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A 41 ans, Matt Giteau resigne aux Etats-Unis
L’ancien demi d’ouverture australien Matt Giteau sort de sa retraite pour faire son retour dans le rugby professionnel à l’âge de 41 ans. Il vient en effet de signer avec le club américain San Diego Legion pour la saison 2024 de la Major League Rugby (MLR).
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Arrivé aux Etats-Unis en mars 2021, il rejoint son ancien coéquipier australien Adam Ashley-Cooper aux Giltinis de Los Angeles avec qui il remporte le titre de champion au terme d’une finale où il est d’ailleurs élu Homme du match.
Matt Giteau devait poursuivre avec LA Giltinis en 2022, mais il n’a pas joué en raison de blessures. En tout, il aura joué 817 minutes en 13 matchs, titulaire sur 12, et a marqué 96 points (1 essai, 35 transformations, 7 pénalités), soit le 7e meilleur score de la MLR.
Il avait annoncé sa retraite en février
Il avait annoncé sa retraite en février, assurant qu’il n’avait tout simplement plus de jus.
« Nous sommes aux anges de nous assurer les services de Matt pour la saison à venir », a pourtant déclaré Danny Lee, l’entraîneur de San Diego, dans un communiqué publié mercredi 20 décembre.
« C’est un joueur de classe mondiale qui apportera une incroyable somme de connaissances, une mentalité de compétiteur et une volonté de réussir qui se propagera sans aucun doute à l’ensemble de l’équipe. »
Le Wallaby aux 103 sélections a en effet participé à trois Coupes du monde et a eu un rôle majeur dans le parcours de l’Australie jusqu’à la finale de 2015 en Angleterre.
En signant Giteau dans son effectif, la franchise de San Diego espère faire mieux la saison prochaine après avoir été éliminée en finale de conférence en juillet.
Des titres de champion aux quatre coins du monde
Après avoir aidé les Brumbies à remporter deux titres de Super Rugby en 2001 et 2004, Giteau a remporté trois titres européens avec Toulon où il est resté six ans.
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Il a également joué pour la Western Force en Australie, le Tokyo Sungoliath au Japon, et est retourné aux ACT Brumbies pour une deuxième mission avant la saison 2010.
Mais ce prochain chapitre avec la San Diego Legion ne manquera pas de piquer l’intérêt des amateurs de rugby du monde entier.
« Vraiment excité de rejoindre le San Diego Legion », a déclaré Giteau dans une vidéo sur les pages de réseaux sociaux du club. « Notre club est fier de ses supporters et de sa ville.
« J’ai hâte d’y aller et de me lancer. »
L’anecdote sympa qui vous permettra de vous la péter
Matt Giteau a fait ses débuts internationaux 48 jours seulement après son 20e anniversaire, en remplaçant Dan Herbert, aujourd’hui président de Rugby Australia, lors de la défaite 32-31 contre l’Angleterre à Twickenham en 2002.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Well if Parling is an Australian citizen then I suppose that’s OK. It’s more than can be said for The Hobbit in Absentia. I’m guessing Jordan Useless won’t be getting a call up to the Wallabies then because the Melbourne Rebels lineout coached by Parling has been a complete disaster. Parling had better prove himself or it’s out. He’ll be flattered by having one of the best lineout operators in world rugby in Rodda hopefully. If Parling can teach the Wallabies one thing it would be to also teach Australian players to make a serious effort on charge downs. Only Frost and Rodda make an effort. The rest are half hearted and lazy, bar Harry Wilson’s effort last week. There are lots of big missed opportunities.
27 Go to commentsGreat read thanks and glad he’s committed to Aus rugby! The comment from the no 8 saying he’s never done lineouts before doesn’t surprise me. There often isn’t the same upbringing with rugby here as there is in nz and parts of Europe. Seems like he’s doing a great job at the Rebels
27 Go to commentsScott Barrett. End of story.
1 Go to commentsDu Plessis Kirifi will not be selected by the All Blacks. He is nowhere near 6’0” tall. He looks good in Super Rugby in wide open , fast pace rugby. That is not Test rugby. He would be rag dolled by South Africa, Ireland, France, and England.
7 Go to commentsIt’s Razor so Blackadder and Grace for starters. Although on second thoughts K Read looked in great shape on TV the other day.
33 Go to commentsGreat piece Nick, plenty to chew on. Loved this ‘biases’ line from Geoff, shows he is a thinker - “If you asked me for a shortlist of coaches who appealed to my biases, he would be on it.” I think Schmidt is towing a similar line to Rennie in regards to OS players, he is publicly saying he prefers local talent, but almost certainly will be fighting to have the likes of skelton in the team. Interesting to hear the backroom on the rebels and what a cockup that is, just when you think RA admin has hit rock bottom it digs deeper. Other bit that caught my eye was his skills focus on things like passing from 7s at the base of the lineout, great little details. but also scary that a SR level 8 didn’t know how to operate within a lineout - telling!
27 Go to commentsThoroughly enjoyed this thanks Nick. ‘The lineout starts on the ground…’ wish I’d thought of that line when discussing Will’s place in the Wallabies.
27 Go to commentsShannon Frizell’s second year is optional is how I heard it. Given nothing has been confirmed yet it gets more and more likely he signs to return next year. Cant wait to see Finau doing more work on Internal players.
33 Go to commentsBlindside flankers should be hard hitting defenders, good lineout jumper with height, and a hard worker who hits and cleans rucks. If he can be a destructive ball carrier it’s a bonus but not a necessity. Samipeni Fineau and Cullen Grace are excellent at those core skills and my choice at blindside. Brad Shields is dismissed because he is 33 but not sure why that should be a consideration for this season. Shields too does these core roles well. Just don’t pick an 8 and shift him to 6 like the wingers on The Breakdown suggest, as if 6 and 8 are interchangeable. They are not. An 8 is first and foremost a dynamic ball carrier, not necessarily a destructive defender as a 6 should be. Devon Flanders and Akira Ioane are #8 s forced to play blindside because their teams have better options at 8 than them. Do not pick them at blindside
33 Go to commentsSaints obviously didn’t get the memo, or needed an ego boost?
1 Go to commentsReturning to the Chiefs would be another good change that could only put him into a better position to succeed in black
7 Go to commentsSimply outrageous and demonstrably false to say Finau’s tackle on Lynagh was “2 seconds late” In reality it was probably 0.5 seconds after he passed the ball. If you carry the ball at speed to within 5m of the defensive line you can expect to get tackled. Finau could have pulled out of it and not absolutely flattened him for sure, but there was going to be contact either way. He seems like a high risk selection at the moment, but there is no one else like him in NZ at the moment. His big tackles make the highlight reels but he is also a great athlete, very fast for such a big man, spent most of his days at lock so also very strong in the line out.
33 Go to commentsYes, Finau looks like the best option. Blackadder is not big enough for an international 6 - he should join the queue at 7. Frizzell had the power and heft and line-out height to play lock, so maybe that is where the ABs should be looking, not at a 7 who’s not big enough for 6, but at a lock who might have the agility to play 6, like Scott Barrett, or… Natai Ah Kuoi, who absolutely fits that bill, but seldom gets to play 6 because the Chiefs have so many loosies.
33 Go to commentsPaul Quinn was a National MP.
7 Go to commentsNo need to worry about losers’ mentality hysteria from Australia. Finau has all the attributes, I don't recall a high or no arms tackle from him, and his timing has been controlled very well since the round 3 Lynagh tackle. It's an easy decision for Razor, the only question is who should back him up from the bench. He can't be overworked like Squire was in his first full season.
33 Go to comments“Reds coach Les Kiss saying later: “I think every player has the right to feel safe.” Maybe Rugby is the wrong sport for people who want to feel safe..?
33 Go to commentsNot sure what the context was, but the highlights showed one scrum against Aussie where the baby Blacks were going backwards at a pace. The pack has been the issue since 2017, so they might be in for another reality check soon. This tournament should really have been two rounds, would have learned a lot more.
1 Go to commentsPeter Lakai has a ‘lot of size’? Since when? To Kirifi maybe. I think Laidlaw clearly saw he’s too small for 6 or 8, so plonked him at 7. Has potential to be Ardies understudy in black for 7.
7 Go to commentsDalton for skipper?
16 Go to commentsOh he's ‘Irish qualified’ isn't that convenient. If Ireland get any more Kiwis (and Aussie) in their backline they might need to run out in green and black kit soon. How is the supposed best rugby system in the world in need of trawling for journeyman Kiwi players?
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