Maori Tour
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From an interview with Ash Dixon in the Hawke's Bay Today:
"There're a few old heads and we have some pretty exciting youth in the squad. Being realistic and from the season we had with the Magpies we should be pleased to have three selected. There are still two spots up for grabs and we could get more as Tiaan [Falcon] and Pouri [Rakete-Stones] are among several players coming into camp with us and the two players will be selected from them," Dixon explained.
That indicates how they're planning to select two further players, but also that Jonah Lowe probably isn't in that group. I can't imagine him not being mentioned in an interview with a Hawke's Bay paper if he were. Obviously, I hope I'm wrong.
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@nepia said in Maori Tour:
@nepia No fullbacks in the squad?
Maybe Ngatai is the fullback?
What a weird selection.
At least there's only Keepa Mewett as the random coach home province selection rather than the 2 or 3 Cooper used to include.
Oi! That's Championship Finalist & Captain Keepa Mewett to you, Hawkes
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@donsteppa said in Maori Tour:
@nepia said in Maori Tour:
@nepia No fullbacks in the squad?
Maybe Ngatai is the fullback?
What a weird selection.
At least there's only Keepa Mewett as the random coach home province selection rather than the 2 or 3 Cooper used to include.
Oi! That's Championship Finalist & Captain Keepa Mewett to you, Hawkes
Apologies - Championship finalist and Captain random home coach home province selection Keepa Mewett! Better?
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@nepia said in Maori Tour:
@donsteppa said in Maori Tour:
@nepia said in Maori Tour:
@nepia No fullbacks in the squad?
Maybe Ngatai is the fullback?
What a weird selection.
At least there's only Keepa Mewett as the random coach home province selection rather than the 2 or 3 Cooper used to include.
Oi! That's Championship Finalist & Captain Keepa Mewett to you, Hawkes
Apologies - Championship finalist and Captain random home coach home province selection Keepa Mewett! Better?
It's been a long time between drinks, we're deifying the players while we can
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French Barbarians squad for the match against the Māori All Blacks:
Props:
TAOFIFENUA Sébastien (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
TICHIT Antoine (Casters Olympiques)
GOMES SA Cedate (Racing 92)
SETIANO Emerick (RC Toulon)Hookers:
ETRILLARD Anthony (RC Toulon)
PELISSIE Adrien (Union Bordeaux Bègles)Locks:
REBBADJ Swan (RC Toulon)
VERHAEGHE Florian (Stade Toulousain)
FLANQUART Alexandre (Stade Français)Loosies:
BURBAN Antoine (Stade Français)
DEVERGIE Martin (Montpellier RC)
DIABY Mahamadou (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
CHOUZENOUX Baptiste (Racing 92)Halfbacks:
COUILLOUD Baptiste (Lyon OU)
IRIBAREN Teddy (Racing 92)First-five:
NTAMACK Romain (Stade Toulousain)Midfielders:
AGUILLON Pierre (Stade Rochelais)
REGARD Thibaut (Lyon OU)
ROUGERIE Aurélien (AS Clermont Auvergne)Outside backs:
DUPICHOT Louis (Racing 92)
JALIBERT Matthieu (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
POURAILLY Bastien (Section Paloise)
RAMOS Thomas (Stade Toulousain) -
Just read something interesting. From the 2017/18 rugby season onwards (= as of 1 July 2017), the French Barbarians must be considered as France's second national team (in terms of World Rugby's Law Book). Earlier this week, the French Rugby Federation, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (which administers the domestic competition in France) and the Barbarians Rugby Club reached a (transitional) agreement about the conditions that will rule the selection of players for the game against the Māori ABs.
The agreement stipulates that the French Barbarians may select 23 players from Top 14 clubs*. However, these players are only released by the clubs from Monday, 6 November. They must return to their clubs the day after the game, on Saturday, 11 November. So they have 5 days of preparation.
(*Previously, players had to take annual leave to be able to train with and play for the French Barbarians; now, the Baabaas coach may select whoever he wants - obviously, with the exception of players selected for the first French team - and the clubs must release them and it doesn't cost the players any annual leave.)
I also read somewhere else that the Barabarians are thinking about an original way to respond to the haka. Hopefully, nothing cringeworthy ...
For Ferners who can read French, from the interview with the coach of the French Barbarians (Franck Azéma, head coach of Clermont):
Les Maoris All Blacks, c’est aussi le fameux Haka… Comptez-vous faire un clin d’oeil à l’équipe de France qui s’était illustrée en défiant les Blacks en 2007 et 2011 ? Secret défense. Nous allons en parler avec les joueurs, voir si ils ont quelque chose en tête… Nous avons beaucoup de respect pour ce Haka, mais il faut savoir en jouer aussi, voir ce qu’il y a moyen de faire. Etre Barbarian, s’est se comporter de manière décalée, originale. Peut-être que vous serez surpris !
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@kiwimurph said in Maori Tour:
Harbour instagram saying Stevenson made the squad. I'm guessing he is the extra outside back.
How did he not make it first selection round? (Did they not know he was Maori?)