McAlister back for Blues
1 Apr 2010
Keo.co.za brings you the latest Super 14 news from New Zealand.
McAlister back for Blues
Luke McAlister is set to make his first Super Rugby appearance for the Blues off the bench this year.
The All Blacks utility back was supposed to return a fortnight ago after recovering from a calf injury, but a head collision during training saw him suffer a broken nose which kept him out for another two weeks.
Head coach Pat Lam has decided to bring McAlister onto the bench after he performed well for the Blues development side last weekend.
Lam also made another enforced change as loosehead prop Charlie Faumuina fills in for the injured Tony Woodcock (neck).
Blues – 15 Isaia Toeava, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Rene Ranger, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Viliami Ma’afu, 7 Serge Lilo, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Anthony Boric, 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu (c), 1 Charlie Faumuina.
Subs: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Filo Paulo, 19 Peter Saili, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Luke McAlister, 22 Paul Williams.
Donald makes way for Delany
Mike Delany will start at pivot when the Chiefs face the Highlanders in Mt Maunganui on Saturday.
There was much talk after the All Blacks’ end-of-year tour last season about a Delany/Stephen Donald flyhalf and inside centre combination. But Delany has only started at fullback this season in the absence of skipper Mils Muliaina and made late appearances as a substitute.
Delany will finally receive his chance in the No 10 jersey this weekend as Donald moves to inside centre and Jackson Willison dropped to the bench. Callum Bruce fails to make the match 22.
Head coach Ian Foster has also made four other changes. Wing Dwayne Sweeney, flank Luke Braid, hooker Hika Elliot and tighthead prop Ben Afeaki come in for the injured Sitiveni Sivivatu (shoulder), Tanerau Latimer (knee), Aled de Malmanche (broken thumb) and Nathan White (back) respectively.
Chiefs – 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Stephen Donald, 11 Dwayne Sweeney, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Culum Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Sona Taumalolo. Subs: 16 Vern Kamo, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Jarrad Hoeata, 19 Colin Bourke, 20 Junior Poluleuligaga, 21 Jackson Willison, 22 Tim Nanai-Williams.
This thread will be updated throughout the course of the day.
11 Comments
1 Apr 2010, 07:43 am
with mauger out he needs to come to the party
1 Apr 2010, 08:23 am
Stephen Donald….not Stephen McDonald…
1 Apr 2010, 08:52 am
Mate, it’s Mike Delany NOT Mike Denaly as written is this article. Ha
1 Apr 2010, 08:55 am
@WP_:
Hehehe. Would be even cooler if he was called Mike Denali, as in the mountain in Alaska…
1 Apr 2010, 10:20 am
backline is not the problem, the engine room is in definite need of fine tuning…
1 Apr 2010, 10:33 am
It doesnt matter who comes IN at the Blues, theyll still be playing BS high-risk footy that comes off 1 in every 5 or 6 matches (and, hopefully, against the Bulls).
What matters is who goes OUT at the Blues.
1. Pat Lam – OUT ! youre an idiot. You subbed your best player last week for your worst with the game in the bag. Your over-reliance on Polynesian talent has turned NZs strongest province in to a Bro-town closed shop who play like theyre untouchable even when they play like girls. Average player, hopeless AB, worse coach. Not 1 fan I spoke to in 3 weeks in NZ thought this guy was up to it – he’s NOT.
2. Taniela Moa – OUT ! youre unfit, poorly-conditioned, under-skilled piece of ****. Youve had 3 seasons to show a modicum of talent for this level. You havent got it, surely Ponsonby have better HBs than this, even your old school at De La Salle must have better talent, surely.
3. Serge Lilo – OUT ! since when does a player END-UP at the Blues after being turfed from 2-3 other Super teams; its usually the other way around. Kiwi openside flankers simply DONT miss 1-on-1 tackles – Ive seen you miss too many, enough already.
4. Kurtis Haiu – OUT ! youre big, youre not even mean and youre most definitely ugly. But youre a LOCK ! No, not a fringey roving flanker, not a skillful oversized centre and youre not even fast enough to play blindisde. I see you far too much outside of the engineroom, youre a classic eg of what is going wrong at the Blues.
5. John Afoa – OUT ! frankly, Ive never understood your selection. Youve been treated with favouritism since you were 19yrs old, youve had the best coaching NZ can offer. But you cant scrum. Youre only positive attribute is that youre ‘quite quick for a prop’ – we dont need quick props, we need grunty forwards who never see the light of day from a bottom of a ruck. Bring in some tough gnarly old bast@rd from Waitemata or Carlton-Grammar instead, teach the kids a lesson.
1 Apr 2010, 10:37 am
@Black Panther: 6 BP
Can you please cut n paste your comment 5 and send it to PDV,PLUMTREE and all the little back slapping,candy floss for brains, dumb wits like Rangerman, Ratel Brussow, Big Hit and others while you are mid rant please.
Thanks
G10
1 Apr 2010, 10:43 am
@Black Panther: you can rant and rave for all i care mate but all i need from the blues this weekend is a victory over the animals from pretoria.
1 Apr 2010, 10:43 am
@grant10:
G10
those guys are all a lost cause. In fact, I think youre being rather kind. I do suspect there is a real footy fan somewhere deep in Ratel tho, just a bit too desperate to sound like the Oracle, thats all, a watered-down version of KKK.
As you know, no matter how many rules changes and tweaks they force on us, every single match starts and finishes with the players marked 1-5.
1 Apr 2010, 10:47 am
@lord kitchener:
Actually, every Kiwi Ive spoken to recently in UK (so, perhaps a bit more objective) has been enjoying watching the Bulls play REAL rugby. Doesnt mean we need to like em tho !
1 Apr 2010, 10:55 am
@grant10: G10 Like Brok Harris etc, more grunty than JS I guess
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.