NH club rugby
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Bundee Aki and Ultan Dillane have signed new 3-year contracts with Connacht - a major boost for Lam and CEO, Ruane, - who has suffered a loss of quality players as soon as their first contracts near their end over the years.
*"Galway and Bundee Aki, evidently, are a well-matched couple. Same goes for Ultan Dillane. Both young men told Willie Ruane, Connacht native and chief executive, they had no intention of leaving the province. Dark forces were working against Connacht during this contract renegotiation process, but they are used to that.
“It was relatively straight forward,” Ruane told local media yesterday. “Speculation is one thing,” he said of the rumoured double swoop by Munster, “but a statement of fact in some cases I didn’t understand at all. Absolutely bizarre. The guys wanted to be here so really it was just about details after that.”
Details do matter. Relatively straightforward, maybe.
The Aki deal, a provincial agreement locking him in for three more seasons, two of which will see him available for Ireland, could not possibly have been a smooth process. There was some twitter activity. It is also established a host of French and English clubs were in the market for the Kiwi centre of Samoan heritage. There were even, quickly dismissed, suggestions he might return home to become an All Black. Of course it doesn’t work like that in New Zealand. Usually when you are gone that ship sails with you.
Samoa, however, would happily build their midfield around his powerful skill-set. That option only disappears if Joe Schmidt caps Aki in November 2017. That is no certainty, mind. By then Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose should have cemented their Leinster partnership at Test level. Stuart Olding has been a Schmidt player since he was 20.
The Ireland coach likes a certain type of character in his team. Hard working, diligent and not prone to any off-field misdemeanours. “Joe has spoken to me about how I am playing,” said Aki. “Not about contracts or anything, just been giving feedback about how I am performing.”There is nothing to suggest Aki cannot become a key figure at the 2019 World Cup in Japan. For Ireland or Samoa. Long road still ahead.
What is certain is the name Bundee Aki – already a folk hero throughout the western province following his always stunning performances last season en route to the Pro 12 title – will be ringing around Eyre Square until June 2020.
The 26-year-old has settled into small city life. His two daughters travelled over, he regularly talks about the value of family and religious faith. “There were a few people knocking on doors but I feel like I am home here, I feel happy here.”
Along with fellow Samoan Pat Lam, Aki has embraced this culture-driven environment over lucrative foreign offers. “People chase money some times and it doesn’t work out. If you are enjoying rugby where you are why move?”
He is not your average soul and Connacht, Lam in particular, grasped as much when recruiting him from Super Rugby with the Chiefs in 2014. It was a surprising coup as Aki seemed, from the outside, to be close to the All Blacks set-up. Sonny Bill Williams had returned to Rugby League so he was promoted from provincial rugby with Counties Manukau to fill the 12 jersey as the Chiefs, in similar fashion to what transpired at Connacht, regained the Super rugby title in 2013.
Now Aki and Dillane look set to help maintain the greatest era in Connacht’s history. They may also get to play in the badly needed new or renovated stadium. “It’s been frustratingly slow,” Ruane admitted of plans for a 10-12,000 capacity ground. “We are scoping out a number of different options, the whole of Galway to be honest. We are down to a relatively short short list.”
The downing of the once mighty Toulouse a fortnight ago proved a Munster-like sustainability is evident around The Sportsground. Something like we witnessed in those heady Limerick years from Munster’s first European final in 2000. It really does feel like Connacht are on the cusp. Still swimming against the tide of better-financed Irish provinces, never mind European super powers that so craved Bundee’s signature.
“Needless to say the signings are hugely significant in the context of what we are trying to achieve with Connacht Rugby,” Ruane added. “Finally, I want to thank the players for the manner they went about their business during the negotiations.”Sensible words words from the man at the helm of Connacht Rugby.
Out west they look after their own. Bundee, from the mean streets of Manurewa in south Auckland, and Dillane, a 22-year-old Kerryman via the Ivory Coast, are Tribesmen. They have been from the beginning of their Connacht journey.
Good day for what Ruane, Eric Elwood and Lam are building, with more promised."*
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Haaaa yes Bundee, if you're enjoying rugby where you are, why chase money?
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Always sad to read that players have to retire from rugby due to serious injury. This time it's Tonga, New Castle Falcons and former North Harbour prop Taione Vea, who suffered a spinal injury at the beginning of the season.
http://www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk/news/story/Vea-forced-to-retire
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And Chris Ashton signs for Toulon as of the end of the season, thereby kissing away any hopes of an England recall. Saracens by all accounts are pretty pissed off. Not surprising really as he's spent a large portion of last season and this season banned and while they've stood by him, he has now decided to jump ship.
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@Bones said in NH club rugby:
Haaaa yes Bundee, if you're enjoying rugby where you are, why chase money?
From previous interviews, I don't think he was enjoying rugby where he was when he left for Ireland. Am surprised that he's stayed though - I think he's got a strong hint about off-field behaviour if he wants to be considered further than Connacht.
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@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
@Bones said in NH club rugby:
Haaaa yes Bundee, if you're enjoying rugby where you are, why chase money?
From previous interviews, I don't think he was enjoying rugby where he was when he left for Ireland. Am surprised that he's stayed though - I think he's got a strong hint about off-field behaviour if he wants to be considered further than Connacht.
Well fuck of course he wasn't! He wasn't in Ireland was he.
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@Bones said in NH club rugby:
@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
@Bones said in NH club rugby:
Haaaa yes Bundee, if you're enjoying rugby where you are, why chase money?
From previous interviews, I don't think he was enjoying rugby where he was when he left for Ireland. Am surprised that he's stayed though - I think he's got a strong hint about off-field behaviour if he wants to be considered further than Connacht.
Well fuck of course he wasn't! He wasn't in Ireland was he.
Errr no he wasn't in Ireland. Are we having a senior moment here? Or what subtle point/dig/allusion/contempt/endless bonhomie are you seeking to communicate?
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@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
Out west they look after their own. Bundee, from the mean streets of Manurewa in south Auckland, and Dillane, a 22-year-old Kerryman via the Ivory Coast, are Tribesmen. They have been from the beginning of their Connacht journey.
Good god - a) is there a link for this hagiographical puke fest and b) if I visited said link, would Google Ads offer vomit buckets for sale?
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@Smudge said in NH club rugby:
@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
Out west they look after their own. Bundee, from the mean streets of Manurewa in south Auckland, and Dillane, a 22-year-old Kerryman via the Ivory Coast, are Tribesmen. They have been from the beginning of their Connacht journey.
Good god - a) is there a link for this hagiographical puke fest and b) if I visited said link, would Google Ads offer vomit buckets for sale?
There is now a link at bottom of article. Thought I'd included it - apologies. It might be behind a paywall though.
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@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
It might be behind a paywall though.
Unfortunately, it isn't - I almost wish it was.
Conjures up memories of a story on the All Blacks website a few years ago, which got yanked when they realised it was the most fawning piece anyone in the history of rugby writing had ever published.
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'The mean streets of Manurewa' I must put that in my CV.
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@Smudge said in NH club rugby:
@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
It might be behind a paywall though.
Unfortunately, it isn't - I almost wish it was.
Conjures up memories of a story on the All Blacks website a few years ago, which got yanked when they realised it was the most fawning piece anyone in the history of rugby writing had ever published.
Colour writers do tend to suffer from occasional flatulence. It's a universal problem. Best just open the window for a while.
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Here's a better writer and analyst at work. Murray Kinsella knows his stuff. He's on a journalistic tour in NZ currently for the42.ie and is filing regular reports.
Here's one on an Irish player who's spent some some time with Wanganui over the last few months and helped them get to the Meads Cup final.
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Interview with David Nucifora, the Australian-born performance director with the IRFU. He outlines the detail and effect behind the IRFU's recent change in policy aimed at investing in the development of the domestic pathway and the curtailment of foreign player purchasing/contracts, including the much-derided project player growth that has occurred under the union's Player Succession Strategy from 2012.
Extending Ruan Pienaar’s stay didn’t make sense for Irish rugby, says Nucifora
"Steady as she goes. The IRFU performance director David Nucifora maintains that the union’s drive to harness indigenous talent, with experienced rather than inexperienced coaching, remains their primary focus as they seek to compete against wealthier rivals. Hence, they are not for budging on their stance regarding Ruan Pienaar moving on from Ulster at the end of the season.Critical to all of this was Joe Schmidt agreeing to extend his stay as Ireland coach until the conclusion of the 2019 World Cup in Japan. Nucifora always believed, as well as hoped, Schmidt would stay, and the Ireland head coach could have taken longer to decide had he so wished. Now that he is staying, the union has ample time to plan for his succession.
“We’ve got a solid core of experienced coaches now and by the time they get to 2019 they’ll have done a good stint in international rugby and have a good base of experience, which is hugely important to us.
“We’ve bought ourselves some time now to sit back and watch how other people perform, so we’ve got that certainty of a really good, strong group of coaches in Irish rugby – both within the national set-up and within the provinces. Now, what we can do is sit back and start to see how people are going, and make decisions on the back of that, and not be rushed into things.”
Biggest challenge
Finances remain the biggest challenge facing the IRFU and Nucifora, be it wealthier rival unions or the English and French club game, which is backed both by benefactors and lucrative television deals.
“I think affordability of the game is always a challenge. There’s plenty of money in the game up in this part of the world and we’ve got some competitors with deep pockets. We have to continue to be smart in the way that we develop our players, keep our players and compete at a higher level. That’s probably the biggest challenge, to be honest.”
Central to that is developing players through the union’s pathway. “Developing your own is always a cheaper way of doing it. There’s no doubt about that. Investing in the pathways, we think, is a key way in trying to do that, and being able to introduce players earlier to the higher levels of the game is certainly cheaper than buying talent in.
“The other type of investment for us is our coaches,” added Nucifora, in a nod toward the presence of Rassie Erasmus at Munster and Stuart Lancaster at Leinster, in addition to Pat Lam and Les Kiss at Connacht and Ulster.
“We think that if we invest in our coaching that that’s going to help us achieve the quality of player that we’re looking to develop. There’s no doubt that if you introduce a young player who lacks experience and you put him in with an experienced coach, then that’s going to expedite the development, as opposed to putting him in with inexperienced coaches.”
“The other thing that we work hard on is our player welfare and how we look after the players because the players certainly appreciate us being able to to manage their careers so that they do get longevity and that they are able to perform at a higher level when required.”
Indigenous
Hence, Nucifora welcomed the arrival of Lancaster, the former England head coach, at Leinster, while the IRFU are also adamant it is time for Ulster to start developing indigenous scrumhalves, something they made clear to the province two years ago, even if none seem readily available to replace the hugely influential Pienaar.
“I think it was a fairly clear-cut situation, to be honest. Ruan has been a great servant for Ulster Rugby over seven years.
“Did we think it would be wise for him to stay nine years? No. I mean, that doesn’t fit in with any of our plans.
“In his role within Ulster Rugby, he’s done a great job, but it’s time to move on,” said Nucifora, citing the emergence of Joey Carbery when revealing that Leinster had sought an overseas replacement when Ian Madigan departed.
“When someone moves on, people think, ‘Gosh, we’ll never replace him, we’ll never find someone to fill that spot’. But there’s always someone who comes through once that opportunity presents itself. It may be uncomfortable for a short period of time but I’m sure that someone will put their hand up now that an opportunity presents itself.”
Not alone do Nucifora and the IRFU want Pienaar’s seven-year stay at Ulster to conclude, he strongly hinted that Ulster would not be allowed to emulate Leinster by signing a player akin to Jamison Gibson-Park, ie a “special project” who could become qualified to play for Ireland in three years.
Ineligible player
“When we have four half-backs and four hookers running out every week and we have one of those positions taken up by one ineligible player, that presents a number of challenges. When we have two, then that’s a real problem, isn’t it? And how are we going to create the opportunity for these players to get better? They need to be playing at a higher level.
“So the number of matches that Ruan played over a long period of time was significant. The number of games that the players beneath him played and started in was very few. We speak to the provinces about it. If we have a foreign player in the system, then part of it is: what is your succession plan? Who is coming through? Who have you earmarked? So it can’t just be about the here and now. It’s got to be about the future planning for that position as well.”
Players qualifying through the much discussed three-year residency rule, or special projects “are going to be considered like everyone else”, according to Nucifora, with the union not of a mind to actively seek a change in the rules.
“To be honest, if it is changed, it doesn’t really worry me. We’ll make do with whatever they are, so if it’s three, four, five, two, it doesn’t really matter,” he said, but added: “Certainly first and foremost in our mind is developing Irish talent that’s within the system.”
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@Pot-Hale Kinsella's work is regularly featured in the "Good Rugby Reads" thread.
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I don't know the player, but maybe some Ferners do. French club Tarbes has a sad message on its website that former Fiji (Warriors?) prop Isireli Temo, who signed with the club in August, has died. He was 30 years old. There is no further information (yet). 30 years, so young!
http://tpr65.com/news-120/news-de-lequipe-pro/item/1802-le-tpr-endeuille.html
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@Rocky-Rockbottom said in NH club rugby:
Also, Nonu defended like a crippled little blind girl who was lost at the seaside. During a tsunami. At night.
I think he's worked out that it doesn't pay to care too much.
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Pat Lam will be leaving Connacht at the end of the season. He has signed with Bristol.
http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/news/pat-lam-appointed-as-head-coach/
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Regan King has returned to NZ for personal reasons; contract with Jersey Reds terminated
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@Stargazer said in NH club rugby:
Pat Lam will be leaving Connacht at the end of the season. He has signed with Bristol.
http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/news/pat-lam-appointed-as-head-coach/
Balls!
€750k salary apparently! Irish Rugby cannot compete with those kind of numbers.
Bundee Aki not happy about the announcement after signing a new two-year deal with the province a couple of months ago.
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Just watching a bit of the Gloucester v La Rochelle match in the second tier Euro comp. Ricky Januarie at 9 for la Rochelle - fuck is he fat.
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Northampton v Leinster
Evenly matched contest until Hartley came on and promptly went off for a red card for swinging arm to the head.
Just can't stop himself.
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Only seen a short clip of the Hartley incident. I'm not sure he was aiming for the head (SOB was falling), but it looked at least reckless, and a red was inevitable. Ugly incident, but I sort of feel sorry for Hartley, if this signals that the exorcism has not been as permanent as it appeared to be until now. Eddie has George and Cowan Dickie (if uninjured?) for 6N, but if this incident heralds a return to Dylan v1.0 it would be a problem for Lions, although I didn't see him as Lions skipper as some pundits have touted.
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@Disgusted-of-TW I agree, it was a swinging arm tackle and he got what he deserved but it was only SOB falling that made it head high. Still a red in any event. If a lengthy ban ensues he can kiss his Lions chances goodbye, but in any event, like you I don't see him as skipper material, mainly because he is not nailed on first choice anyway. For the 6N we have fatty George, Tommy Taylor and the former mullet-boy Cowan-Dickie who must be coming back soon, so we should be OK hooker wise, but I think that Hartley has become something of a talisman for this England team particularly when the chips are down and we could miss his influence in this way.
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For me, Hartley's unlucky. His arm was originally swinging well below the line of SOB's shoulders. Looking at the commentary online, he's being judged by history here.
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@antipodean said in NH club rugby:
For me, Hartley's unlucky. His arm was originally swinging well below the line of SOB's shoulders. Looking at the commentary online, he's being judged by history here.
I agree. The problem was that he was swinging in the first place.
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Thing is that if that was anyone else the credit they would get for it being more reckless than deliberate would probably make the ban quite short.
Because he will get no credit at all for good previous and get extra for repeat offending any other mitigating circumstances will get wiped.
He simply has to be extra clean given his past record. He knows that and so, obviously, does Eddie. -
@antipodean said in NH club rugby:
For me, Hartley's unlucky. His arm was originally swinging well below the line of SOB's shoulders. Looking at the commentary online, he's being judged by history here.
Which is only right and proper.
He had shown himself to be a consistent thug in his rugby career to date, so when viewing any of his actions that is the only prism to use. The idea that he was swinging his arm to do anything less than cause maximum damage is laughable; that's just the type of rugby player he is.
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Irish teams on fire so far this weekend. Ulster faded a bit against clermont but hung on at the end, but so far Munster just smothering leicester.
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Just watching European Champions Rugby show on Sky.
Brought up Hartley incident and his 'charge' sheet.
A total of 54 weeks banned from the game for eye gouging, biting, punching, elbowing, headbutting, verbally abusing the referee.
Doesn't include the anticipated 8-12 week ban for last night's brain explosion
Question asked was has this blown his chance of Lions place / captaincy?
My question is how the f*** is he still allowed to play rugby?
Hartley is a dirty, dirty repeat offender. The game is better off without him -
Awful talent spotting by the blues to let Nathan Hughes go.
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Kurtley beale Motm on debut for wasps.
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@Billy-Tell Did you watch the game Billy? Beale was solid and had a couple of very good moments but how he got MoTM ahead of Launchbury I don't know.
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Yep, I think Stuart Barnes has a low attention span and likes new shiny things. Beale was decent and unfortunate to be yellowed for a high shot. Launchbury was immense though. All over Connacht in the tight and took his try well.
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@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Billy-Tell Did you watch the game Billy? Beale was solid and had a couple of very good moments but how he got MoTM ahead of Launchbury I don't know.
Yes, I did watch the game (all 4 games involving the irish provinces actually), and I share your opinion that Launchbury, or even the connacht 9 marmion were probably better.
Wasps didn't really have to do too much - just watch the Connacht lineout implode and their goalkicker miss, and then they took well the few chances they created.
wasps scrum was pretty poor though - leinster dodged a bullet by losing moore to wasps and keeping furlong.
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@Billy-Tell Connacht were good all over the field except line-out, goal kicking and composure in the red zone. Cost them points in this fixture. Marmion was all class wasn't he?
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@Billy-Tell said in NH club rugby:
@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Billy-Tell Did you watch the game Billy? Beale was solid and had a couple of very good moments but how he got MoTM ahead of Launchbury I don't know.
Yes, I did watch the game (all 4 games involving the irish provinces actually), and I share your opinion that Launchbury, or even the connacht 9 marmion were probably better.
Wasps didn't really have to do too much - just watch the Connacht lineout implode and their goalkicker miss, and then they took well the few chances they created.
wasps scrum was pretty poor though - leinster dodged a bullet by losing moore to wasps and keeping furlong.
His agent, of course, believed Ireland was losing the best TH in the country. Not many people agreed.
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@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Billy-Tell Connacht were good all over the field except line-out, goal kicking and composure in the red zone. Cost them points in this fixture. Marmion was all class wasn't he?
Marion is improving by the game which is great to see some possible depth appearing at 9 - Ireland are paper thin beyond Murray.
Don't know if it's just me but I think Aki has gone off he boil completely this season and looks disgruntled out on the pitch. The recent news about Lam's departure probably hasn't helped either. He's just signed himself up to a 2-year extension with Connacht in April, but I get the feeling that he'd prefer to be elsewhere. He doesn't look happy at all. -
@Pot-Hale Odd that PH. Aki seems to be revered in Connacht and life in Galway cannot be all bad as it is a lovely, friendly city.
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@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Billy-Tell Connacht were good all over the field except line-out, goal kicking and composure in the red zone. Cost them points in this fixture. Marmion was all class wasn't he?
Marion is improving by the game which is great to see some possible depth appearing at 9 - Ireland are paper thin beyond Murray.
Don't know if it's just me but I think Aki has gone off he boil completely this season and looks disgruntled out on the pitch. The recent news about Lam's departure probably hasn't helped either. He's just signed himself up to a 2-year extension with Connacht in April, but I get the feeling that he'd prefer to be elsewhere. He doesn't look happy at all.I haven't seen too much of his play but I did see one game earlier in the season when he was seemingly put on the bench to have a short run around on an injury comeback. An early injury in the game meant he had to play n unexpected 70 o minutes or so and he was well off the pace.
I suspect that also aggravated whatever injury he is carrying and he hasn't been anywhere near 100% ever since.
That would be incredibly frustrating but is also part and parcel of accepting the big bucks in the NH. Investors want their pound of flesh and players seem to have to play carrying niggles that would see them have time off back home.