Super Rugby News
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@gt12 said in Super Rugby News:
Who with? That Panasonic team is actually better than the Suntory team IMO, even though they lost. They're a lot better than the Sunwolves too.... I'd reckon.
From Kyodo News:
TOKYO, Jan. 30, Kyodo Wallabies centurion Matt Giteau said on Monday he is leaving Toulon at the end of the French Top 14 season to play in Japan. While Giteau has not named a team, multiple sources have told Kyodo News the versatile 34-year-old back will sign with Suntory Sungoliath, who completed the Japanese league and cup double after beating Panasonic Wild Knights in Sunday's All-Japan Championship final. "I want to announce that at the end of this season, I will leave to play in Japan," Giteau said on his Instagram account. "Making this decision was the toughest of my rugby career but it is the best for my family to be closer to Australia." "I want to say a big thank you to the players, (who I have made lifelong friendships with), coaches, the president and staff behind the scenes since 2011. I owe a lot to you." "I also want to say a big thank you to the Toulon fans who will remain in my heart for life. The time I spent in Toulon was the best period of my rugby career." Neither Suntory nor Toulon have yet to comment. Giteau has 102 caps for Australia, according to the Australian Rugby Union, and would join his standout compatriots George Smith and David Pocock in the Top League.
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Cheers. Not surprising to see him go there. Should make them a better team.
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@gt12 said in Super Rugby News:
Cheers. Not surprising to see him go there. Should make them a better team.
A little surprising from the french perspective. He loves it down in Toulon, always seemed really settled.
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@mooshld said in Super Rugby News:
@gt12 said in Super Rugby News:
Cheers. Not surprising to see him go there. Should make them a better team.
A little surprising from the french perspective. He loves it down in Toulon, always seemed really settled.
He doesn't have many years left in him.
Not playing Heineken Cup would certainly extend his career.
Has he retired from tests?
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PT had a chance to promote his claims in Chicago, which he flunked somewhat. Especially given Barrett made a more than decent cameo off the bench.
He would be pushing for an impact bench spot, wouldn't see him starting in the near future.
All academic anyway if he's not going to play Super Rugby.
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@Crucial said in Super Rugby News:
@antipodean said in Super Rugby News:
Kinda related. George Smith showing the upstart who the king of Australian flankers is.
That is awesome. Before I hit play I was wondering wtf Pocock was doing standing on that side of the ruck. I guess Smith was thinking the same.
I loved that he smashed Pocock and hardly broke stride going after the ball. What a sensational player, absolutely top class. Just a pity he didn't get to Play enough at the top level
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Now this is shit news:
Charlie Ngatai could miss entire Super Rugby season
While it was far from a certainty that he would get a spot in the ABs team for the Lions tour if he had played Super Rugby this season, he can forget about it now completely.
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never good to hear about a head knock keeping a player out for that long!
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Fuck. That's going to mean TNW at center I guess.
We might regret not trying to keep a hold of Seta.
Edit: And, feel horrible for him for CN, but it's better that he7s stays away and gets healthy.
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Woeful midfield depth is major reason why the Chiefs will miss the playoffs this year.
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The Chiefs managed to win in 2012 and 2013 with injuries to first-choice midfielders. Obviously it's not ideal if Ngatai is out but there are options, albeit less experienced options.
Still at least we have depth at 1st 5.
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No problem with Championship Winning 1st 5 Bryn Gatland waiting in the wings.
Now if Cruden gets injured ...
Add to that the usual absences from Retallick and Cane, and injuries to Bird and several frontrow players, and you've got a disaster in the making.
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@Tim so, last year then
If you're out for a year with a head knock, then perhaps giving it away is the best option.
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actually, for those paying attention, what does our first choice XXIII look like now?
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My guess would be:
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Hames
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Harris/Elliot
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Laulala
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Retallick
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Bird
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Messam
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Cane
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Leitch
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TKB
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Cruden
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Lowe
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Ngatai (or Fa'auli/Donald)
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ALB
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TNW/Pulu
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DMac
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Harris/Elliot
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Graham
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Moli
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Seu
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Sanders/Boshier
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Weber
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Fa'auli/Donald
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McNicol/Stevenson
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@Tim said in Super Rugby News:
Woeful midfield depth is major reason why the Chiefs will miss the playoffs this year.
People said the exact same shit at the start of last season when SBW went off to play Sevens and how'd that turn out?
What's up with your snipes at the Chiefs lately though? Getting a bit uppity before the reality that the Blues are still the Blues comes crashing down?
Anyway, gutted Ngatai's still out. They sounded pretty positive late last year, so I was hopeful he'd come right in time for a full season. Great to hear he is on the improve though, even if it is a slow process.
Also gutted they're seriously looking at TNW as a midfield option. He should really only be looked at as emergency midfield cover and nothing more, dude can't tackle for shit.
That 23 looks ideal, Bovidae.
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News:
Now this is shit news:
Charlie Ngatai could miss entire Super Rugby season
While it was far from a certainty that he would get a spot in the ABs team for the Lions tour if he had played Super Rugby this season, he can forget about it now completely.
Doubly shit in that the Chiefs have got their grubby hands on Nankivell!
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Speaking of the preseason, Blues vs Chiefs at Takapuna on Feb 17.
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So Cruden doesn't like the fact the world knows about him buggering off to France. Maybe wanted to keep it secret from Hansen until afterJune...
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@Bovidae solid pack, good halves, now a bit light in midfield. But the bench looks ordinary, and i don't know about the strike power out wide
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@mariner4life I think there is the potential to have a strong bench with impact, especially in the forwards. All of those players started in a number of games for the Chiefs last season. The 2 back reserves could be between 4-5 players depending on the selections at 12/13 and 14.
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby News:
My guess would be:
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Hames
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Harris/Elliot
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Laulala
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Retallick
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Bird
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Messam
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Cane
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Leitch
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TKB
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Cruden
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Lowe
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Ngatai (or Fa'auli/Donald)
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ALB
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TNW/Pulu
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DMac
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Harris/Elliot
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Graham
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Moli
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Seu
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Sanders/Boshier
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Weber
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Fa'auli/Donald
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McNicol/Stevenson
Is McNicol already back to full training? Missed the entire Mitre 10 Cup season due to ... yes, there it is again, concussion.
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@Wurzel said in Super Rugby News:
So Cruden doesn't like the fact the world knows about him buggering off to France. Maybe wanted to keep it secret from Hansen until afterJune...
Did you read the article? He said he would have preferred to put the news out himself then have it leaked and can't do anything about all a sundry discussing his supposed remuneration. All fairly reasonable things. As for keeping it secret from Hansen that is pure speculation on your part and if he did want to do that so what? You tell your boss when your scouring the job sites?
Don't be petty he has been a great servant to NZ rugby and Waikato. He deserves a pay day and hopefully will do a Beaver and come back to NZ after a few years to end his career.
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@Stargazer I honestly don't know about the current health of McNicol, I was just basing my team on the squad.
I'll try to go to a training in the next week to see who is on deck to play.
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@Unco said in Super Rugby News:
@Tim said in Super Rugby News:
Woeful midfield depth is major reason why the Chiefs will miss the playoffs this year.
People said the exact same shit at the start of last season when SBW went off to play Sevens and how'd that turn out?
What's up with your snipes at the Chiefs lately though? Getting a bit uppity before the reality that the Blues are still the Blues comes crashing down?
Anyway, gutted Ngatai's still out. They sounded pretty positive late last year, so I was hopeful he'd come right in time for a full season. Great to hear he is on the improve though, even if it is a slow process.
Also gutted they're seriously looking at TNW as a midfield option. He should really only be looked at as emergency midfield cover and nothing more, dude can't tackle for shit.
That 23 looks ideal, Bovidae.
Rennie said 'midfield cover' with regard to TNW. Quite obvious when he has done that job in the past that he would be mentioned as an option again.
I like the idea of Beaver at 12. Has the experience to do a Crotty type role which will also be of benefit to ALB. TNW on the bench would make sense though along with another midfielder or attacking threequarter. If Cruden and DMac both start then having Timmy on the field makes things a bit too small overall, however the shape and gameplan wouldn't have to change much should one of them go off.
BTW maybe Messam not taking a leadership role is because he is secretly concentrating on wearing 13. -
@mooshld Cruden doesn't deserve any better special treatment than any others who have signed offshore. He isn't the first and won't be the last All Black to have his contract and its terms speculated, rumoured and reported. And it was the French papers that spilled beans first anyway.
It's been interesting to read a few Hamilton-based journos on Twitter yesterday suggesting Cruden should be thankful for their treatment of him in recent years, keeping mum about the specifics around his various misdemeanours from the missed flight to Mad Monday.
BTW, I was having a bit of fun with the Hansen remark so chill.
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SBW out for the first five weeks.
Piers Francis favoured to fill in at 12.
James Parsons still suffering from concussion, hopes to return in the "early rounds".
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From the Brisbane 10s squad it would seem that (BOP/NZ Maori/former NH) hooker Joe Royal has been called into the Blues as cover.
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joe has been in blues pre season since before Christmas as injury cover
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@Wurzel said in Super Rugby News:
@mooshld Cruden doesn't deserve any better special treatment than any others who have signed offshore. He isn't the first and won't be the last All Black to have his contract and its terms speculated, rumoured and reported. And it was the French papers that spilled beans first anyway.
It's been interesting to read a few Hamilton-based journos on Twitter yesterday suggesting Cruden should be thankful for their treatment of him in recent years, keeping mum about the specifics around his various misdemeanours from the missed flight to Mad Monday.
BTW, I was having a bit of fun with the Hansen remark so chill.
I'm not pointing the finger just agreeing with him there is fuck all he can do about it. You can't make him enjoy it. As he says it is what it is.
Sorry I read your post as being more bitter then it probably was. I mean he has done his time in my view.
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After midweek confirmation that James Broadhurst is no closer to a return, the Hurricanes' locking stocks took another hit with the news that Hawke's Bay's Geoff Cridge, who had a knee operation after the Magpies' Mitre 10 Cup campaign, will be gone for the season.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Super Rugby News:
After midweek confirmation that James Broadhurst is no closer to a return, the Hurricanes' locking stocks took another hit with the news that Hawke's Bay's Geoff Cridge, who had a knee operation after the Magpies' Mitre 10 Cup campaign, will be gone for the season.
Who does that leave them with? Abbott, Fatialofa, Blackwell, Lousi, plus backup from Thomson and Fifita.
hardly a crisis
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@Crucial Also Youngster Isaia Walker-Leawere is starting the pre season game at the Blues today.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Super Rugby News:
@Crucial Also Youngster Isaia Walker-Leawere is starting the pre season game at the Blues today.
GBHS boy. Following the footsteps of Hosea and Rico?
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@Daffy-Jaffy. James Blackwell has been named as the official replacement for Cridge
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All Black Patrick Tuipulotu's career in limbo after positive test for a banned substance
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Really sad news. Wasting a career. I sort of hope it was recreational drugs and not cheating drugs.
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@Billy-Tell said in Super Rugby News:
Really sad news. Wasting a career. I sort of hope it was recreational drugs and not cheating drugs.
Herald saying cheating drugs. In that case good riddance.
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