Bay of Plenty XV to face Lions (finally!)
yes, it's finally here:
Simms Davidson, Aleki Lutui, Ben Castle, Mark Sorenson, Bernie Upton, Wayne Ormond, Nili, Latu, Colin Bourke, Kevin Senio, Murray Williams, Anthony Tahana, Grant McQuoid, Allan Bunting, Filimone Bolavucu, Adrian Cashmore
SUBS: John Pareanga, Taufa'ao Filise, Paul Tupai, Warren Smith, Charles Hubbard, Robert Moon, Apoua Stewart.
Apart from Rua Tipoki - whom I've just realised is a North Harbour player who was loaned out to the Bay last season, and that's why he's playing for the Maori when i thought he should play for the Bay - and Glen Jackson, it is the same team that touched the hearts of New Zealand rugby fans last year..
Having said that, whether Murray Williams, who plays for the great Ponsonby club in Auckland, can do what Jimmy Gopperth did for the Hurricanes remains to be seen but that's not saying he might.. nevertheless, i wish Glen Jackson could come back just for this game, because he was so influential in the Bay's unprecedented success in last season's NPC and Ranfurly Shield challenges.. obviously Saracens have benefited from his quality having beaten Gloucester in the Zurich Premiership Wildcard Final to book a place in next year's Heineken Cup.. a brilliant kicker and line breaker.. shame contractual conditions mean he's no longer a Bay of Plenty player let alone NZRU player, thus he's not eligible..
other than that, the forward pack looks good.. can it beat the XXL-sized front row of Stevens, Bulloch and Jenkins? maybe.. and most of the Bay's players who played for the Chiefs in the Super 12 did play well towards the end of the season, i.e. Ormond, Upton, Senio, etc. Colin Bourke is highly rated and I was surprised not to see him feature much as a draft player for the Highlanders.. Nili Latu is Marty Holah's apprentice..
let's just say it's gonna be a battle between the Maori spirit and British class.. i reckon.. even if the Bay go down, as most ppl expect them to - although they're def a class above Western Australia - may they go down fighting..
Simms Davidson, Aleki Lutui, Ben Castle, Mark Sorenson, Bernie Upton, Wayne Ormond, Nili, Latu, Colin Bourke, Kevin Senio, Murray Williams, Anthony Tahana, Grant McQuoid, Allan Bunting, Filimone Bolavucu, Adrian Cashmore
SUBS: John Pareanga, Taufa'ao Filise, Paul Tupai, Warren Smith, Charles Hubbard, Robert Moon, Apoua Stewart.
Apart from Rua Tipoki - whom I've just realised is a North Harbour player who was loaned out to the Bay last season, and that's why he's playing for the Maori when i thought he should play for the Bay - and Glen Jackson, it is the same team that touched the hearts of New Zealand rugby fans last year..
Having said that, whether Murray Williams, who plays for the great Ponsonby club in Auckland, can do what Jimmy Gopperth did for the Hurricanes remains to be seen but that's not saying he might.. nevertheless, i wish Glen Jackson could come back just for this game, because he was so influential in the Bay's unprecedented success in last season's NPC and Ranfurly Shield challenges.. obviously Saracens have benefited from his quality having beaten Gloucester in the Zurich Premiership Wildcard Final to book a place in next year's Heineken Cup.. a brilliant kicker and line breaker.. shame contractual conditions mean he's no longer a Bay of Plenty player let alone NZRU player, thus he's not eligible..
other than that, the forward pack looks good.. can it beat the XXL-sized front row of Stevens, Bulloch and Jenkins? maybe.. and most of the Bay's players who played for the Chiefs in the Super 12 did play well towards the end of the season, i.e. Ormond, Upton, Senio, etc. Colin Bourke is highly rated and I was surprised not to see him feature much as a draft player for the Highlanders.. Nili Latu is Marty Holah's apprentice..
let's just say it's gonna be a battle between the Maori spirit and British class.. i reckon.. even if the Bay go down, as most ppl expect them to - although they're def a class above Western Australia - may they go down fighting..
posted by Unknown at 5:26 pm
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