Bledisloe Cup/The Rugby Championship

In general think itā€™s about 50/50 in the squads for the mitre cup. Donā€™t know how that trend compares with the past tbh. Also just having a stab at who is pakeha based on names etc

Few screenshot of this weekends squads for reference Waikato, Taranaki, HawkesBay, Auckland all north island AFAIK

Also notable the amount of Irish type names playing in Oz

Sydney played Melbourne earlier and there was a Cummins, tom Moloney, Ryan, Fitzpatrick, rory Oā€™Connor, Creagh, con foley, jack Dempsey all involved

Iā€™v also come across mcnamara and casey for another team
Moore and foley played for Oz y day

A rich seam for the IRFU to pick at in years to come when we are looking for the next overpaid mercenary to come in and take a squad place

Impossible to know where those guys are from though brah, and Maori and islanders are less than 20% of the NZ population so arguably already over represented?

Not arguing with you in the slightest mate as I have no idea just provided some detail and a guess as to who is pakeha

Itso an absolutely irrelevant measure anyways, as plenty non pakeha could be only 10% Maori and absolutely no different to a pakeha culturally or otherwise
E.g. Aaron Smith and the Whitelocks all went to the same school. Smith is a Maori the Whitelocks arenā€™t

Indeed, I was just passing on an observation I heard colloquially that the game was being played in far less numbers especially in Auckland by pakeha, that the parents are getting more injury conscious. Iā€™m aiming to be at a mitre 10 cup game next weekend so will conduct some on the ground research.

Really, what game ?

I am an avid follower being regularly woken at the crack of dawn. Itā€™s also a reliable source of betting profits. Just keep backing the overs, tries and points . When you think they canā€™t score anymore there is normally a few more tries in it

A wonderful spectacle

Wellington v Waikato, Iā€™m in the NZ capital for a few weeks. I went to Wellington v Southland last week in the cake tin. Absolutely empty but then everyone is on the hurricanes bandwagon. The handling skills and pace were unreal.

The Asian population going through the roof in Auckland may have something to do with that as well. Keen to get to a Mitre 10 game, was at a few Super Rugby games, the quick hands and general speed as you say is off the charts compared to the Northern game. The stadiums are empty though.

Nice .

Should be a 70 pointer!

Crowds very poor alright. Considering quality on display the super rugby crowds not always the best either although NZ well ahead of rest

Skills, speed and willingness to have a go from absolutely anywhere

Defence is completely secondary

Cracking game. Former irish international on the field now, name him without google

The crowd seem enthralled anyway, you tit.

Have a go at naming him mate, didnā€™t you pretend to like rugby in one of your desperate attempts to fit in in a previous life

:rollseyes:

Our number 8 just got binned, the place is rocking with anger

Isaac bossā€¦Iā€™m watching it

Had seen he was back playing alrightā€¦some appetite for it

Didnā€™t realise this was televised in the old country. Heading to a watering hole to watch is smash the bogans in league after this

Please file a match report afterwards on the 2017 British Loins thread.

We need to be kept up to date on the possibility of any bolters New Zealand might have.

2 Likes

Great to see prep work on this site for a Lions tour .

Cracking finish waikato robbed em

Nice to see McKenzie in the flesh he is brilliant just too small Iā€™d sayā€¦and a world cup winning hero as well of course

What time is the league on?