Canterbury team to play Tasman

Aug 22 • General News, Mitre 10 Cup, Other Tournaments • 2415 Views • Comments Off on Canterbury team to play Tasman

Captain George Whitelock and All Blacks Joe Moody and Ryan Crotty will be the three new faces in the Canterbury side to face Tasman this weekend. Moody has been released from the All Blacks to take the number one red and black jersey this week. That sees Paea Fa’anunu take a place on the bench. The only other change in the forwards from the team that beat Taranaki last weekend is the return of blindside flanker George Whitelock, in place of brother Luke who was this week called into the All Black camp. Whitelock will also captain the side. In the backs, halfbacks and vice-captains Andy Ellis and Willi Heinz have rotated so that Ellis starts at nine this week. Crotty’s return to second-five puts Rob Thompson, who was called into the squad out of the wider training group last week, on the reserves bench. Fellow wider training group members Jamie Verran and Richie Mo’unga have also been named for their second Canterbury cap (Verran at fullback and Mo’unga on the bench). Canterbury Head Coach Scott Robertson says the team knows to be wary of this Tasman side. “The Makos always perform when they face us. There are quite a number of guys who know each other in the two teams and who have played together before, so I think that brings out their natural competitive instincts even more. “Tasman beat us in the opening round of last year’s Captain George Whitelock and All Blacks Joe Moody and Ryan Crotty will be the three new faces in the Canterbury side to face Tasman this weekend. Moody has been released from the All Blacks to take the number one red and black jersey this week. That sees Paea Fa’anunu take a place on the bench. The only other change in the forwards from the team that beat Taranaki last weekend is the return of blindside flanker George Whitelock, in place of brother Luke who was this week called into the All Black camp. Whitelock will also captain the side. In the backs, halfbacks and vice-captains Andy Ellis and Willi Heinz have rotated so that Ellis starts at nine this week. Crotty’s return to second-five puts Rob Thompson, who was called into the squad out of the wider training group last week, on the reserves bench. Fellow wider training group members Jamie Verran and Richie Mo’unga have also been named for their second Canterbury cap (Verran at fullback and Mo’unga on the bench). Canterbury Head Coach Scott Robertson says the team knows to be wary of this Tasman side. “The Makos always perform when they face us. There are quite a number of guys who know each other in the two teams and who have played together before, so I think that brings out their natural competitive instincts even more. “Tasman beat us in the opening round of last year’s ITM Cup, so we understand the challenge ahead of us and what is required,” Robertson said. Kick-off is at 2:35pm on Saturday at Lansdowne Park, Blenheim.

Canterbury team to play Tasman:

No.	POSITION	SURNAME	FIRST NAME
1	Loosehead Prop	MOODY	JOE
2	Hooker	FUNNELL	BEN
3	Tighthead Prop	LAULALA	NEPO
4	Left Lock	SYMONS	MATT
5	Right Lock	KATENE	LUKE
6	Blindside Flanker	WHITELOCK	GEORGE
7	Openside Flanker	TODD	MATT
8	Number Eight	TAUFUA	JORDAN
9	Halfback	ELLIS	ANDY
10	First Five	BLEYENDAAL	TYLER
11	Left Wing	KERESOMA	MILFORD
12	Second Five	CROTTY	RYAN
13	Centre	WHITELOCK	ADAM
14	Right Wing	OSBORNE	PATRICK
15	Full Back	VERRAN	JAMIE
REPLACEMENTS:
16	Hooker	CUMMINGS-TOONE	MARCEL
17	Prop	FA’ANUNU	PAEA
18		EVERSON	JOEL
19		BROWN	JED
20		HEINZ	WILLI
21		MO’UNGA	RICHIE
22		THOMPSON	ROB