Auckland Rugby 2025

[Bovidae]

I thought that this photo was interesting in that Josh Beehre is quite a lot shorter than Tom Allen. I've seen Allen listed as 1.98 m. So Beehre would be an undersized lock at international level.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Bovidae Allen's stats are likely from 2023 when he first played NZU20's as an u19 player. He is likely 2m.ish now. The game in general is very lazy at updating height and weight stats ( Auckland hasn't even bothered with a player profile page at all for 2 seasons.) Beehre is listed by the Blues at 1.98m. Also the angled lines across that picture create a bit of an optical illusion and make the difference look more than it is . Even Beehre could be a bit taller than his listed height. Here he is next to Darry who is 2.03m.

[WoodysRFC]

Beehre seems to have lowish shoulders too, which probably doesn't help. Running a line through the top of Beehres head though does show somewhat of a difference. Would be stoked if Allen is 2m+.

[zedsdeadbaby]

Sorry if it’s been covered. Allen is a loan player? From HB?

[Daffy Jaffy]

[Kirwan]

@zedsdeadbaby said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

Sorry if it’s been covered. Allen is a loan player? From HB?

Was he the player that we horse traded Sullivan for?

[Kirwan]

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

[zedsdeadbaby]

@Kirwan yeah I’ve since heard that might be the case

[Kirwan]

I like that we are looking at size still for the forwards.

[sparky]

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Xavier Tito-Harris has got a big future ahead of him. I've seen enough already to think he should be in, at least, the All Blacks XV squad when it's named in October.

[African Monkey]

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

[SouthernMann]

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

Doesn't a back three of him, Tangitau and JRK sound appealing though? In a different universe that could have been the Blues back three

[African Monkey]

@SouthernMann said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

Doesn't a back three of him, Tangitau and JRK sound appealing though? In a different universe that could have been the Blues back three

Well it does but I'm not a Highlanders supporter am I! lol.

[Kirwan]

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

If the Cantabs could stockpile tens back in the day, we can stockpile wingers. I hear Tito-Harris can play midfield too, so one to keep to develop that as well

[Trig]

@Kirwan Played 12 for NZ Schools in 2022 I think

[Bovidae]

@Trig said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

Played 12 for NZ Schools in 2022 I think

Yes. That team had Spencer at fullback and Taele at 1st 5. Tito-Harris was more a fullback at Kelston BHS.

[Kirwan]

@Trig said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan Played 12 for NZ Schools in 2022 I think

Crazy how elusive he is, and while I was paying attention to that wing the opposite side almost gets a hatrick.

[KiwiMurph]

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

If the Cantabs could stockpile tens back in the day, we can stockpile wingers. I hear Tito-Harris can play midfield too, so one to keep to develop that as well

It's not even stockpiling. Blues have lost Telea, Tangitau and Kade Banks in the last 12 months (plus Heem who could play wing though not so much in recent years). Blues desperately need wingers.

[nzzp]

@KiwiMurph said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@African-Monkey said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

@Kirwan said in Auckland Rugby 2025:

I'm on the Tito-Harris FAB bandwagon, can't wait to get him playing with Clarke and the Blues

Hopefully he doesn't end up at the Highlanders.

If the Cantabs could stockpile tens back in the day, we can stockpile wingers. I hear Tito-Harris can play midfield too, so one to keep to develop that as well

It's not even stockpiling. Blues have lost Telea, Tangitau and Kade Banks in the last 12 months (plus Heem who could play wing though not so much in recent years). Blues desperately need wingers.

And Rieko to a sabbatical

[sparky]

Statistically, this is Auckland's worst ever start to the NPC.

https://twitter.com/nzrugbydatabase/status/1962028488451645888?s=46