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Blues name young team for final round clash versus Waratahs

By Sam Smith

25 May 2022

(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

The Blues have taken the opportunity to mix experience and exciting youth in their line-up for the final round clash against the Waratahs in Sydney in the DHL Super Rugby Pacific competition on Saturday.

Coach Leon MacDonald said that the match offered an important chance to give key emerging players some invaluable minutes to prepare them should injuries occur in the playoffs. There are eight players named who were not involved in the close win over the Brumbies to line-up against the Waratahs.

“We are in no way disrespecting our opposition. We have a very healthy respect for the Waratahs and believe we have named a team able to perform to our standards against them,” said MacDonald.

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“One of our major strengths this season has been the quality of our young players who have been fronting every week in training. We have had limited chances to see them under pressure in a game situation, and prepare for any potential injuries. We also lost our bye week and we have asked a lot of the guys in recent weeks and they have delivered in spades.”

The team has a proven look to the front five with All Black Nepo Laulala and Samoan international Jordan Lay to start with Ricky Riccitelli in the front row, while Josh Goodhue makes a welcome return from injury to partner Luke Romano in the locks. The centurion has been a talisman this season for the Blues, and is rewarded with the captain’s armband.

There is a youthful zing to the loose forwards with Anton Segner, outstanding against the Brumbies, to partner with Taine Plumtree and Adrian Choat.

The experienced Sam Nock, who moves to within one game of his 50th, starts at halfback with multi-talented Jock McKenzie starting at first-five to lead an exciting and youthful backline of Corey Evans, Tamati Tua, AJ Lam, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Zarn Sullivan.

There is a strong-looking bench including Akira Ioane back from injury, fellow All Black Karl Tu’inukuafe and Maori All Black Marcel Renata, with Nigel Ah Wong, back after another season in Japan, as injury replacement in the backs.

The Blues team to play the Waratahs in Sydney is:

1. Jordan Lay (7 Blues caps)
2. Ricky Riccitelli (8)
3. Nepo Laulala (22)
4. Luke Romano (11) ©
5. Josh Goodhue (43)
6. Anton Segner (6)
7. Adrian Choat (16)
8. Taine Plumtree (3)
9. Sam Nock (48)
10. Jock McKenzie (1)
11. AJ Lam (17)
12. Corey Evans (3)
13. Tamati Tua (2)
14. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (6)
15. Zarn Sullivan (16)

Reserves
16. Soane Vikena (12)
17. Karl Tu’inukuafe (39)
18. Marcel Renata (27)
19. Sam Darry (15)
20. Cameron Suafoa (2)
21. Akira Ioane (91)
22. Taufa Funaki (5)
23. Nigel Ah-Wong (0)

Players not considered: Harry Plummer, Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Ofa Tu’ungsfasi, Tanielu Tele’a.

-Press Release/Blues

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Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 12 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

About 500K of those are schoolboys 90% of which will not go on to play club rugby.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 13 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Exactly. Shoo would that it was so easy to develop competitions.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 16 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

SA wealthy? Compared to which countries. The economy is in tatters unemployment is at record low numbers and you think SA has money to spend on rugby development -0 and remember the SARU was technically bankrupt and was only saved by the COVID tour of the B&I Lions. No Sa doesn't have spare cash lying round for rugby development and given the resources SARU is doing just fine.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 20 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

South African domestic rugby is in great shape. Four top tier franchises fed by a series of competitions ranging from national schools competitions through Varsity Cup to Currie Cup and then to top four franchises is a model Australia would do well to follow. SA should never have more than four top domestic teams.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 24 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That might be the best spin off from SA's involvement north of the line.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 25 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Of course not Nick 😉

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 29 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

We have our own theories about The Sharks. Plumtree is a good coach but he has not done anywhere near the best he could with the talent and money he has at his disposal and it doesn't help to have a marquee director of rugby who has spent by far the majority of his career playing and coaching sevens.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 34 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Don't worry - you'll win again soon then you'll feel a lot better. Right now get on with your SH comps and we'll get on with being barely the best in the world.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 37 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

JW you really have no idea of how Africa works. It will take generations not decades no matter how much SA puts into it. The poverty in Africa is something that is obviously beyond your understanding. Do you think the governments of impoverished nations are going to watch happily as rugby pours massive investments into infrastructure to promote what is essentially a white western game? And SA was trying hard to develop the game in Africa until the African vote blocked our "23 bid after the independent consultants to the RFU voted unanimously for SA? The Confederation of African Rugby virtually excluded South Africa.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 47 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 50 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.

"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"

After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

How Wallace Sititi humbly reacted to All Blacks Player of the Year honour