Nonu

Canerbry

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="nostrildamus" data-cid="539974" data-time="1446887666">
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I am just happy the RWC was one long Aura Show. But now Hansen admits he trained them ragged in the pool games I feel doubly sorry for Aaron Smith, he must be very fit or very buggered.
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He did fall off bigtime towards the end.

nostrildamus

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Canerbry" data-cid="539977" data-time="1446891760">
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He did fall off bigtime towards the end.
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I should set my watch by your Aaron Smith comment response time..

nzzp

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="nostrildamus" data-cid="539979" data-time="1446891895">
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I should set my watch by your Aaron Smith comment response time..
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I think his watch permanently reads 'stuck in the past'

taniwharugby

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crash" data-cid="539972" data-time="1446886340">Xactly. France and England tend to put club before country. Meh, as soon as you do that, - not only your national side, but your whole club rugby structure suffers.</blockquote>
 
I thinkEnglish Rugby would like to change, but is pretty much powerless, whereas you don't get the impression the French Federartion give a crap, I might be wrong, but it doesn't come over that way.

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="539904" data-time="1446869922">
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I've seen people from the nh trying to claim credit for helping out lower tier nations, I don't buy it at all. Firstly it's not intentional at all, the players are not selected with a mind to helping out Georgia etc rather trying to fit within the team budget . Second the club owners are often very reluctant to release the players for international duty or pay them incentives to end their test careers. 
The last reason makes me not at all displeased that France are reaping what they have sown in the past .
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It's not why the French clubs do it but it still does have positive benefits. If teams were only allowed 5 overseas players, the Georgians would be the first to go. You are correct about the reluctance to release players though.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="539832" data-time="1446843502">
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Or how much better he might make Kwaiyde look, potentially lethal backline, although, MIchalak at 9?
 
<img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xlp1/v/t1.0-9/12191786_937141063044417_1584099977646319333_n.png?oh=beb18042d1a327e45ee9f2f3ee7bf546&oe=56F42CEB&gda=1459070713_9da5e8c1d1510104f657df73e2a61daa" alt="12191786_937141063044417_158409997764631">
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Quade played his first game for Toulon last night. This was the line-up:
 
1. Xavier Chiocci 2. Guilhem Guirado 3. Matthew Stevens 4. Samuela Manoa 5. Romain Taofifenua 6. Juan Smith 7. Juan MartÎ¯n Fernandez lobbe 8. Steffon Armitage 
9. Jonathan Pelissie 10. Quade COOPER 11. Lachlan Turner 12. Maxime Mermoz 13. Mathieu Bastareaud 14. Josua Tuisova 15. Delon Armitage
 
16. Anthony Etrillard 17. Florian Fresia 18. Konstantine Mikautadze 19. Mamuka Gorgodze 20. Theo Belan 21. Thomas TAYLOR 22. Sebastien Tillous borde 23. Levan Chilachava
 
 
Cooper played the full 80 minutes but didnâ€™t get to kick the conversions and penalties. First Pelissie was on kicking duties, then Delon Armitage took over.
Also playing his first game for Toulon was Tom Taylor, who got 9 minutes of game time (when Delon Armitage was subbed off) and converted a try (his only kick of the game).

Stargazer

Off-topic, but I noticed that Tameifuna played his first game for Racing 92 on 23 Oct from the bench (came on the field in the 54th minute) and his second - also off the bench - last week. Last week he came on early in the 22' and collected his first yellow card 15 minutes later. Surprise, surprise. Tonight he will get his first start.

sparky

Nonu is being left out by Toulon at the moment. I'm hearing that he's not very happy there. I doubt he'll stay there beyond June. 
Interested to see where he goes next...........

leytonandamanda

Back to Nz I hope 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="leytonandamanda" data-cid="568053" data-time="1459218932">Back to Nz I hope 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk</blockquote>Not impossible. I know he did the sabbatical in Japan but maybe he's realised his heart is back home

taniwharugby

Toulon really need an 'all black' kit or a black and yellow one...seems the only things that bring out the best in Nonu.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="568080" data-time="1459222473">
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Toulon really need an 'all black' kit or a black and yellow one...seems the only things that bring out the best in Nonu.
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Maybe he's discovered that spending a whole season with a bunch of mercenaries isn't what he thought it would be

sparky

Amazing that he can go in five months from the world's best player in October tearing defences to pieces and scoring a try from 50 metres in the RWC final to being unused and left in the stands by Toulon in March. 
It would be fantastic to see Ma'a back in Hurricanes and All Blacks jerseys next year.

gt12

While we are dreaming, can I have a pony?

kiwiinmelb

while he has been a great allblack , it hasnt always been great elsewhere, 
 
When you look back on his career you wonder how much credit goes to our AB coaches for getting the best out of him where really , very few others did

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="568172" data-time="1459242113">
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while he has been a great allblack , it hasnt always been great elsewhere, 
 
When you look back on his career you wonder how much credit goes to our AB coaches for getting the best out of him where really , very few others did 
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Not this again. ;)
 
Cooper got good years out of him, Kirwan got one good year out of him, Hammett got a good year out of him despite himself and then Boyd got a cracking year out of him. So it can be done.

Siam

I'm prepared to give Ma'a the benefit of the doubt over there
 
That Toulon culture team must be as arse about face as it's owner I'd say. What's the bet there are appearance bonuses and shite all designed for a "me first" attitude**
 
 
** pure and utter speculation on my part, shamelessly so, but I won't have the creator and finisher of that try after half time sullied!!! :ireful:

Rancid Schnitzel

Has Nonu even had a break since before the 2015 Super season? If not then no wonder he isn't 100%.

kiwiinmelb

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="568181" data-time="1459244402">
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Not this again. ;)
 
Cooper got good years out of him, Kirwan got one good year out of him, Hammett got a good year out of him despite himself and then Boyd got a cracking year out of him. So it can be done.
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My intention was to praise the AB set up more so than bag his previous coaches,
 
inconsistencies were never an issue there

antipodean

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rancid Schnitzel" data-cid="568215" data-time="1459261296">
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Has Nonu even had a break since before the 2015 Super season? If not then no wonder he isn't 100%.
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That's a point I've made elsewhere. It's astonishing the amount of people who expect him to still be playing at the level he demonstrated last year.
 
With what seems to be a greater distribution of talent across the big Top14 teams now, it's small wonder Toulon aren't dominating - particularly when it seems a lot of players appear to be expecting the other stars in their team to do something magical.
 
You can see Ma'a's frustration with this team-mates in this one clip

The Silver Fern

Nonu