Exodus 2017
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@Rapido said in Exodus 2017:
@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:
Wanganui lock and Meads Cup winner, Gavin Thornbury, is heading for Connacht for next season.
The Kiwi 6'7" lock played a central role in the Meads Cup win, scoring the winning try in the Heartland Championship last year. Thornbury will join a few other Kiwi recruits at the western province with incoming Kiwi coach, Kieran Keane taking over the reins from Pat Lam.
Thornbury, a 23-year old graduate of Blackrock College, Dublin initially joined Leinster but got no game time so he emigrated to New Zealand for six months and played for Border on the Nth Island before a move to the Wanganui provincial team. A move to the Kiwi Exiles team in western Ireland was the next logical move where Thornbury may have to undergo the painful process of becoming an Irishman once again.
Remember reading about him last year in a piece kinsella did on some young Irish guys playing in NZ. Was a good read. Well done to him on getting a full time pro gig, and getting to travel etc as a means to getting there.
I have a pedantic issue though with the text you have quoted. You don't move move from the Border club to the Wanganui provincial team, you graduate. Border is part of the Wanganui provincial union.
Btw, for Naki locals question. Did Bordr used to be in Taranaki?
My bad writing. None of it is a quote.
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Hope he stays. Not an AB starter but pretty handy to have as a back-up for either the midfield or the wing. Could easily get a call-up when another player goes down with injury.
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@Stargazer he played ok when called upon. You hate to lose young fringe players like that
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@canefan said in Exodus 2017:
@Stargazer he played ok when called upon. You hate to lose young fringe players like that
Will be very hard to keep IMO
- A fringe AB
- Fijian, not Kiwi - less innate loyalty to NZ rugby
- Would earn mega-bucks in the likes of the Top 14
If we get another couple of seasons out of him, that would be good going.
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He wasn't back in NZ for long: Masaga signs two-year deal with Glasgow Warriors
Lelia Masaga signs two-year deal with Glasgow Warriors | Newshub
Lelia Masaga has signed a two-year deal with Glasgow.
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@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:
He wasn't back in NZ for long: Masaga signs two-year deal with Glasgow Warriors
Lelia Masaga signs two-year deal with Glasgow Warriors | Newshub
Lelia Masaga has signed a two-year deal with Glasgow.
Unbelievably Glasgow supporters seem really happy about it. I wonder if they're expecting him to ever pass...
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@antipodean Hey That's my line!!!
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New Zealanders headline list of France's highest-paid rugby players | Newshub
The biggest French clubs finally blow the lid on their big money deals.
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Hika Elliott has signed with Pro D2 champions Oyonnax for 2 seasons. Another Kiwi to the Top 14 in France.
http://www.usorugby.com/le-talonneur-all-black-des-chiefs-hika-elliot-rejoint-lus-oyonnax/
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Now with a brief article in English:
Hika Elliot signs for French club US Oyonnax
2017 will be Hika Elliot's last season in New Zealand rugby after signing on with French club Oyonnax, the club announced Thursday.
Making 125 Super Rugby appearances for the Hurricanes and the Chiefs as well as playing nine times for the Maori All Blacks, the hooker will leave New Zealand with a host of experience.
Elliot also played four Tests for the All Blacks in between 2010 and 2015.
The 31-year-old has been the Chiefs' starting hooker this season but could face the rest of the season starting from the bench with the return of Nathan Harris.
Situated in France's east near the country's border with Switzerland, the club earned promotion to the Top 14 next season after winning French rugby's second tier competition.
Elliot joins a number of Chiefs heading north at the end of the season including Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Toulon), Aaron Cruden (Montpellier) and James Lowe (Leinster).
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@akan004 said in Exodus 2017:
The guys on The Rugby pod reckon that DMac is talking to Leicester atm. Would be a massive blow if he leaves.
He is not going to leave. His market value would sore with AB caps, and in any case he is self-respecting and I'm sure knows he has more to achieve in NZ (not least RWC 2019). Sopoaga and Mounga haven't really said "pick me" recently, it's not hard to see DMac as 10/15 on the bench behind Barrett after Cruden leaves.
(unless Leicester offer him NZ$1M a season or something, in which case he might be sorely tempted)
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@akan004 Wow, that would be very young to give up on that black jersey! He may not have been selected for the Lions Series, I assume he's still in the frame for Rugby Championship and/or EOYT. Unless he's had some sort of message from the AB coaches that suggests otherwise ...
Edit: DMac is contracted to the Chiefs through to 2018, so it couldn't be for the 2017-2018 season.
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This year has been arguably the worst ever in terms of losing quality players still in their prime. Luatua, Faumaina, TKB, Lowe, Cruden and Fekitoa. FFS, that's some serious talent gone. Faumaina and Cruden in particular will be massive losses that won't be easy to replace.
