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Change in Blues’ captaincy with four All Blacks ruled out of Force clash

349 days ago

Dalton Papali'i of the Blues runs through drills during a Blues Super Rugby training session at Blues HQ on March 19, 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Blues coach Vern Cotter has made 10 changes to the starting side that defeated Moana Pasifika last time out, with a quartet of All Blacks among those ruled out of their next clash with the Western Force.

New Zealand internationals Stephen Perofeta, Finlay Christie and Mark Tele’a have all been ruled out of the Trans-Tasman derby at Eden Park through injury, while team captain Patrick Tuipulotu is also set to miss the clash through concussion protocols.

Another six players were not considered this week for a number of reasons. Zarn Sullivan is one of them, with the fullback still recovering from a knee injury that he suffered during the drought-breaking win over the Crusaders last month.

All Blacks flanker Dalton Papali’i will lead a Blues side which looks a little bit different this week as the Aucklanders look to improve their record to what they hope will be six wins from seven starts this season.

“With a short turnaround we’re lucky to have Dalton step in and lead the side,” coach Cotter said in a statement. “It’s a seamless transition given he captained at the start of the season and is a familiar voice in the leadership group.

“We’ve been giving plenty of the group game time this season and this week is no different.

“We know the Force are coming here to disrupt us so we’ve got to be fully focused on the job at hand on Friday night.”

Super Rugby centurion Ricky Riccitelli has been promoted to the starting side, and joins All Blacks Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Angus Ta’avao in the front row.

Head-to-Head

Last 4 Meetings

Wins

Draws

Wins

Average Points scored

First try wins

50%

Home team wins

75%

Josh Beehre replaces team captain Patrick Tuipulotu at loosehead lock and will pack down alongside the ever-reliable Laghlan McWhannell to round out the Blues’ tight five.

All Blacks Akira Ioane and Dalton Papali’i return to the starting side after missing out on First XV honours against Moana Pasifika. The pair join Hoskins Sotutu in the loose forwards.

The Blues have turned to a new-look halves partnership with Taufa Funaki joining Harry Plummer as the playmakers, while Corey Evans and Rieko Ioane stand outside them in the midfield.

Caleb Clark, AJ Lam and Cole Forbes are the outside backs, but keep an eye out for former All Blacks Sevens ace Caleb Tangitau who has been named on the bench.

This clash at Eden Park is set to get underway at 7:05pm NZT on Friday night at Auckland’s Eden Park.

Blues team to take on Western Force

Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Ricky Riccitelli
Angus Ta’avao
Josh Beehre
Laghlan McWhannell
Akira Ioane
Dalton Papali’i
Hoskins Sotutu
Taufa Funaki
Harry Plummer
Caleb Clarke
Corey Evans
Rieko Ioane
AJ Lam
Cole Forbes

Reserves

Soane Vikena
Joshua Fusitu’a
Marcel Renata
Anton Segner
Adrian Choat
Sam Nock
Lucas Cashmore*
Caleb Tangitau

*potential debut

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Comments on RugbyPass

Tom 5 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

They did deserve to win those games because they won them. As you say, can't take it away from them. However, we shouldn't think about the game from a result bias point of view. Just because we won doesn't necessarily mean we performed that well or that everything is rosey. It's entirely possible for a worse team to win a rugby match and if you play that game out 100 times they might lose 51 or 99 of them. We won on the day yes, but we won both games with the rub of the green going our way - if we play to that standard in those matches again, we would likely loose. If you simulated the matches dozens of times the EV of that performance wouldn't be a positive one. The bounce of a ball, a ball dropped over the tryline, a missed kick by Russell, these are all factors of variance which went our way. Now if it's a world cup knockout match then results bias is fine, winning is all that matters but right now for England the performance is very important too.

16 Go to comments

fl 20 minutes ago

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

“If, and its a big if, Borthwicks plan is to create 30 odd test players”

what do you mean “if”?

are you suggesting it might have literally not occurred to Borthwick that it would be a good idea to have squad depth?

10 Go to comments

FD 23 minutes ago

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

I hear what you’re saying.

But take Argentina, their club system is mostly developmental but the national team is doing great.

Fair enough they did have the Jaguares but that is a distant memory these days.

I am just totally against the notion of relegation. Nobody wins. But with expansion everybody wins.

7 Go to comments

GM 27 minutes ago

'I don't see them being that dominant force that they have been'

Oh, Ben Youngs, please do tell us more of that wise and balanced insight from that astute rugby mind of yours!

Do one Youngs, you were never rated you plonker.

1 Go to comments

MT 31 minutes ago

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

But there not quite ready. But could be in a short time frame. Wales got hammered by England. France would destroy them at moment, nobody wants to see such a one sided competition. They need professional structure to just compete, they need a very good system in place to win. I want 8 nations for the reasons you said, i’ve commented on sites like this for years, rugby needs to grow, the interest is there in those 3 countries I mentioned. They need a club, at least one playing in a professional league, and a development team operating at a high level. Then they’d hold their own. Italy are only now starting to come good, after lots of structural upheaval. Anglo-Welsh league would be good 👍 open up spaces for those nations to join URC.

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Eflmiia Rybakova 35 minutes ago

Mixed Wales update on availability of Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe

One morning I discovered our Bitcoin wallet emptied, $350,000 gone, stolen by a fake tech-education partner, I sat frozen in the cold glow of my laptop. Those funds were meant to build coding labs, buy laptops, and bring robotics workshops to kids in neighborhoods where hope often felt like a rumor. Now, the balance reads $0.00. The screen’s blue light reflected off empty desks in our community center, where laughter had once bounced during programming camps. I felt like I’d failed a thousand futures. Then, Ms. Rivera, a retired teacher who’d turned her garage into a makeshift tech hub, found me staring at the void. Her hands, still chalk-dusted from tutoring algebra, gripped my shoulders. “You’re not done yet,” she said. That night, she posted our story in an online educators’ forum. By dawn, a flood of replies poured in, but one stood out: “Contact On WhatsApp +.1.5.6.1.7.2.6.3.6.9.7 OR Email. Tech cybers force recovery (@ cyber services (.)com. They’re miracle workers.” I called, voice shaking. A woman named Priya answered, her tone steady as a lighthouse. She asked questions in plain language: “When did the money vanish?” “What’s the scammer’s wallet address?” Within hours, her team mapped the theft, a maze of fake accounts and dark web mixers. “They’re hiding your Bitcoin like needles in a haystack,” Priya explained. “But we’ve got magnets.” Sixteen days of nerve-wracking limbo followed. Our volunteer coders, like Jamal, a college dropout teaching Python to teens, refused to cancel classes. “We’ll use chalkboards if we have to,” he said. Parents brought homemade meals, kids scribbled “THANK U” notes for labs they hoped to see. Then, on a rainy Tuesday, Priya called: “94% recovered. The kids won’t miss a thing.”I’ll never forget reloading the wallet. The balance blinked back $329,000 as Jamal whooped and Ms. Rivera dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. Today, our labs hum with donated laptops. Kids like Sofia, an 11-year-old who codes apps to find clean water sources, light up screens with ideas that could change the world. TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY didn’t just reclaim coins, they salvaged dreams. Priya’s team works like teachers of the digital age, turning scams into lessons and despair into grit. And to the forum stranger who tagged them: you’re the quiet hero who rewrote our story.If your mission gets hacked, call these wizards. They’ll fight in the shadows so kids like Sofia can keep lighting up the world.

4 Go to comments

SC 49 minutes ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Would love to see a starting back row of 6 Sititi, 7 Blackadder, 8 Sititi replaced with Finau, Kirifi, and Lakai against France in July.

57 Go to comments

Ed Pye 51 minutes ago

Five Aussie takes: Tahs forwards in firing line, Ikitau reminds everyone

There are some good performances happening but the big issue for Australia is who is their best team? The only players that fall into the world class conversation right now are Wright, Ikitau, Valetini, McReight and Bell…

That’s not a settled spine.

Below them, you have excellent players who should make the starting team but are also in danger of being replaced if they have bad performances - Kellaway, Wilson, Tupou. Slipper and Allaatoa fall into this category, but also have experience on their side.

And then you have a number of positions where no one is really outright stamping their mark on the position as well as overseas players who no one knows about:

Jorgenson vs Daugunu vs Potter vs Pietcsh vs Koribete?

Sualii vs Paisami vs Kerevi?

Lolesio vs Donaldson

White vs McDermott

Wright vs Cale vs Gleeson vs Uru

Swain vs Frost vs Williams vs LSL vs Blyth vs Canham vs skelton?

Pollard vs Faessler vs Nasser vs Porecki vs BPA vs Lonergan

1 Go to comments

FD 56 minutes ago

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

“I don't think it’s viable to bring Georgia or Spain or Portugal into the six nations until their club structure is operating at a higher level.”

I think the opposite is true.

By including these countries in 6N you’re increasing interest in the game generally. This will have a positive knock-on effect on the club game as more people, knowing they could play for their country on one of the biggest stages in rugby, will boost numbers at existing clubs and potentially boost the number of clubs as new ones are formed.

But hey, i’m no expert.

7 Go to comments

DC000 59 minutes ago

Brendan Fanning: 'The problem with the good times in this country is we expect them to roll on forever.'

It’d a problem Easterby was incompetent. The real problem begins if Farrell and the IRFU were the ones pulling the strings on it.

Peneis a terrible rugby player put in a no win position. It’s not his fault he’s crap. But he should have never been placed in that situation.

1 Go to comments

SC 1 hour ago

How the Six Nations affected the world rankings

I thought after losing at home by 15 points to France that France would have moved to 3 and Ireland fall to 4.

4 Go to comments

FD 1 hour ago

'We've earned the right': Georgia boss wants Six Nations play-off vs Wales

Expansion not relegation.

The blazers at HQ are holding this sport back.

7 Go to comments

sorrel 1 hour ago

Yuka Kanematsu: Japan’s accidental coach taking SVNS by storm

Japan have been the story of the women’s side of this sevens series. It’s so exciting watching them improve everytime they show up. Their coach sounds awesome.

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SC 1 hour ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

PT 1 hour ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Ireland gets a D? how embarrassing for them

16 Go to comments

PT 1 hour ago

How the Six Nations affected the world rankings

I am being facetious

4 Go to comments

Derek Murray 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

It worked wonders on Saturday but I reserve judgement until it runs into France/NZ/SA (or, heaven forbid, an Oz pack at full strength).

I was pleased for English friends about the ambition and speed they played with but the opposition were like children. Some of the play felt like a contested training run.

The questions asked of that forward pack by a team committing them to defensive work and making the yards hard to gain will be more interesting than we saw in Cardiff.

57 Go to comments

Linda Luna 1 hour ago

'When we cross the line into personal insults, the fun is gone'

I see a lot of recommendations online and it’s already obvious there are bad eggs online who will only add to your mystery. I can only recommend one and you can reach them via mail on (recoveryscamcrypto@gmailcom) if you need help on recovering what you lost to scammers.

8 Go to comments

Bull Shark 2 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

You don’t need to. I’m surprised he hasn’t brought up Irelands 2023 World Cup draw.

16 Go to comments

aO 2 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

France needed two men sent off against them and two forwards passes not checked. So not the slam dunk you called it against Ireland.