NZ latest – Blues bench AB stars
2 Mar 2011
Keo.co.za brings you news from New Zealand’s rugby franchises.
Blues bench AB stars – Blues coach Pat Lam has made six changes to the side that lost to the Sharks last week.
Luke McAlister will start at flyhalf against the Lions, while captain Keven Mealamu sits on the bench. Tom McCartney replaces Mealamu at hooker while Jerome Kaino will lead the team.
Luke Braid replaces brother Daniel at flank and Kurtis Haiu is in for Anthony Boric at lock. Sherwin Stowers gets a start on the wing and Peter Saili is handed an opportunity at No 8.
Blues – 15 Isaia Toeava, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Sherwin Stowers, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino (c), 5 Ali Williams, 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 John Afoa, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Toby Morland, 21 Stephen Brett, 22 Rene Ranger.
SBW debuts for Crusaders – Sonny Bill Williams will start at No 12 when the Crusaders play the Waratahs this Friday.
Williams has recovered from a foot injury and will replace Adam Whitelock, who moves to wing. The only other changes are to the reserves, with Quenton MacDonald and Tom Marshall joining the bench.
Crusaders – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Adam Whitelock, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett .
Subs: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Chris Jack, 19 Jonathan Poff, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 Tom Marshall.
26 Comments
2 Mar 2011, 07:59 am
Looks like Blues have picked a ‘B’ team to play Lions. Arrogant? Might backfire on them.
2 Mar 2011, 08:00 am
go lions
2 Mar 2011, 08:43 am
Still a good Blues team.
Will be really interesting to see how the new Lions team/approach compete with a Kiwi running side – looking forward to it!
2 Mar 2011, 08:47 am
SBW….
2 Mar 2011, 09:05 am
think the blues are keeping the bench strong so that they have experienced, fresh legs in the second half to combat the altitude. could be a smart move but as a lions supporter I realy do believe we will beat the blues this weekend.
2 Mar 2011, 09:36 am
@saimone(saimone)-1: missunderestimating the Lions is not going to work out well for Pat Lam, not well at all.
2 Mar 2011, 09:59 am
why did that Shark commentator keep calling Joe Roko a Fijian? what a twat he was trying to be …
2 Mar 2011, 11:17 am
He is Fijian. Just like how Dan Vickerman is South African.
2 Mar 2011, 11:44 am
Sunni Bill will be making his Super Rugby Debut.
Stage 1: NPC. ………… tick, a success story.
Stage 2: EOYT …………… tick. as above.
Stage 3: Super 15……………….We shall see.
Stage 4: Tri-Nations…………..The real acid test.
Stage 5………………………..GLORY.
2 Mar 2011, 11:48 am
Rokococo came to NZ as a 5 year old, was schooled in NZ and learnt all his rugby in NZ. He’s as Fijian as what Andrew Mehrtens is a yarpie or what Corne Krige or George Gregan are Zambian.
2 Mar 2011, 12:54 pm
@cane(cane)-9: stage 5 only comes around once every 4 years and I fear that it may end in choke …
2 Mar 2011, 14:21 pm
@MTN RedLion Roars…(RL)-11: you know the sound well though, for its the same sound janjties makes whenever he kicks for goal…
0-2 could easily have been 2-0 if he hadnt choked
2 Mar 2011, 14:24 pm
@MTN RedLion Roars…(RL)-6: “missunderestimating ”
Heck of a work that. What does it mean, I am lost in double negatives
2 Mar 2011, 14:28 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-12: Janjties record of missed opportunities and underperformance sit on the same graph as the rest of SARU and the ANC. He is just towing the party line.
‘No one do anything too good, you’ll make us look bad’
2 Mar 2011, 14:33 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-14: the lions should get back Herkie Kruger and you and the DA will be happy
2 Mar 2011, 14:38 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-15: LOL don’t get me onto Herkie, where is he, playing vodacom cup in where?
Remember his 2 year ban for banned stimulants, where the Sharks looked after him, paid him a salary to ‘coach’ or something and then as his ban ended he jumped ship. Little shytzer… what goes around comes around I guess.
But shame, he was the next best thing wasn’t he.
2 Mar 2011, 15:05 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-13: it is a bushism – made famous by George dubya himself.
2 Mar 2011, 15:11 pm
another famous bushism – “I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.”
how wrong he is – I will never coexist peacefully with those smelly fish from Dirtbin – NEVER
2 Mar 2011, 15:34 pm
@MTN RedLion Roars…(RL)-18: Sharks aren’t fish but puddy tats are lunch LOL
2 Mar 2011, 15:56 pm
@MTN RedLion Roars…(RL)-18: How dare you say dirtbin.
I mean Municipal Mike may have put the mis into management but hey, we can drink our water. We don’t have smelly mine water bubbling up through our Koi Ponds infecting us with the stench of mine worker.
No! We have KFC wrappers, chicken bones and cider bottles instead!
Who needs bins when you have Dirtbin
2 Mar 2011, 21:59 pm
I first thought this might be a arrogant move by the Blues, but then realized the Lions are really super fit and are used to the high altitude, so maybe Blues are going to bring in the more experienced subs in the second half, sneakyyyyyyyyyyy move, Super Bru is really hard this week.
2 Mar 2011, 23:11 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-10:
Except that Mertens cannot speak Afrikaan and does not go to SA every off season. Rokocoko still speaks fijian better than english, and still goes back to his village every chance he gets. Cuturally and behaviourally, Roks is more fijian than kiwi. And thats great that he keeps in touch with his roots.
3 Mar 2011, 00:16 am
@saimone(saimone)-22: You are a racist, typical Japie, judging people on how they look rather than who they choose to be. Why dont you ask Joe? You have no grasp of the multi cultural nature of New Zealand, Auckland is has more islanders living here than in the islands, and 4th and 5th generations at that. We are not a bi-coloured nation, this country has been made up of various waves of migration, from Maori, European, Pacific island and now Asian/Indian. 250.000 Asians now call Auckland home. There children are brought up here. Indian’s who go to the cricket all support the NZ Cricket team (who suck). Read up on James Bellich’s NZ history lesson before you start reciting the typical old Japie slant that Islanders are not kiwis.
Also, the reason why we have so many cultures here is because NZ is such a great place (though a bit shakey at times), not a 3rd world country where no one wants to migrate too.
3 Mar 2011, 01:12 am
@NZMaori(NZMaori)-23:
Far out NZ, get off your high horse before you fall off and break something! When you feel like preaching about racism it may be a good idea not to start your sentence with “you are a racist, typical Japie, judging people….”
I do think the chip on your shoulder is unbalancing you ever so slightly, rather than jump in, feet first with name calling and generalisations across the board, why not debate with saimone as to why a person who obviously tries very hard to make sure he does not forget his own heritage will be offended being called a Fijian?
3 Mar 2011, 06:17 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-24: Yeah ok fair call, i was a bit out of line, I apologise for any offence, I am sick and tired of people questioning our players. Its a multi cutural world we live in and people can play who forever they choose (ie English cricket team). Joe is Fijian and Kiwi, he’d be the first to admitt that, but you dont hear it straight from him personally what preference he is, you shouldnt judge him on blogs like this. (which are full of nutters like me)
3 Mar 2011, 06:31 am
@NZMaori(NZMaori)-25:
No problem, all is cool…
Agree with your sentiment as to where people ply their trade, long gone are the days where you do it out of loyalty…will just take some people a very long time to accept it, just let them be for a while longer.
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