Exodus 2016
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@cgrant said in Exodus 2016:
Would he be a certain starter in the AB team if he was still in NZ ? Not sure of this with so many talented players around (Smith, NMS, Dagg, Savea, Naholo, Ioane ...).
No , not a certain starter but would certainly be a handy addition to our depth
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@pukunui said in Exodus 2016:
He definitely would have had a couple of opportunities to claim a starting spot if he had stayed given our wing injuries and Savea's dip in form. He looks to have bulked up a bit.
I think Izzy Dagg probably owes him thanks as well. Can't see that we'd have Dagg on the wing if Piutau was available.
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i recall in an interview last year foxy saying they believe he is better suited to the left wing , and ive forgotten the reason , skillset related, and i think that is where they played him
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He was very composed in his performances in Black, I was pretty sure he would have been right in the AB mix. But at the end of the day he has to look after his family too, playing over there will be extremely lucrative and less physically taxing on his body allowing him the potential to play longer
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@Stargazer said in Exodus 2016:
Counties Manukau loosie So'otala Fa'aso'o has joined Racing92 on a short-term contract (until the end of the Top14 season).
That will be a good experience for him and a nice little earner no doubt. Hopefully he still comes back and boosts his CV withan NPC win for CM
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Waikato's (and Samoa's) halfback Pele Cowley has signed a short-term (injury cover) contract with Cardiff Blues.
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I see that Dagg and Fekitoa apparently met with the Toulon owner for a chat, according to Midi-Olympique.
Dagg also had a chat with Leinster apparently. They've a foreign player slot free next season when Kirchner's contract finishes. Nucifora mightn't approve it though.
Rhys Marshall mentioned above going to Munster is because they've a shortage of hookers right now through injuries and early retirement. The only way they could get him in was as a +1 under the quota restrictions. But neither Munster or IRFU have said he's a +1 project status. Given Munster's financial difficulties, and now being prevented from bringing in expensive capped talent (Stephen Moore was being considered last year until Nucifora closed the door), then Marshall is probably a low-cost, readily available option.
Nonetheless, hooker is one of the two positions in which Ireland is currently short (scrum-half is the other) on quality talent - so this looks like a long-term bet-hedger with Marshall with the intent that current players and the domestic pathway may throw up some other options in the meantime. Marshall wouldn't be eligible until after the RWC 19 anyway, and Nucifora ideally wants an all-Irish developed squad for RWC 2023. James Tracy at Leinster looks likely to be the next in line to follow Cronin and Best into the middle of the test scrum, and potentially become the number one choice. Brian Byrne from Ireland U20 squad is also being developed at Leinster. Tracy's inclusion in the November squad likely means Richardt Strauss' test career looks to be over unless he's used as an old-hand trainer on the June tour at end of season. I know Tom McCartney at Connacht notionally becomes eligible on 21 November 2017, but he'll be 32 at that point so can't see him being used, unless as a stopgap or major injury crisis. His much younger Connacht colleague, Dave Heffernan, is more likely to be brought on. Rob Herring at Ulster is the other possibility.
