Crusaders 2016 and 2017
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/digby-ione-heads-to-crusaders-for-super-rugby-return/news-story/1e7a7edfb8910faa79934cc5b1f77619'>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/digby-ione-heads-to-crusaders-for-super-rugby-return/news-story/1e7a7edfb8910faa79934cc5b1f77619</a></p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="599918" data-time="1469402890">
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<p>Source?</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/digby-ione-heads-to-crusaders-for-super-rugby-return/news-story/1e7a7edfb8910faa79934cc5b1f77619'>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/digby-ione-heads-to-crusaders-for-super-rugby-return/news-story/1e7a7edfb8910faa79934cc5b1f77619</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="599920" data-time="1469403001">
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/digby-ione-heads-to-crusaders-for-super-rugby-return/news-story/1e7a7edfb8910faa79934cc5b1f77619'>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/digby-ione-heads-to-crusaders-for-super-rugby-return/news-story/1e7a7edfb8910faa79934cc5b1f77619</a></p>
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<p>Can you copy and paste that article, please. It's subscriber-only.</p> -
<p>The only reason for hiring a 31 year old player after a stint in France & Japan is that they hope to benefit from his experience. Playing in those competitions doesn't make a player better. Apparently, he's injury prone.</p>
<p>I'm not thrilled. Seriously, couldn't they find anyone better?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="599942" data-time="1469406326">
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<p>The only reason for hiring a 31 year old player after a stint in France is that they hope to benefit from his experience. Playing in France & Japan doesn't make a player better. Apparently, he's injury prone.</p>
<p>I'm not thrilled. Seriously, couldn't they find anyone better?</p>
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<p>Yeah I'm with you on this one. I did rate him quite highly a few years back but now feel that he's over the hill and yes he has had his fair share of injuries.</p> -
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<p>Former Wallabies winger Digby Ioane is rumoured to be heading back from Japan to play Super Rugby, but not for Queensland nor any of the other four Australian franchises.</p>
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<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Times New Roman', sans-serif;font-size:19px;">It is understood Ioane, who played the last of his 35 Tests for Australia against the British and Irish Lions in 2013, has been lured to the Crusaders by incoming coach Scott Robertson as a replacement for giant Fijian winger Nemani Nadolo who is headed to Montpellier to play under Jake White.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Times New Roman', sans-serif;font-size:19px;">Ioane was a critical member of the Reds’ championship-winning team in 2011, frequently teaming with five-eighth Quade Cooper to create some of the most dazzling rugby seen in Australia. It was, for instance, Ioane who was the target of Cooper’s outrageous behind-his-own-goalposts crosskick against the Cheetahs that almost led to a 110m try.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Times New Roman', sans-serif;font-size:19px;">Yet although indications are Cooper almost certainly is heading back to Ballymore, Ioane, who left the Reds at the end of the 2013 season to join Stade Francais Âbefore moving to the Honda Heat, will not be joining him.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Times New Roman', sans-serif;font-size:19px;">Instead, he will resume his Super Rugby career — 20 games for the Western Force in 2006-07 before playing 66 matches for Queensland from 2008-2013 — with the Crusaders, assuming he has no more difficulties with the knee injuries that have dogged his career.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Times New Roman', sans-serif;font-size:19px;">That presumably would place the 31-year-old out of the reach of Wallabies coach Michael Cheika because players returning from overseas to the Super Rugby competition must play for an Australian franchise.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Times New Roman', sans-serif;font-size:19px;">Meanwhile, the Melbourne Rebels have boosted their depth in outside backs by signing former Australian sevens star Pama Fou. Had it not been for a freakish fall in his bathroom in June, resulting in a ruptured ACL, Fou almost certainly would have been heading to Rio as a key member of Australia’s Olympic rugby sevens team.</p>
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<p>I wonder if he'll be eligible for the Wallabies - he's not at the 60 caps for the Giteau rule, he's not signed for the ARU but is playing Super Rugby - and the Wallabies aren't exactly flush with wingers - also, if he is, I wonder if this might start a bit of a precedent. </p>
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<p>Before he left for France he wasn't the same player he was in his prime so i'm not sure he's the answer for the Crusaders but there were plenty of question marks when the Crusaders signed Nadolo and that worked out rather well - will be interesting. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiMurph" data-cid="599977" data-time="1469408811">
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<p>Before he left for France he wasn't the same player he was in his prime so i'm not sure he's the answer for the Crusaders but there were plenty of question marks when the Crusaders signed Nadolo and that worked out rather well - will be interesting. </p>
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<p>Yeah - I guess it's a wait and see. I was certainly sceptical about Nadolo. Hopefully Scotty has done his due diligence.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="599942" data-time="1469406326">
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<p>The only reason for hiring a 31 year old player after a stint in France & Japan is that they hope to benefit from his experience. Playing in those competitions doesn't make a player better. Apparently, he's injury prone.</p>
<p>I'm not thrilled. Seriously, couldn't they find anyone better?</p>
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<p>he's an amazing athlete and was one of the worlds top wingers in the past.</p>
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<p>If he hasn't lost pace then I'm pretty excitied about what he can bring, certainly more than some wingers we've signed in the last few years.</p> -
Did they get the wrong Ioane? Hoping for Akira or Rieko got Digby ...
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="600016" data-time="1469414398">
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<p>Did they get the wrong Ioane? Hoping for Akira or Rieko got Digby ...</p>
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<p>Wait till you see Razor's trifecta.</p>
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<p>Toddy had his Whitelocks - Razor's collecting a different set! :)</p> -
<p>Hmmm not sure it is a good signing of true. He wasn't that great when he left Aust and i doubt he has improved much playing in France and Japan since. Not to mention he isn't NZ eligible. </p>
<p>My main memory of him is Kaino picking him up and carrying him backwards in the 2011 RWC Semi final.</p>
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<p>I know I said they were probably past it recently in another thread but the Crusaders could do worse than signing Tamati Ellison and Alby Mathewson. At least they are Kiwis.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="pukunui" data-cid="600025" data-time="1469415944"><p>I know I said they were probably past it recently in another thread but the Crusaders could do worse than signing Tamati Ellison and Alby Mathewson. At least they are Kiwis.</p></blockquote><br>And they've both been playing well in Super Rugby. Alby could play a faster style than Andy did, with the benefit of still having an experienced mentor for Drummond etc. while Ellison and Crotty wouldn't be a shit centre pairing at all.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="pukunui" data-cid="600025" data-time="1469415944">
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<p>He wasn't that great when he left Aust and i doubt he has improved much playing in France and Japan since. Not to mention he isn't NZ eligible. </p>
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<p> Played pretty well in 2012 as I recall, one of the Aussie standouts in super rugby.</p>
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<p>2013 was starting winger for the wallabies before getting injured too. So he's a shit load better than bloke like Tuitivaki who we've tried in the past.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="600029" data-time="1469416725">
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<p> Played pretty well in 2012 as I recall, one of the Aussie standouts in super rugby.</p>
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<p>2013 was starting winger for the wallabies before getting injured too. So he's a shit load better than bloke like Tuitivaki who we've tried in the past.</p>
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<p>I remember him being more than decent, his try celebration skills are something else although it's doubtful they'll be embraced in stoic, dour saders country though.....</p>
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