Highlanders
20
Match Complete
Blues
60
| 78 |  | B. Barrett | ||
| 77 |  | R. Ioane | ||
| 73 | | B. Barrett | ||
| 72 | | M. Telea | ||
| 68 | | D. Papali'i | ||
| 54 | | B. Barrett | ||
| 53 | | M. Renata | ||
| 47 |  | B. Barrett | ||
| S. Gilbert | | 47 | ||
| J. Timu | | 46 | ||
| S. Gilbert | | 36 | ||
| M. Hunt | | 35 | ||
| 27 | | B. Barrett | ||
| 26 | | R. Ioane | ||
| 25 | | B. Barrett | ||
| 23 | | C. Clarke | ||
| 21 | | B. Barrett | ||
| 20 | | B. Barrett | ||
| S. Gilbert | | 16 | ||
| 13 | | B. Barrett | ||
| 12 | | M. Telea | ||
| S. Gilbert | | 7 | ||
| 4 | | B. Barrett |
| 2 | Tries | 8 | ||
| 2 | Conversions | 7 | ||
| 2 | Penalty Goals | 2 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 0 |
The Blues have named a star studded team to open their Super Rugby Pacific season again the Highlanders on Saturday. Join The Roar for live scores from 5:05pm (AEDT).
The Blues were the form team for most of 2022 before being pipped to the title by the Crusaders.
Beauden Barrett has overcome illness to be one of 13 All Blacks from 2022 in Leon MacDonald’s starting XV.
Tighthead prop Nepo Laulala will make his 100th Super Rugby appearance in Saturday’s game and the Blues are on a four-game win streak against the Highlanders.
Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody has three All Blacks in his starting team, while former England international Freddie Burns is on the bench.
Loosehead prop Ethan de Groot and blindside flanker Shannon Frizell have been listed in the forwards, and Folau Fakatava will start at halfback with Aaron Smith rested for the opening two runds.
Game Information
Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Kick-off: 5:05pm (AEST)
Live stream: Stan Sport
Betting: Highlanders $3.55, Blues $1.50 – odds via PlayUp
Teams
Highlanders (1-15): Ethan de Groot, Rhys Marshall, Jermaine Ainsley, Pari Pari Parkinson, Josh Dickson, Shannon Frizell, Billy Harmon (c), Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Folau Fakatava, Mitch Hunt, Jona Nareki, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Josh Timu, Jonah Lowe, Sam Gilberthttps://www.theroar.com.au/robots.txt?upapi=trueADAdvertisement
Replacements: Andrew Makalio, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Saula Ma’u, Will Tucker, Sean Withy, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, Freddie Burns, Connor Garden-Bachop.
Blues (1-15): Ofa Tuungafasi, Kurt Eklund, Nepo Laulala, Patrick Tuipulotu, Cameron Suafoa, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali (c), Hoskins Sotutu, Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Rieko Ioane, Mark Telea, Stephen Perofeta
Reserves: Ricky Riccitelli, Joshua Fusitu’a, Marcel Renata, James Tucker, Adrian Choat, Taufa Funaki, Bryce Heem, AJ Lam.
Referee: Paul Williams
Something is not right with the Highlanders. Ever since Jaimie left it's been down hill from there.. Hard to gauge whether they're that bad or that the Blues are on fire.. Maybe both.. Talae in fire and Congrats to Laulala on 100! It's one thing to get a 100, another thing to do it playing in the most physically demanding (if not most dangerous position) in the game!
Pete Samu's Tucked Shirt
Roar Rookie
Ah well, at least I got one number right in my prediction for the Landers: 2
Highlander
Roar Guru
Our attack coach is an English guy whose last job was with the welsh women’s side Might be an adjustment period for him????????
Otago Man
Roar Rookie
Chris Boyd as the mentor needs to have a word with Dermody about the backs
Colvin Brown
Roar Guru
So did I.
Highlander
Roar Guru
Plenty of good stuff from the highlander forwards today Both props, pp and Josh d in the row, ainsley smashed Ofa, Frizzel did the jobs of two men and the duel loosies went ok What happened behind them however !!!
Otago Man
Roar Rookie
Pack faded in the 2nd because our halves kept turning good ball over. They need to be dumped but knowing the mentality here it will take until the week before play-offs that happens. I feel really bad for our 8.
Otago Man
Roar Rookie
Whatever was going on off the field it was not handled that well by Brown & co. Trouble started when Brown brought Hunt down here and he tried to shoehorn Ioane into 12. It was a bad call in fact a turkey one that Brown needs to own.
Chivas
Roar Rookie
Garbage from the Highlanders. Was good to see Paripari, but aside from him not much on offer. The worst team of this round so far. A lot of work to do to turn it around. The forwards showed they can hustle well in the first half, but just seemed to give it all up in the 2nd. Really disappointing. Hard to know how to evaluate the Blues performance as the Highlanders just played rubbish. Hopefully the Blues kick on and I hope this game is an aberration for the Highlanders and not a sign of things to come. Thought Paripari went well and hope he continues to come on. Hate that he was crueller by injury just when he was getting his game together. Hopefully he will bounce back to put pressure on the AB locks.
Colvin Brown
Roar Guru
Ouch ! :crying:
Otago Man
Roar Rookie
At best Highlander mate Hunt is a reserve 15. Fakatava was god awful, cannot understand Nisbet saying he had a good night dealing with rubbish ball. He made most of that rubbish ball. Our pack faded in the end as all that good work was wasted by the backs.
Highlander
Roar Guru
I would rather play with 14 than have Mitch Hunt start again FF pretty damn rusty first time back too Blues way to clinical to gift them ball
SwissRugbyFan
Roar Rookie
And i tiped them to win...
tuohyred
Roar Rookie
Can't help the JamieJo/Brown team to run ABs Why did he screw with Josh Ioane when he was in the AB set-up? ??
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Well that sums up the Highlanders' night :laughing: :crying:
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Barrett racking up the points.....
78
smoothy
Roar Rookie
Is Telea covered in baby oil or something?!
77
73