhile, Wallace Sititi's return to play is again managed through the reserves, while the Chiefs are once again missing Damian McKenzie.
Josh Jacomb starts at first five but with Clayton McMillan going for a six forward/two back bench, there's not a lot of back up available if something goes wrong.
Other selection news:
Finlay Christie and Zarn Sullivan have paid the price for the Blues' disastrous loss in Brisbane last weekend, dropped from the squad to play the Force completely. Taufa Funaki is back from injury and takes over at halfback, while Mark Tele'a's suspension sees AJ Lam moved out to the wing and youngster Xavi Taele getting a recall at 12.
Moana have named a strong side for their intriguing visit to Dunedin, with a super-charged loose forward trio of Miracle Faiilagi, Ardie Savea and Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa the most obvious threat. It's a homecoming for Tupou-Ta'eiloa, who went to school at Otago Boys High. Kyren Tamoefolau comes back from injury onto the wing. Former Wallaby prop Pone Fa'amausili will debut off the bench.
The Highlanders have somewhat surprisingly swapped Nathan Hastie back into the starting line-up ahead of Folau Fakatava, however it is worth mentioning that Hastie was probably the best player on the park the last time these sides met. Timoci Tavatavanawai moves back into the midfield and Sam Gilbert goes back to the wing.
Blues v Force
Kick-off: 7:05pm Friday 2 May
Eden Park, Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Blues:
1. Joshua Fusitu'a, 2. Ricky Riccitelli, 3. Marcel Renata, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 5. Laghlan McWhannell, 6. Anton Segner, 7. Dalton Papali'i, 8. Hoskins Sotutu, 9. Taufa Funaki, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. AJ Lam, 12. Xavi Taele, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Cole Forbes, 15. Stephen Perofeta
Bench: 16. Kurt Eklund, 17. Mason Tupaea, 18. Angus Ta'avao, 19. Josh Beehre, 20. Cam Christie, 21. Adrian Choat, 22. Sam Nock, 23. Corey Evans
Blues halfback Taufa Funaki celebrates his try with Corey Evans and Rieko Ioane.
Photo:
Photosport
Hurricanes v Chiefs
Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 3 May
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Hurricanes:
1. Tevita Mafileo, 2. Asafo Aumua, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Caleb Delany, 5. Isaia Walker-Leawere, 6. Brayden Iose, 7. Du'Plessis Kirifi (cc), 8. Peter Lakai, 9. Cam Roigard, 10. Ruben Love, 11. Kini Naholo, 12. Riley Higgins, 13. Billy Proctor (cc), 14. Ngatungane Punivai, 15. Callum Harkin
Bench: 16. Raymond Tuputupu, 17. Xavier Numia, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Zach Gallagher, 20. Brad Shields (cc), 21. Ereatara Enari, 22. Riley Hohepa, 23. Bailyn Sullivan
Chiefs:
1. Ollie Norris, 2. Bradley Slater, 3. George Dyer, 4. Josh Lord, 5. Tupou Vaa'i, 6. Samipeni Finau, 7. Kaylum Boshier, 8. Luke Jacobson (c), 9. Cortez Ratima, 10. Josh Jacomb, 11. Leroy Carter, 12. Quinn Tupaea, 13. Daniel Rona, 14. Emoni Narawa, 15. Shaun Stevenson
Bench: 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. Aidan Ross, 18. Reuben O'Neill, 19. Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20. Simon Parker, 21. Wallace Sititi, 22. Xavier Roe, 23. Gideon Wrampling
Chiefs forward Wallace Sititi in action during their Super Rugby Pacific semi-final against the Hurricanes.
Photo:
photosport
Highlanders v Moana Pasifika
Kick-off: 3:35pm Sunday 4 May
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Highlanders:
1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Soane Vikena, 3. Saula Ma'u, 4. Fabian Holland, 5. Oliver Haig, 6. TK Howden, 7. Sean Withy, 8. Hugh Renton (cc), 9. Nathan Hastie, 10. Cameron Millar, 11. Jonah Lowe, 12. Timoci Tavatavanawai (cc), 13. Thomas Umaga-Jensen, 14. Sam Gilbert, 15. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
Bench: 16. Jack Taylor, 17. Josh Bartlett, 18. Rohan Wingham, 19. Mitch Dunshea, 20. Veveni Lasaqa, 21. Folau Fakatava, 22. Taine Robinson, 23. Jake Te Hiwi
Moana Pasifika:
1. Tito Tuipulotu, 2. Millennium Sanerivi, 3. Chris Apoua, 4. Tom Savage, 5. Samuel Slade, 6. Miracle Faiilagi, 7. Ardie Savea (c), 8. Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa, 9. Jonathan Taumateine, 10. Jackson Garden-Bachop, 11. Kyren Taumoefolau, 12. Danny Toala, 13. Lalomilo Lalomilo, 14. Tevita Ofa, 15. William Havili
Bench: 16. Tomasi Maka, 17. Monu Moli, 18. Pone Fa'amausili, 19. Ofa Tauatevalu, 20. Sione Havili Talitui, 21. Melani Matavao, 22. Julian Savea, 23. Patrick Pellegrini
Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa.
Photo:
Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz
Also:
Fijian Drua v Reds
Kick-off: 2:05pm Saturday 3 March
HFC Bank Stadium, Suva
Brumbies v Waratahs
Kick-off: 9:35pm Saturday 3 March
GIO Stadium, Canberra
Crusaders - bye
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
11 hours ago
- 1News
Stunning comeback against Chiefs underlines Blues' danger
Analysis: The Blues' win against the odds in Hamilton revealed there is still plenty of fight in the defending champions, writes Patrick McKendry. Rieko loane's warning after the Blues beat the Waratahs at Eden Park eight days ago to qualify for the sixth and final Super Rugby Pacific playoff place appears a little more ominous after his side showed enormous resolve to knock off the top-seeded Chiefs last night. 'Don't let us win one,' was the midfielder's response after the defending champions, their hopes of retaining their title hanging by a thread, thrashed the Sydneysiders. It seemed a slightly hollow threat due to his side's inconsistency to that point, but the Blues' comeback from 19-6 down to win 20-19 at Waikato Stadium last night, a victory which was not secured until the 83rd minute and which featured an elite level of ball control in the desperate final seven or eight minutes, has put a different complexion on their season and the competition. It means the Chiefs have dropped a seeding place to second behind the Crusaders and are no longer assured of a home final if they beat the Brumbies in their semifinal in Hamilton next Saturday. That honour will go to the Crusaders should they progress. ADVERTISEMENT The Blues, meanwhile, will travel to Christchurch and their semifinal against the Crusaders on Friday night with the confidence of knowing they did what no other team has managed this year in beating the Chiefs on home soil and they did it in the final quarter with discipline and poise – two qualities they have not been known for this season. Replacement lock Josh Beehre's late try from close range put them on the brink after an earlier one by Hoskins Sotutu was ruled out by the match officials for an alleged crawl to the line. Daniel Rona scores for the Chiefs against the Blues. (Source: Photosport) It appeared a slightly harsh decision, so credit must go to the Blues' leaders, including skipper Patrick Tuipulotu and backline general Beauden Barrett for the way the team maintained their focus. The Blues, helped by the Chiefs' ill-discipline and particularly that of loose forward Samipeni Finau who gave away two late needless penalties, kept hammering away and, against the odds, they did it. It was fitting that Barrett had the final say with the crucial conversion from near the posts because he was hugely influential. Barrett has become known for us extraordinary luck with the bouncing ball but it eluded him late in the first half when he attempted to gather it in a dive short of the line for what would have been a spectacular try. ADVERTISEMENT Nevertheless, the sight of him controlling such an important game with ingenuity and no small amount of bravery will be a boost not only for Blues head coach Vern Cotter but also his All Blacks' counterpart Scott Robertson. As Barrett's influence grew under the glare of the spotlight, so his opposite Damian McKenzie's waned. Indeed, McKenzie's failure to land a penalty from a relatively difficult angle with five minutes remaining was significant. It was his only miss of the night but from there the Blues, still in the game, went on the attack and never relented. Robertson will have firm views about who he wants in the No.10 jersey for the first Test against France on July 5. After becoming the incumbent All Blacks first-five last year, Barrett's control with the Blues' season on the line will have done his chances of retaining that position no harm. Brumbies players celebrate after beating the Hurricanes in Canberra to qualify for a Super Rugby semifinal. (Source: Photosport) Finally, the Blues will travel to Christchurch in the knowledge they should have beaten the Crusaders in mid-April, but for a James O'Connor penalty in the 82nd minute. The Crusaders were far too good for a Reds team who lacked confidence and composure from the kick-off in their qualifier on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT That suggests the Blues will have to dig as deep as they ever have to overturn the Crusaders' 30-0 home playoff record but they are sure to ask some searching questions. From a Kiwi perspective, the most disappointing result of the weekend was the Hurricanes' 35-28 playoff defeat to the Brumbies in Canberra, a place where they had won in late April. Had the Chiefs won last night, the game at GIO Stadium would have been meaningful only for semifinal seeding positions but as it was the Hurricanes were knocked out of the competition after failing to get to grips with the Brumbies' driving game. Known for their mauling style, four of the five tries scored by the Brumbies were from close range. None of it should have come as a surprise to the free-wheeling Hurricanes, who threatened to the be wild card of the playoffs, but they were almost powerless in the face of it. If nothing else, it again underlined the importance of playing at home at this time of year.
1News
11 hours ago
- 1News
'Lucky loser' Chiefs not complacent, says coach McMillan
Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan says his team's guaranteed place in Super Rugby Pacific's semifinals next weekend played no part in their shock qualifier loss to the Blues last night. As the competition's top seeds, the Chiefs could not fail to progress under the competition's new 'lucky loser' concept, but McMillan said that did not factor into his team's thinking. "No, not at all,'' he said after his team's 20-19 defeat. "We wanted to win this game and put the Blues to be bed, because, you know, wins like this will just fuel more confidence. "It's always what is directly in front of us. I think we have been pretty consistent with that, and our preparation, the effort we put in tonight was reflective of a team that really wanted to win.'' The Chiefs, who lost loose forward Luke Jacobson to a pre-existing shoulder injury the day before the game, had most of the other advantages at Waikato Stadium. ADVERTISEMENT Blues hooker Ricky Riccitelli was yellow carded in the first half for a foot trip on Damian McKenzie, and the Chiefs enjoyed a wealth of possession and territory in running up a 19-6 lead. However, their lineout began malfunctioning in the second half along with their disciplinary record. With halfback Cortez Ratima one of several players to lose the ball near or over the line, the mistakes came back to haunt the Chiefs. "That's good old fashioned finals grind, you know?" McMillan said. "And probably in the last 15, 20 minutes, we struggled to exit probably off the back of a misfiring lineout. A few discipline issues, especially in the last little bit. 'We always respect the Blues. They haven't always been at their best [this season] but you always had the sense that they would do enough to get in the top six.' Not surprisingly, the Blues celebrated wildly after Beauden Barrett's conversion of Josh Beehre's late try sealed the victory, but head coach Vern Cotter and skipper Patrick Tuipulotu appeared relatively downbeat when facing the media afterwards. ADVERTISEMENT Blues playmaker Beauden Barrett catches the ball in his team's victory over the Chiefs. (Source: Photosport) 'There's a lot of satisfaction but it's tempered by the fact that it's just one game and there's another one next week,' Cotter said, before adding: 'I think our defence showed the team hasn't lost faith in what we're doing.' The Blues, beaten in the grand final by the Crusaders in 2022, went close against the red and blacks in Christchurch in April and know how difficult it will be on Friday. 'The Crusaders are a tough team. We know it's going to be tough to win down there… we've got to be on top of our game," Cotter said. "It may come down to the 85th minute again next week.' The Crusaders' 32-12 qualifier victory over the Reds last Friday means they are now 30-0 in home playoff matches. 'One day they will lose down there in a playoff,' Tuipulotu said. 'Could it be us? We'll certainly be pushing as hard as we can. 'I'm looking forward to it. What better way of making our way to the final.' ADVERTISEMENT The Chiefs will host the Brumbies in the other semifinal on Saturday night after the men from Canberra beat the Hurricanes 35-28 in their qualifying final.
RNZ News
16 hours ago
- RNZ News
Blues upset chiefs, Hurricanes knocked out in Super Rugby
It was another big weekend of Super Rugby with the Blues beating the Chiefs 20-19 in a thrilling last-minute victory in Hamilton. Rugby writer and commentator Tony Johnson spoke to Corin Dann. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
