INVESTEC SUPER RUGBY OFFICIAL MATCH PROGRAMME | FRIDAY 2 MARCH 2018
BLUES VS CHIEFS
JHB 62068/OJ
The Goose Step instead of a pass
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Welcome Investec Super Rugby | Top 15 It’s time for another round of top quality rugby as we look forward to the 2018 season of Investec Super Rugby. The Crusaders will be defending their title of champions against some of the fiercest competition in the code. For the eighth consecutive year, Investec is the title sponsor of all games played in New Zealand. As enablers of international rugby, we are thrilled to continue our association with this prestigious competition. We look forward to the contests among the best of the southern hemisphere’s clubs, and wish all players and supporters well. Regards Malcolm Fried
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Eklund & co LEAD THE WAY AT THE
Global Tens
Many of the younger, less well-known, names stood tall for the Blues when they won the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens recently.
Kurt Eklund was among them. To be fair, the Auckland hooker is 26 and has 32 provincial games under his belt. But he is outside the contracted group, though you would not have known it by his all-action play in the two-day event, which was rewarded with two tries. In 2017 he had been at the event as a spectator, overheating on the sideline. This time he was bringing his usual full-energy play. Eklund was called up after injuries to the three contracted hookers, but took his chance with two hands.
“I wasn’t expecting to go away, but to do that and playing with the quality of players we have, and in front of a decent crowd and good atmosphere, the boys were up for it,” he says. “The young boys played a big part with their excitement and keenness. But everything just seemed to click, even from the time we left the airport in Auckland. We’re all good mates off the field and gelled well.
Continues page 7 »
BLUES VS CHIEFS | 2 MARCH 20 18 5
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» Continued from page 5
It was not Eklund’s first taste at 10s, having played invitational tournaments in the Philippines and Hong Kong. “It’s just fun. If there was a paid 10s league, I’d jump on it. It’s a bit more contact than sevens, more structure, but with the freedom to chuck the ball around. For someone like me, who is a smaller front-rower but can get around alright, it’s ideal.” Eklund has left the Blues squad now, but will be a candidate for the Blues A and will turn out for his beloved University club. In the meantime, he is taking up the hammer again in his job as a builder. His boss is very flexible, so he is not flogging himself too hard outside training hours. Eklund was just one of several new Blues faces who made a strong impression at the 10s. Caleb Clarke, of course, was adjudged player
"There is crossover from 10s to 15s in areas such as character, work ethic and skill, and these guys have those qualities." Tony Hanks / Blues HP Manager of the tournament, while Dalton Papalii, Jordan Olsen, Marcel Renata and Tumua Manu all did well, along with Hoskins Sotutu and Tanielu Telea. “We were rapt,” says Blues high performance manager Tony Hanks. “It was a great opportunity to get the likes of Hoskins and Tanielu out there playing with the big boys. We want them, when they get the opportunity, to go in and compete and have the confidence to compete. “Kurt was outstanding for us. We had three contracted hookers out, so we had Kurt, Ross Wright, Adrian Smith and Jordan Olsen in, and now we’re in a position where we’d be confident any of them could come in and perform well for us.”
Eklund also got to play in the first pre-season game, against the Chiefs in Te Kuiti. “Kurt has shown real resilience and stuck with it. He was outstanding for Auckland last year and has worked hard to get himself physically right,” says Hanks. He is cognisant of how 10s can be a very useful development tool. The Blues won the World Club Tens in Singapore back in 2014, a side which included the likes of Melani Nanai. “You can never take away the fact that Kurt Eklund and Jordan Olsen were part of a championship-winning Blues team. There is crossover from 10s to 15s in areas such as character, work ethic and skill, and these guys have those qualities.”
BLUES VS CHIEFS | 2 MARCH 20 18 7
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MEET THE TEAM:
DR JAMES McGARVEY Meet James McGarvey. He’s the new Blues’ medicine man, stepping into the shoes of the seasoned Stephen Kara, who had 10 years as the club’s doctor. McGarvey is not new to rugby. Far from it. He started back in 2003 as team doctor for (Auckland) Marist, moving to Ponsonby, then to Counties Manukau, Auckland and Canterbury. He had an association with the New Zealand Under 20s and then the Chiefs, when they won the 2012-13 Super Rugby titles, and was doctor for the All Blacks Sevens for several seasons up until the Rio Olympics in 2016. McGarvey says the medical IP around the Blues is top quality, and he has leaned on those who have been there before and know the ropes, as it were. “Stephen’s got a wealth of knowledge with this team, so I’ve been in contact with him a lot leading into this season, just trying to make the transition as seamless as possible”. “We’re also fortunate that, four years ago the Blues invested in world class integrated sports management software that provides a single view of medical, fitness and training”.
Being a sports doctor at a Super Rugby club is bit more involved than just keeping an eye on injuries and making sure the hydration levels are high. The need for communication with all the coaching and medical staff is paramount, especially around the health of players. “At club level, it might be one coach, one physio, one doctor, and so that communication might be easier. But we have five coaches, two physios, three S&C coaches. It’s really easy, if the communication isn’t good, for there to be mixed messages around players in terms of their welfare. It needs to be constant and consistent,” he says. In the meantime, McGarvey will be monitoring the players’ sleeping patterns and watching the collisions closely for any signs of injury or concussion. Such is the life of a sports physician.
BLUES VS CHIEFS | 2 MARCH 20 18 9
*than the average carb content of leading NZ beer.
NEW
PLAYER STATS Pauliasi Manu James Parsons
1.84 M | 115 KG | 30 YR | 17 CAPS
1.85 M | 106 KG | 31 YR | 80 (78 SR) CAPS
Ofa Tuungafasi
Patrick Tuipulotu
1.95 M | 129 KG | 25 YR | 58 (57 SR) CAPS
1.98 M | 120 KG | 25 YR | 44 CAPS
Scott Scrafton
Jimmy Tupou
2.00 M | 114 KG | 24 YR | 13 CAPS
1.96 M | 109 KG | 25 YR | 17 CAPS
Murphy Taramai
Akira Ioane
1.87 M | 98 KG | 25 YR | 9 CAPS
1.94 M | 113 KG | 23 YR | 34 CAPS
Augustine Pulu
Bryn Gatland
1.89 M | 90 KG | 28 YR | 15 CAPS
1.78 M | 90 KG | 22 YR | 5 CAPS
Rieko Ioane
TJ Faiane
1.88 M | 103 KG | 20 YR | 21 CAPS
1.75 M | 92 KG | 22 YR | 8 CAPS
George Moala
Matt Duffie
1.88 M | 99 KG | 27 YR | 70 (68 SR) CAPS
1.92 M | 92 KG | 27 YR | 22 CAPS
Melani Nanai
Leni Apisai
1.94 M | 90 KG | 24 YR |39 CAPS
1.82 M | 108 KG | 21 YR | 1 CAP
Alex Hodgman
Mike Tamoaieta
1.96 M | 122 KG | 24 YR | 6 CAPS
1.76 M | 118 KG | 22 YR | 1 CAP
Gerard Cowley-Tuioti
Jerome Kaino
1.96 M | 110 KG | 25 YR | 18 CAPS
1.96 M | 109 KG | 34 YR | 127 CAPS
Sam Nock
Daniel Kirkpatrick
1.78 M | 85 KG | 21 YR | 8 CAPS
1.82 M | 85 KG | 29 YR | 8 CAPS
Michael Collins 1.87 M | 94 KG | 24 YR | 14 CAPS
BLUES VS CHIEFS | 26 MAY 20 17 1 1
COACH
BLUE CHie
ASSISTANT COACHES
Tana Umaga
Alistair Rogers Steve Jackson Dave Ellis
MANAGER Richard Fry
15
Melani Nanai
14
Matt Duffie
13 12
TJ Faiane
11
Rieko Ioane
10
Bryn Gatland
9
Augustine Pulu
8
Akira Ioane
7
Murphy Taramai
6 RESERVES 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
7.35pm FRIDAY EDEN
George Moala
Leni Apisai Alex Hodgman Mike Tamoaieta Gerard Cowley-Tuioti Jerome Kaino Sam Nock Daniel Kirkpatrick Michael Collins
Jimmy Tupou
5
Scott Scrafton
4
Patrick Tuipulotu
3
Ofa Tuungafasi
2
James Parsons
1
Pauliasi Manu
REFE
Ben O’
ASSISTANT
Brendan Angus
TM
Ben S
ES VS efs
ASSISTANT COACHES Andrew Strawbridge Neil Barnes Tabai Matson Carl Hoeft
’Keeffe
T REFEREES
n Pickerill Mabey
MO
Skeen
MANAGER Nikita Hall
15
Shaun Stevenson
14
Sean Wainui
2 MARCH 2018 PARK
EREE
COACH Colin Cooper
13
Anton Lienert-Brown
12
Johnny Faauli
11
Solomon Alaimalo
10
Damian McKenzie
9
Brad Weber
8
Taleni Seu
7
Sam Cane
6
Liam Messam
Liam Polwart Karl Tu'inukuafe Angus Ta'avao * Mitchell Brown Lachlan Boshier Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi Tiaan Falcon ** Bailyn Sullivan
4
Brodie Retallick
3
Nepo Laulala
2
Nathan Harris Aidan Ross
RESERVES
5
Michael Allardice
1
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Luke Jacobson / **Declan O'Donnell
*
PLAYER STATS Aidan Ross 1.89 M | 111 KG | 26 YR | 5 CAPS
Nathan Harris
Nepo Laulala
1.86 M | 110 KG | 24 YR | 46 CAPS
1.84M | 116 KG | 25 YR | 47 CAPS
Brodie Retallick
Michael Allardice
2.04 M | 120 KG | 24 YR | 85 CAPS
2.00 M | 112 KG | 26 YR | 20 CAPS
Liam Messam
Sam Cane
1.90 M | 109 KG | 32 YR | 161 CAPS
1.89 M | 106 KG | 25 YR | 95 CAPS
Taleni Seu
Brad Weber
12.02 M | 109 KG | 24 YR | 28 CAPS
1.72 M | 75 KG | 27 YR | 41 CAPS
Damian McKenzie
Solomon Alaimalo
1.75 M | 80 KG | 22 YR | 50 CAPS
1.96 M | 99 KG | 22 YR | 8 CAPS
Johnny Faauli
Anton Lienert-Brown
1.80 M | 103 KG | 22 YR | 5 CAPS
1.85 M | 94 KG | 22 YR | 39 CAPS
Sean Wainui
Shaun Stevenson
1.91 M | 102 KG | 22 YR | 1 CAP
1.90 M | 90 KG | 21 YR | 23 CAPS
Liam Polwart
Karl Tu’inukuafe
1.85 M | 107 KG | 22 YR
25 YR
Angus Ta’avao
Mitchell Brown
1.94 M | 125 KG | 27 YR | 1 CAP
1.94 M | 110 KG | 24 YR | 16 CAPS
Lachlan Boshier
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
1.91 M | 104 KG | 23 YR | 17 CAPS
1.74 M | 85 KG | 22 YR | 10 CAPS
Tiaan Falcon
Bailyn Sullivan
1.81 M | 90 KG | 20 YR
1.87 M | 93 KG | 19 YR
1 4 BLUES VS CHIEFS | 2 MARCH 20 18
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GRAB A PACK AT YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET
Q&A Who do you flat with in Auckland? All the Northland Taniwha boys, Sam Nock, Kara Pryor, Matt Moulds and Tamati Tua. It’s in Greenlane, which is nice and handy. What’s your favourite place in Auckland? Probably Barilla Dumpling on Dominion Road. That’s the best thing about Auckland, just the variety of food, so I get into the Asian stuff. What’s your earliest rugby memory? When we were about four years old, Mum dragging Jack and I down to play club rugby in Kawakawa. I was just crying my eyes out because we didn’t want to play and didn’t know anyone. Speaking of Jack, your twin, how often do you text or call him? Once or twice a week, usually just a Snapchat to see how he’s going. Does that include any week in which you might be playing against each other? That’s only happened once so far. But it’s usually just random stuff. Tell us something not many people would know about you. After high school, I went and did bar-tending for a year (2014),
JOSH GOODHUE LOCK | 1.99m | 115kg | 22yo
Schooled at MAGS and now playing his provincial rugby in his native Northland, Josh Goodhue adds to the solid depth in the Blues’ second row for his second season of Super Rugby.
so I wasn’t taking rugby too seriously. I was at home, working out of Paihia. I was still training, but took a year off after an intense time at First XV. Career highlight thus far? That NZ Barbarians game against the (British and Irish) Lions in 2017. They packed the stadium in Whangarei. It was a dream come true for a Northland boy. There were a few jealous Taniwha boys. Who’s the team joker in the Blues? Kara Pryor is up there. He loves to have a laugh. Sometimes he does it a bit too much. What’s it going to take for the Blues to make the playoffs this year? We’ve got complete buy-in to our game plan. We just need to listen to what our coaches say and trust in them. Who was your sporting idol when growing up? I had a few, but in terms of rugby, Brad Thorn. Just his work-rate and how he trained the house down. Now, I also like Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers in the NFL.
BLUES VS CHIEFS | 2 MARCH 20 18 1 7
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2018 STANDINGS NEW ZEALAND CONFERENCE
P
W
D
L
F
A
DIF
BP
PTS
CRUSADERS HIGHLANDERS HURRICANES BLUES CHIEFS
1 1 1 1 1
1 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 1 1
45 41 19 34 23
23 34 21 41 45
22 7 -2 -7 -22
1 0 1 1 0
5 4 1 1 0
AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCE
P
W
D
L
F
A
DIF
BP
PTS
REBELS BRUMBIES WARATAHS SUNWOLVES REDS
1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 1
45 32 34 25 19
19 25 27 32 45
26 7 7 -7 -26
1 0 0 1 0
5 4 4 1 0
SOUTH AFRICAN CONFERENCE
P
W
D
L
F
A
DIF
BP
PTS
LIONS STORMERS BULLS SHARKS JAGUARES
2 2 1 1 2
2 1 1 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1 2
73 55 21 19 47
46 54 19 26 75
27 1 2 -7 -28
1 1 0 1 0
9 5 4 1 0
OVERALL
LIONS CRUSADERS REBELS STORMERS HIGHLANDERS BRUMBIES WARATAHS BULLS HURRICANES BLUES SUNWOLVES SHARKS CHIEFS REDS JAGUARES
2 0 BLUES VS CHIEFS | 2 MARCH 20 18
PTS
9 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
2018 FIXTURES ROUND
MATCH RESULT
ROUND 2 MATCHES
BLUES v CHIEFS
2
HIGHLANDERS VS BLUES
3
BLUES VS CHIEFS
-
4
LIONS VS BLUES
-
5
STORMERS VS BLUES
-
SUNWOLVES v REBELS
7
BLUES VS SHARKS
-
SHARKS v WARATAHS
8
CHIEFS VS BLUES
-
BULLS v LIONS
9
SUNWOLVES VS BLUES
-
JAGUARES v HURRICANES
10
BLUES VS HIGHLANDERS
-
11
BLUES VS JAGUARES
-
12
WARATAHS VS BLUES
-
13
BLUES VS HURRICANES
-
14
BLUES VS CRUSADERS
-
16
BLUES VS REBELS
-
17
BLUES VS REDS
-
18
HURRICANES VS BLUES
-
19
CRUSADERS VS BLUES
-
Fri 23 Feb | Forsyth Barr Stadium | 7:35PM Fri 2 Mar | Eden Park | 7:35PM Sun 11 Mar | Emirates Airlines Park | 4:15AM Sun 18 Mar | DHL Newlands | 2:05AM Sat 31 Mar | Eden Park | 7:35PM Sat 7 Apr | FMG Stadium | 7:35PM Sat 14 Apr | Chichibunomiya Stadium | 3:05PM Fri 20 Apr | Eden Park | 7:35PM
Sat 28 Apr | Eden Park | 7:35PM Sat 5 May | Allianz Stadium | 5:05PM Fri 11 May | Eden Park | 7:35PM
Sat 19 May | Eden Park | 7:35PM Fri 2 jun | Eden Park | 5:15PM Fri 29 Jun | Eden Park | 7:35PM Sat 7 Jul | Westpac Stadium | 7:35PM Sat 14 Jul | AMI Stadium | 7:35PM
L
41-34
2 Mar | Auckland | 7:35 PM
REDS v BRUMBIES
2 Mar | Brisbane| 10:00 PM
CRUSADERS v STORMERS 3 Mar | Christchurch | 7:35 PM
3 Mar | Tokyo | 10:00 PM
4 Mar | Durban | 2:05 AM
4 Mar | Pretoria | 4:15 AM
4 Mar | Buenos Aires | 10:40 AM
BLUES VS CHIEFS | 2 MARCH 20 18 2 1
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