So’oialo back for Canes

So’oialo back for Canes

25 Feb 2010

Keo.co.za brings you the latest news from New Zealand.

So’oialo back for Canes

Rodney So’oialo will make his first appearance of the year against the Lions in Wellington on Saturday.

So’oialo missed the first two weeks of the season to focus on his conditioning. He now returns in the starting line-up, but hooker Andrew Hore retains the captaincy.

Lock Jason Eaton returns also returns to action after being dropped last week because of disciplinary reasons.

In the other change, Karl Lowe is promoted ahead of Scott Waldrom in the No 7 jersey.

Hurricanes – 15 Cory Jane, 14 Tamati Ellison, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 David Smith, 10 Willie Ripia, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So’oialo, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Michael Paterson, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore (c), 1 John Schwalger.
Subs: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18, Nick Crosswell, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Tyson Keats, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Andre Taylor.

Masaga in, Sivivatu out

Leila Masaga will start for the Chiefs in their match against the Western Force on Saturday.

The Chiefs suffered a huge blow when Sitiveni Sivivatu was ruled out for their trip to Perth after the encounter with the Lions last weekend. But they received good news as Masaga was declared fit after a lengthy break from action because of a shoulder operation last year.

Brendon Leonard also comes in for Samoan No 9 Junior Poluleuligaga, who finds a place on the bench.

Amongst the forwards, lock Romana Graham makes his Super 14 debut while hooker Hika Elliot starts ahead of Aled de Malmanche.

Liam Messam captains the side in place of the suspended Sione Lauaki.

Chiefs – 15 Mike Delany, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Callum Bruce, 11 Dwayne Sweeney, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Colin Bourke, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam (c), 5 Culum Retallick, 4 Romana Graham, 3 Nathan White, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Sona Taumalolo
Reserves: 16. Aled de Malmanche, 17. Ben Afeaki, 18. Jarrad Hoeata, 19. Luke Braid , 20. Junior Poluleuligaga, 21. Jackson Willison, 22. Tim Nanai-Williams.

Woodcock benched

Tony Woodcock will be amongst the Blues’ reserves in their game against the Reds on Saturday.

Head coach Pat Lams makes three changes and one positional change as the Blues travel to Brisbane.

Tighthead Charlie Faumuina replaces Woodcock in the front row, which sees John Afoa moved to loosehead.

Rene Ranger starts at centre in the place of the injured Isaia Toeava (hip), while eighthman Peter Saili is preferred ahead of Viliama Ma’afu, who is dropped to the wood.

Blues – 15 Paul Williams, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Rene Ranger, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Serge Lilo, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Anthony Boric, 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu (c), 1 John Afoa.
Subs: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tony Woodcock, 18 Filo Paulo, 19 Viliama Ma’afu, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Daniel Kirkpatrick, 22 Lachie Munro.

Landers change three

Glenn Moore has made three changes to the Highlanders’ match 22 for their game against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Flank John Hardie earns his first start in Super Rugby as he is promoted with No 8 Steven Setephano injured. All Blacks flank Adam Thompson moves to the back of the scrum.

Fetu’u Vainikolo also gets his first start ahead of James Paterson on the wing.

With Jayden Hayward injured, Kendrick Lynn slots in at outside centre as Jason Shoemark moves to inside centre.

Highlanders – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith 13 Kendrick Lynn, 12 Jason Shoemark, 11 Fetu’u Vainikolo, 10 Michael Hobbs, 9 Jimmy Cowan (c); 8 Adam Thomson, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 John Hardie, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Subs: 16 Jason MacDonald, 17 Chris King, 18 Hayden Triggs, 19 Tim Boys, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 James Paterson.

This thread will be updated throughout the course of the day…


33 Comments

  • 1.Staal: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 07:17 am

    Overrated dirty Dragon this, imo.

  • 2.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 07:25 am

    @Staal: over rated and dirty? how many times has he been suspended? how many citings does he have? wouldnt even be close to someone who is known to be dirty, ala Bakkies..

  • 3.Rum And Maple: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 07:31 am

    Here we go again…

  • 4.Rum And Maple: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 07:32 am

    And moving swiftly along…

  • 5.Staal: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 07:33 am

    @poppa69: ya – must say regarding the sitings you are correct,

    i have just been watching this man for a few years now and he is not my favourite player.

    he plays the man most of the times but as you say – his record is clean and Bakkies’s not.

    regarding overrated, ya i am afraid imo he is, so is Luaki (spelling), the AB’s i know always had a tremendous 8th man in history and imo this guy is very very average…

    don’t want to be negative…

  • 6.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 07:41 am

    @Staal: I agree he is nowhere near the player he was, and he does play the man of the ball…though he was part of a very balanced loose trio at one stage.

    Im 1000% behind you about Luaki, have always thought that about him myself, too inconsistent.. I remember a game against the aussies where every time he got the ball an error followed…how he ever got to be an AB I’ll never know..

    and to Bakkies credit, he has cleaned his game up considerably, unfortunately the start of his career has ensured he will always have that label … which is a shame because he is a fantastic player when he concentrates on the game…

  • 7.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 09:02 am

    @Staal: @poppa69:

    Have to disagree with u there Staal.Rodney So’oialo at his peak 2/3 yrs ago was hands down the best 8 in world rugby.Mixes physicality at the best down(makes up for Williams lack of bulk at breakdown points) and has excellent feet for such a big man.Has one hell of a ticker/engine as well.

    Sure he is not in the league of Zinzan,Buck(maybe Cribb) etc but eighthman play has been below par for a number of yrs now.So’oialo was the most consistent and most effective 8 in test rugby.Formed a great axis with Collins and McCaw.

    In the past 5 yrs(body of work-test level,superrugby etc) who has been the best 8???Here are the contenders:

    Rodney So’oialo
    Joe van Niekerk
    Imanol Harinodiquoy
    Wycliff Palu
    Pierre Spies
    Ryan Jones
    Nick Easter
    Sergio Parisse

    Please make the assessment on result/standards on the paddock and not on perceived talent as most do when it comes to the 8 position(ex: van Niekerk,Spies etc)

    He is no Zinzan,but quite frankly..who is??

  • 8.grant10: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 09:06 am

    @mshiniwami: Luke watson?

  • 9.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 09:13 am

    @grant10:

    In as much as I thought Watson played some great rugby in last few years-he doesnt fall into best 8 category for me.Not without playing a decent amount of internationals/Tests.

    Plus his best yr was by far 2006,when he played the role I feel he was best suited to,OPENSIDE FLANK.He was outstanding that yr.One of top 3 best players in competition.But wasnt at 8.

    Played some decent rugby at 8 though in last 2 yrs or so.

  • 10.grant10: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 09:14 am

    @mshiniwami: 9

    agree re 2006….luke was simply ureal….but still snubbed by Jake…still rankles with me….

  • 11.Fat_Cat: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 09:19 am

    luke is like cancer & HIV … Jake White’s Boks were happy … the players told jake that if he’s going to pick luke, then they will quit bok rugby. Confirmed in JS’ book.

    Maybe he played good rugby, but you can’t pick a player that will cause k@k in the team

  • 12.grant10: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 09:22 am

    @Fat_Cat: 11

    i would love the Man United players try and tell Alex Ferguson what to do…shows you how amateur and weak the Management were if thats the case.

  • 13.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 09:34 am

    @Fat_Cat:

    Happy enough team in 2006 to get a 49-0 pasting by Wallabies,draft in a rookie 8 in Spies who was terrible bar Rustenburg game vs NZ,lose by 50 to AB’s in Saouth Africa and win on one Test by 6 points,Drop Vic Matfield for disciplinary reasons,played a multitude of different combinations in loosies with little success etc

    BY ALL ACCOUNTS 2006 WAS AN ABYSMAL YR FOR BOK RUGBY

    Happy team that…And by the way the team belongs to South Africa,not only the players nor Jake White.

    Luke was the best player in 2006 Super 14 for any SA franchise.Should have been picked.Finish and Klaar

    Whatever JS says still feel he was a coward for not facing up to the situation surrounding Luke Watson in 07/08′ and making team speeches that were directed at a member of the group without being man enough to face him is discuss issues as the leader of the Bok team.Played laager mentality.

    Smit is a great leader but that was petulant and cowardice.Thought he was a bigger man than that.At least thats what we are presented with by media

  • 14.Fat_Cat: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 09:47 am

    what luke said about the Bok emblem & afrikaans people just shows me what kind of a guy Luke is …. He is a d00s, I remember seeing him 5 of so years ago at a well know pub in PE, with a beer in his hand shouting “I’m luke watson, I’m luke watson, come try and moer me” .. I don’t blame players for hating him. They probably respect him as a player, but as a person, i’m sure that 90% of the players thinks he is a big d00s. You can’t have a guy like that in your team.

  • 15.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 11:18 am

    @Fat_Cat:

    Hey Fatty,
    Luke was voted the WP Players Choice last year.(or some such thing).

    So it would seem “90% think he is doos” maybe an exaggeration.

  • 16.grant10: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 11:22 am

    fat cat is the doos.

  • 17.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 11:24 am

    I saw Rodders yesterday. Off for a game of golf I think. He looked in great nick.

    He had a chair in one hand, and a whip in the other. Said he had some animals to train at the Cake Tin on Saturday.

  • 18.Oubaas2009: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 11:29 am

    @Fat_Cat: Maybe that’s why he stopped drinking. Or it must have been a coke in his hand.

    Never seen him have a drink.

  • 19.Kobus Kitty: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 11:51 am

    So’oialo has an attitude problem. Who remembers him trying to pull Habana’s head off in the All Blacks defeat to the Barbarians last year?

    Agree with most, not just an average player, but actually quite useless.

  • 20.cane: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 12:09 pm

    Rodney has played 62 Test matches for NZ.
    And the AB’s won 85.5% of those Tests.

    Not bad for someone who is “quite useless”.

    He also won a 7′s Gold Medal at the Manchester Commonwealth games.

    Not bad for someone who is “quite useless”.

    Rodders also has a 7′s World Cup Medal.

    Not bad for someone who is “quite useless”.

    He has Captained Wellington, the Hurricanes and the All Blacks.

    Not bad for someone who is “quite useless”.

    He has……………….

  • 21.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 13:43 pm

    @mshiniwami: Parisse has consistently been the best, maybe even the best player in the world for the past 3 years but he’ll never get the credit.

  • 22.Kobus Kitty: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 13:53 pm

    @cane:

    Woah, are you serious? a 7′s gold medal AND a 7′s World Cup medal? Did he also win a rugby world cup winners medal? HAH!

    So’oialo falls off tackles like there’s no tomorrow, he isn’t strong – he fails to make the advantage line almost all the time, he’s slow, his handling is poor and he’s lazy. On top of all that he has a bad attitude, a chip on his shoulder as if the world owes him him something.

  • 23.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 16:38 pm

    I think we all know WHO has a chip on their shoulder and the bad attitude Kobus kitoto kitty (kkk)…

    funny how you deride 7s now, yet when the bok won the 7s series you used it like it was some holy grail at every opportunity…

    have you won a world cup winners medal, didnt think so…hah!

  • 24.Cheetah Champs: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 16:53 pm

    Hmm, the three best no 8′s in world rugby at the moment.

    IMHO:

    1. Spies (faster, stronger, more accute knowledge of the game)
    2. Heaslip (most improved player. Strong, good behind a k@k scrum)
    3. Parisse (A natural, in a very k@k team)

    South Africa are spoilt, in that we have players like Koster coming through who will continue carrying the torch.

  • 25.WP_: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 17:04 pm

    I even think that players like Kaino, Adam Thomson and Messam are starting to overtake Rodney. Youngsters like Vito will get there soon too

  • 26.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 18:34 pm

    cheetahchamps

    Spies may be big&strong and faster than the rest of the athletes playing at 8… But the notion he has more acute rugby knowledge is stretching it a bit bud..Spies is a former wing and fabulous athlete but still figuring out the intricacies of loose fwd play.his hands are suspect,still struggles in tackle accuracy,physicality,yet to figure out short cuts to rucks/breakdowns etc,still not as good as he should at thus stage of career as a runner of the shoulder of ball carrier and offloading etc

    Playing more complete than last 2yrs but not sure about claim of superior rugby acumen.would give that to big Joe/Parisse.

  • 27.grant10: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 20:46 pm

    luke a better 8 man than Spies

  • 28.SodaJoe: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 22:43 pm

    @grant10: No way.

  • 29.charo: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 22:56 pm

    @grant10: g10

    never new you as a troll?

  • 30.charo: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 22:56 pm

    @charo:

    type too fast – new = knew

  • 31.Kobus Kitty: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 23:05 pm

    @poppa69:

    I love it how you call me KKK. Want me to post your racial comment again, you know the one you made after the Springboks had their way with the All Blacks in Durban?

  • 32.WP_: Reply to this comment
    25 Feb 2010, 23:09 pm

    27 grant10

    Not in the game of rugby football he isnt.

    Otherwise I’m not sure what you’re on about.

  • 33.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    26 Feb 2010, 05:46 am

    @Kobus Kitty: again with that KKK, please do post it… let the world see how youve labelled me a rascist for a comment that may not have been accurate, but is in no way rascist..

    or do you deny that apartheid ever happened?

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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