All Blacks Squad for France
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I'm reading that Shannon Frizell is Welsh-qualified through his dad, as his brother Tyson played League for Wales.
The Welsh-qualified sensation being tipped for the All Blacks
Shannon Frizell has impressed for the Highlanders - and he could play for Wales now
Tipped as a New Zealand Test star in the making, the physical back-rower has already made an impression in a handful of starts for the Highlanders in Super Rugby after staring for Ta$man at provincial level.
Yet, he is also eligible to play for Tonga, his country of birth, and Wales, through his dad Andrew - who hails from Swansea.
The younger brother of Rugby League World Cup winner Tyson, who played for Wales before switching allegiances to Australia, Shannon has already made a mark on the national stage in New Zealand.
But I'm also reading that Tyson and Shannon Frizell are adopted/step brothers.
So something doesn't compute .....
NRL star Tyson Frizell has revealed how immigration laws stopped him from growing up with his younger brother.
That younger sibling is Highlanders flanker Shannon Frizell.
Tyson Frizell, 26, grew up in Australia with his parents but Shannon, 24, spent his childhood in Tonga.
Immigration laws prevented Shannon from settling in Australia with his adopted family.
"It is something that is pretty common in Tongan culture, to adopt a kid from another family, but he wasn't able to come over and live with us," Tyson Frizell told NRL.com.
I'd be shocked, shocked, that WoL would bang out an un-researched story .....
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From a Stuff article:
Hansen admitted Frizell was in this group because of what they saw in his future, rather than necessarily his present. "We've lost Jerome Kaino who has been around a long time, and provided a lot of positive intent when he carried, when he cleared rucks and tackled. If you think back to Jerry Collins, Jamie Joseph, Cowboy Shaw in that 6 role, they are the type of players we've had."Shannon comes in with a similar style. He's very energetic and he wants to be in your grill in a positive way with his intentions when he's tackling and cleaning. We have to take our time developing him and see where we get to."
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@akan004 said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@rapido I don't think they are step brothers. Same parents. Tyson moved to Australia with the folks and Shannon was adopted by his aunty I think and remained in Tonga.
Ah, ok. I had read it as being the othr way round . That makes some sense.
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That article is confusing, was he adopted in or out of the family? If he was adopted in then he wouldn't be eligible for Wales would he? If he was adopted out then I assume his birth certificate was changed to remove the birth parents (which I wouldn't thought would have been a high priority in the culture) which would be why he couldn't travel to Oz?
Hopefully, if he is adopted in, which doesn't seem the case according to @akan004 then we find out that he has a NZ parent so he's not another poach.
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"While his 26-year-old brother grew up with his parents in Australia, Shannon grew up in Tonga with his adopted family, and started playing rugby."
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From the NZH article below:
Shannon Frizell 1) The explosive Frizell has had just three starts in his first season for the Highlanders, making him a true bolter in the All Black side. He is essentially a tight-loose forward but at 1.95m he could cover lock. 2) Frizell was born and raised in Tonga, the homeland of his mother Sophia, and raised there by his adopted family. Shannon's schoolmates included Warriors centre Solomone Kata and Warrior-turned-Titan Konrad Hurrell. 3) Shannon grew up separated from his Wollongong-born brother Tyson who is a league star for the NRL's St George-Illawarra Dragons, New South Wales and Australia. Australian immigration laws prevented Shannon from joining his birth family there. 4) Tyson Frizell played for Wales in the 2013 league World Cup, and Shannon could have played rugby for Wales. Their father Andrew is from Swansea and he helped Shannon obtain a British passport. Tyson played rugby for Australian Schools and was chased by the NSW Waratahs. 5) Shannon signed for the Ta$man Mako$ as a 22-year-old in 2016. He announced his potential on the big stage with three tries and a brilliant offload for another against the hapless Blues at Eden Park last month..
The same article also has info about TTT and Taufua:
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi 1) The rising Chiefs star has something unusual in common with fellow All Black halfback TJ Perenara — both were in the sights of NRL super club Melbourne Storm. Tahuriorangi played both codes as a youngster and was in a NZ under-18 league side alongside future NRL players Tui Lolohea, Bunty Afoa, Nathaniel Roche and Toa Sipley. 2) Tahuriorangi entered the Chiefs system while still at Rotorua Boys High school, and was in the 2015 New Zealand world under-20 title winning side. He made his NPC debut for Taranaki in 2014, and backed up Perenara at the Hurricanes for two years. 3) Ex-Taranaki coach Colin Cooper brought Tahuriorangi to the Chiefs from the Hurricanes this season, in a swap involving Finlay Christie. Pundits thought Chiefs halfback Brad Weber would get the third All Black spot but Tahuriorangi made his charge when Weber suffered a wrist injury. Tahuriorangi is noted for his swift passing and will now be seen as the man who can replicate the way Aaron Smith's speed drives the All Blacks. 4) After leaving Rotorua Boys High, he studied for an engineering diploma. Last year, he returned to Rotorua with the Maori All Blacks to play the Lions and said: "At high school I was always that person people looked up to and to come back and see all the rangatahi (youth) from Rotorua Boys' High has made it special for me." 5) When Tahuriorangi joined the Hurricanes in 2016, established test halfback Perenara told Maori Television: "His speed of ball, his vision out on the field is excellent especially for a young kid, just his mannerism out there he looks like he's been out there for a long time..
Jordan Taufua 1) The Crusaders hard man was born in Otahuhu and went to Alfriston and Sacred Heart colleges. Taufua captained the SHC first XV, and represented Counties Manukau in the under-14s and under-16s. 2) The well-travelled Taufua has had a slightly unusual path in the game, which includes aiming to play for a Japanese club rather than in the next NPC. He also quit Canterbury for Counties Manukau when he felt his path was blocked, and is currently in his second spell at Ta$man. He played in last year's NPC final against Canterbury, breaking his arm and enduring surgery followed by a three month layoff. 3) All Blacks coach Steve Hansen indicated Taufua could play all three loose forward positions. 4) The 26-year-old Taufua revealed if he wasn't a rugby player he would be a primary school teacher. Taufua headed into the Crusaders via a well-worn education path - Lincoln University. Other Lincoln rugby scholarship winners include Richie McCaw plus current All Blacks Sam Whitelock, Jack Goodhue and Barrett brothers Jordie and Scott. 5) Taufua played for Samoan under-20s who won the 2011 second tier world junior trophy in Georgia. He then played against Samoa for New Zealand under-20s at the elite 2012 World Cup in South Africa.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12055441
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@nepia said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@akan004 Cheers for that follow up article, so I wonder why he couldn't get into Oz?
Also, it's funny that Frizell is being spoken of as a new tight loosie but these articles hype his try scoring in one match and his running out wide.
No worries. Just read the NZHerald article posted by Stargazer. If that's accurate, then Australia has some ridiculous laws.
"Australian immigration laws prevented Shannon from joining his birth family there."
Edit: I was wrong about Tyson's place of birth. He was born in Australia.
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@akan004 said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@nepia said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@akan004 Cheers for that follow up article, so I wonder why he couldn't get into Oz?
Also, it's funny that Frizell is being spoken of as a new tight loosie but these articles hype his try scoring in one match and his running out wide.
No worries. Just read teh NZHerald article posted by Stargazer. If taht's accurate, tehn Australia ahas some ridiculous laws.
"Australian immigration laws prevented Shannon from joining his birth familythere.
What's weird is that his British passport should have made it easier to get in. If he does live up to Hansen's fluffing then the ARU is going to be mighty pissed off with Oz immigration.
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Moving on .....
Talk of poor performances v BIL's last years by Crusdaers fringe AB contenders.
I actually rate the worse performance by any NZ player v the BILs was by TTT for the Hurricanes. He was woeful. The least-worse thing he did that day was mock a concussed opponent.
He was subbed by a 19 year-old rookie who played the house down.
We can all get one mulligan in life though ......
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Pretty sure Shannon was raised by his grandparents in Tonga.
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so we are looking at playing a new style of rugby v the French...
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@taniwharugby Just when I go giving Hinton shit in the thread about NZ's rugby journalists, he manages to come out with something slightly interesting and without a trace of negativity.
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But it is mostly sound bites, 'not revolution' says Beaudy, so really is it any different from any other year? Can't stand still and they have to deal with rush defence - I hope it is tho, but I can't see it being anything more than an evolution of last years ' play so bloody fast no on else can keep up, meaning we score way more tries than we let in' plan.
I hope the plan includes do not give away so many stupid cards, we had 8/1 vs Eng 1/0, Boks 1/1, and Ireland 3/0 - dangerous stuff
