Exodus 2017
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@gollum said in Exodus 2017:
@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:
I still don't understand his decision. Honour the contract he had already signed (but not sent back in) and enjoy a RWC 2015 winner's medal and a Lions series. Then f*ck off to Ulster to coin it if that is what floats his boat.
There's no guarentees tho'.
You're writing it like he had the AB starting spot at the WC in the bag. He didn't, he had an on again / off again AB bench spot & direct competition for a spot with Dagg, NMS, Nahalo. And the selectors were said to be leaning towards taking Slade as back 3 cover.
What he had in the bag was a life changing chunk of cash.
We will never know but imo he would have gone ahead of naholo if he had been staying in nz.
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Reports Pau are convinced they've got Ben and Conrad's signatures.
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Pau is gradually becoming a very Kiwi team in France, with not just a possible signing of Ben Smith and possible re-signing of Conrad Smith, but also Colin Slade, Tom Taylor, Chris King, Daniel Ramsay, Masalosalo Tutaia (or is he Samoan?), and - dare I say it - Jamie McKintosh as injury replacement player. Carl Hayman is their forwards coach.
The presence of players like Conrad, Slade and Taylor must certainly have contributed to them staying in the Top 14, considering this is only their second year in the highest division in over ten years. They were last relegated from the Top 14 to Pro2 after the 2005-06 season. You can't help but think that their attempt to sign Ben Smith reflects an ambition to go for higher honours in the Top 14.
They're a bit similar to La Rochelle in that respect, who also have quite a few Kiwis and - after promotion from Pro2 in 2014, and two season finishing mid-table, are now making life difficult for Clermont at the top of the Top14 table. La Rochelle has Victor Vito, Jason Eaton, Hikairo Forbes, Romana Graham, and also David Raikuna and Uini Atonio on the books.
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@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:
Pau is gradually becoming a very Kiwi team in France, with not just a possible signing of Ben Smith and possible re-signing of Conrad Smith, but also Colin Slade, Tom Taylor, Chris King, Daniel Ramsay, Masalosalo Tutaia (or is he Samoan?), and - dare I say it - Jamie McKintosh as injury replacement player. Carl Hayman is their forwards coach.
Black Pauer gang one could say.
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@Billy-Tell Looks pretty white to me
/mad butcher mode
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@Stargazer Six weeks for an Achilles? Sounds like wishful thinking to me.
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@Bones said in Exodus 2017:
@Stargazer Six weeks for an Achilles? Sounds like wishful thinking to me.
It was an ankle tendon apparently. It just looked like an achilles the way he clutched the back of his lower leg as he went down while running.
World Cup winning All Black Conrad Smith is facing ankle surgery just as he helps unfashionable Pau push for honours in France.
"The club confirmed Smith will go under the knife and face at least six weeks out with an ankle tendon injury suffered in their 32-27 win over Montpellier in the latest round of the French Top 14 championship."
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And now it's confirmed: Mathewson has signed a short-term contract (until the end of the 2016/17 season) with Bristol.
http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/news/mathewson-arrives-until-end-of-season/
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Aaron Cruden has signed for french club Montpellier. He will join them after the Lions Tour.
Rugby / Montpellier : Aaron Cruden a dit "oui" au MHR !
L'ouvreur néo-zélandais, champion du monde 2011 avec les All Blacks, évoluera la saison prochaine au MHR, qui a signé un très gros coup sur le marché des transferts.
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@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:
And now it's confirmed: Mathewson has signed a short-term contract (until the end of the 2016/17 season) with Bristol.
http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/news/mathewson-arrives-until-end-of-season/
I'm not sure if his departure from the Force has been news for a while but it's a big blow regardless. They're doing it tough as it is, losing one of their few good players will see them struggle even more.
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@jauzy019 said in Exodus 2017:
Aaron Cruden has signed for french club Montpellier. He will join them after the Lions Tour.
Rugby / Montpellier : Aaron Cruden a dit "oui" au MHR !
L'ouvreur néo-zélandais, champion du monde 2011 avec les All Blacks, évoluera la saison prochaine au MHR, qui a signé un très gros coup sur le marché des transferts.
EDIT MOD
In any case it will be no surprise despite all the Chiefs fans telling us how loyalty would win out and it would be flaky fekitoa to depart and not Cruden.
Sopoaga will step up behind Barrett and mounga or McKenzie will be 3rd spot.
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@Frye Yes, it is a big loss for the Force, but - if I remember it correctly - he was their international marquee player and they had already had dispensation to extend his contract at least once, so they probably wouldn't get another dispensation even if he had wanted to stay (not sure he wanted to). His brief stint with Canterbury in Mitre10 Cup already indicated that he wasn't likely to return to the Force.
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@Billy-Tell Eh? I've said all along that Cruden would be going. Ben Smith will too.
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@Bovidae said in Exodus 2017:
@Billy-Tell Eh? I've said all along that Cruden would be going. Ben Smith will too.
Ok some chiefs fans...
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@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:
@jauzy019 said in Exodus 2017:
Aaron Cruden has signed for french club Montpellier. He will join them after the Lions Tour.
Rugby / Montpellier : Aaron Cruden a dit "oui" au MHR !
L'ouvreur néo-zélandais, champion du monde 2011 avec les All Blacks, évoluera la saison prochaine au MHR, qui a signé un très gros coup sur le marché des transferts.
Question Jauzy. T'es français et tu viens exprès nous faire chier toutes les x semaines...?
In any case it will be no surprise despite all the Chiefs fans telling us how loyalty would win out and it would be flaky fekitoa to depart and not Cruden.
Sopoaga will step up behind Barrett and mounga or McKenzie will be 3rd spot.
You know, I can't think I have read one comment on here about Cruden and Loyalty to The Chiefs? Where do you get that from?
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@Crucial said in Exodus 2017:
The Cruden thing doesn't quite ring true. I think Cruds is an honest enough bloke that he would have given Shag a heads up instead of playing silly buggers (unless he honestly told him no decision had been made and the offer was made after the game and was too big to refuse).
I can see Fekitoa taking the money. Way too much movement in the AB midfield to come. Also has a likely desire to go for as much money as he can to repay his family. Wouldn't blame him at all.
Maybe Crucial isn't a Chiefs fan I can't remember.
