Clan v Tribe qualifying final

[waiopehu oldboy]

@ Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Date: Saturday 20 June
Kick-off: 19:35 local, 17:35 AEST, 09:35 SAST
Referee: Chris Pollock
AR1: Nick Briant
AR2: Mike Fraser
TMO: Aaron Paterson

Clan: Ben Smith (co-captain), Waisake Naholo, Malakai Fekitoa, Richard Buckman, Patrick Osborne, Lima Sopoaga, Aaron Smith, Nasi Manu (co-captain), Dan Pryor, Elliot Dixon, Mark Reddish, Alex Ainley, Josh Hohneck, Liam Coltman, Brendon Edwards. Reserves: Ash Dixon, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Ross Geldenhuys, Joe Latta, Gareth Evans, Fumiaki Tanaka, Marty Banks, Shaun Treeby.

Tribe: Damian McKenzie, Bryce Heem, Tim Nanai-Williams, Sonny Bill Williams, James Lowe, Andrew Horrell, Brad Weber, Liam Messam (captain), Sam Cane, Michael Fitzgerald, Brodie Retallick, Matt Symons, Ben Tameifuna, Hika Elliot, Pauliasi Manu. Reserves: Quentin MacDonald, Siate Tokolahi, Jamie Mackintosh, Mitchell Crosswell, Michael Leitch, Kayne Hammington, Marty McKenzie, Seta Tamanivalu.

Clan currently $1.57-$2.30 favs on the kiwi TAB.

Loyalties somewhat divided as on the one hand Dad was a Southland Boys old boy, whereas wifey & her whanau are Tainui & Raukawa & some are likely to rock up at our house for the game & post-match drinks. I may just wear my CruSadists shirt & maintain neutrality, Swiss styles

 

[saulityvi]

Is Damien McKenzie injured or do they just favour the brother over him?

 

[Dan54]

Damian is starting at 15, brother Marty is on bench. Hell looking forward to the game, full strength Clan you would suspect would be too strong for the Chiefs with the injuries they have got, but who knows what could happen. Pretty sure I'll be trying to watch this one.

 

[Hawko]

Damian is starting at 15, brother Marty is on bench. Hell looking forward to the game, full strength Clan you would suspect would be too strong for the Chiefs with the injuries they have got, but who knows what could happen. Pretty sure I'll be trying to watch this one.

But why is Damien playing 15? He's head-and-shoulders over everyone else they have now Cruden is crocked. And I reckon Marty is better than the other dude (name forgotten).

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Tom Marshall (& Charlie Ngatai) on the injured list, D-Mac is the better FB option & M-Mac hasn't exactly set the world on fire lately so gets the 10/15 backup gig with Horrell, who I still believe is a 12, at 10.

I'm more puzzled by Leitch on the bench, he's been an absolute standout for them this year. Could work IF they're within striking distance when Fitzgerald or Symons comes off after ~50 but could also backfire big time if Clan get points up early on..............

 

[Hawko]

Tom Marshall (& Charlie Ngatai) on the injured list, D-Mac is the better FB option & M-Mac hasn't exactly set the world on fire lately so gets the 10/15 backup gig with Horrell, who I still believe is a 12, at 10.

I'm more puzzled by Leitch on the bench, he's been an absolute standout for them this year. Could work IF they're within striking distance when Fitzgerald or Symons comes off after ~50 but could also backfire big time if Clan get points up early on......

I still maintain that Chiefs would be much stronger with Damien at 10 and one of their multitude of outside backs at 15.

Leitch has been a bit quiet for the last fortnight (he was in my fantasy team unfortunately because he was a star in the weeks prior). But still, I am surprised to hear he didn't make the 15.

Can you post the team line-up here? I haven't seen it anywhere else.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^ both lineups in my OP above.

We probably shouldn't forget that D-Mac is only 20ish & in his first year of Super Rugby so maybe throwing him into the hot seat 10 slot may not be the best way to utilise him, at least by having him as your nominal 15 he can be brought in closer on occasion, with Lowe dropping back to FB.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Picking the Chiefs to win this, too much class in the forwards, power & pride, Sam Cane and Messam and Retallick, lockdown on D. Great matchup though

wonder if Chiefs are ruing not even signing Robbie Robinson to a contract, wow, went from scoring match winning try in 2013 final, to a year out injured, to watching with the rest of us.

ps SIGN HIM UP KIRWAN YOU USELESS *** **** ********* ****.

 

[Dan54]

DP, it starting to look like Umaga will be doing signings for Blues.
I think the Chiefs forwards look pretty good, specially in loosies, but not convinced about Horrell at 10, though Marty McKenzie struggled a bit there last week. Tend to agree with WOB that Rennie has gone for a bit of experience here, being knock out game and all, and Damian McKenzie can run the cutter from broken play at times with him at 15. Looking forward to this one more all the time!!

 

[Scoey]

Really keen to see the Highlanders progress to the next round of the playoffs. I can't see anyone knocking the Canes off this year, it's their trophy to lose in my eyes, but I think it would be great for Rugby down south for the Clan to have a good showing in the knockout stages.

The Chiefs have been underwhelming compared to their usual style and seem to be struggling without Cruden much like the Reds without Quade albeit no where near as flacid as the Cooperless Reds.

Highlanders have always been my second team to the Reds so giddy up boys, RIP IN!!

 

[teach]

ps SIGN HIM UP KIRWAN YOU USELESS *** **** ********* ****.

He can't. He has pulled the pin. Though I guess you know and are preparing a celebratory GIF laden post as I type.

Got my tickets on Tuesday when they opened up to general sale. Sat with the laptop, hitting refresh at 8am till I got in the line. Shouting the missus and myself some flash seats on halfway.

 

[Moono75]

Looking forward to this one. The Clan have the wood on the Chiefs so far this year and have proved to be a solid unit. I hope that continues tomorrow and they play with the same spirit and intent.

Expect a big game from Pat Osborne and Naholo and the Dunedin Uni crowd fueled up on Speights to go off their NUT backing the team in!

Go the Highlanders

 

[Dan54]

Uni students will all of gone home for holidays, so won't be many of them there.
Geez Teach tickets anywhere near halfway in that stadium I reckon would be primo. Only been there the once and almost best Rugby viewing stadium I have been to, even closer to action than Suncorp!! Geez wouldn't mind being in Dunedin today, I bet there is great atmosphere building already!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

She's a grey old day in Dunners going by today's ODT & they're still cleaning up from the blizzard last week so I'm picking the locals will be up for some light relief. Forsyth-Barr will be packed & not all the students will have gone home so there's the potential for some mini-Zoo madness.................

Looking at the team lists I reckon the back lines pretty much cancel each other out (slight adv Clan at 9 & 15, tho) so it will, as usual, come down to who wins the contest up front. On paper you'd say Tribe but Clan have punched above their weight on most occasions.

I'm picking a close game decided by at most two key moments & I really, really hope neither of those hinge on a ref's, AR's or TMO's call...................

Clan by 5 - 9.

 

[Moono75]

Should be a cracker of a game. Wonder if SBW has sharpened his shoulders to line someone up this week!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^ I'm thinking SBW may be a little gun shy given his recent head knock & back spasm issues. If I were Fekitoa or Buckman (not to mention a forward) I'd be testing this theory early & often.

I'm also thinking that SBW isn't at his best without Cruden & not sure Horrell is the right guy at 10 if they intend using SBW or TNW as their main line breakers/ benders. Having said that Fekitoa is probably (& relatively-speaking, of course) the weakest link in the Clan backline so I'd be targeting him for sure.

EDIT: Clan now $1.50 favs, Tribe $2.45 but points start in to 3.5.

 

[Dan54]

Forsyth-Barr will be packed & not all the students will have gone home so there's the potential for some mini-Zoo madness.......

Well WOB, every Scarfie I personally know is sitting in my house in Brissy, so I know he won't be there.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^^^ So plenty of 2 minute noodles in the pantry & a box of Speight's in the fridge, eh? I'm home alone (wifey in NZ for her dad's 70th & currently "on it" with her fav aunties; nephew, niece the elder & her hubby gone to GC to catch up with niece the younger) so I'm planning on watching Clan v Tribe, first 20ish overs of NZ v Poms ODI & catching some sleep ahead of NZ v SA. That's the plan, anyhow................

 

[Dan54]

Lol no 2 minute noodles, but he already cost me a fortune in food after one day, he making sure he eats well before returning to scarfie food. And he seems pretty happy drinking whatever beer I got in fridge (James Squire 150 lashes).
My plans are similar to yours, though I not sure about cricket as yet.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^ ODI could be a problem as I'm likely to watch until first drinks break then go into "two more overs in case we get a wicket/ player x gets his 50" mode & nek minnit it's midnight, the fridge is empty & when the alarm goes off at 0400 I just can't be arsed........ back in the day it wouldn't have been an issue but these days I've gotta at least try to stick to the plan