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Avec Abuladze, Montpellier continue de construire un pack puissant
L’international géorgien Nika Abuladze est sur le point de signer un contrat avec Montpellier, en provenance des Exeter Chiefs qu’il a rejoint il y a à peine plus d’un an, selon plusieurs médias.
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Le pilier de 28 ans et 15 sélections est arrivé dans le Devon en avril 2023, mais il ne s’est jamais imposé comme une option dans l’équipe première, et n’a pas non plus réussi à être un remplaçant incontournable au cours de sa seule année au club.
Cette situation a finalement conduit à sa décision de quitter le pack de Rob Baxter et de tenter sa chance du côté du Top 14 pour deux ans.
Mondialiste
Avant son court passage à Exeter, Abuladze a joué pour la franchise géorgienne Black Lion, remportant avec succès deux Rugby Europe Super Cups et obtenant ses premières capes pour les Lelos en 2022. Il a été essentiel en forçant une pénalité en mêlée lors de la célèbre victoire contre le Pays de Galles à Cardiff, alimentant sa carrière pro à partir de ce jour.
Inclus dans le groupe de 33 joueurs de Levan Maisashvili pour la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023 en France, il a été titulaire contre l’Australie et remplaçant contre les Fidji et le Pays de Galles.
Dans son nouveau club, il retrouvera ses coéquipiers géorgiens Vano Karkadze et Luka Japaridze, ce qui ajoutera encore du poids à l’équipe de Bernard Laporte, qui semble se reconstruire après des résultats médiocres cette saison.
Top 14
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Stade Francais
22
15
6
1
67
2
Toulouse
22
14
8
0
65
3
Bordeaux
22
13
9
0
58
4
Racing 92
22
12
10
0
57
5
La Rochelle
22
11
11
0
56
6
Toulon
22
12
10
0
55
7
Perpignan
22
12
10
0
53
8
Castres
22
10
12
0
50
9
Pau
22
11
11
0
50
10
Clermont
22
9
11
2
47
11
Lyon
22
10
12
0
47
12
Bayonne
22
9
13
0
44
13
Montpellier
22
8
14
0
39
14
Oyonnax
22
6
15
1
30
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Montpellier se bat toujours pour assurer le maintien la saison prochaine, puisque le club se traîne à la 13e place, à quatre matchs de la fin de la saison. Si les Cistes ne parviennent pas à dépasser Bayonne, ils seront contraints de disputer un match de barrage contre le deuxième de Pro D2, le vainqueur obtenant une place dans le Top14 2024/2025.
Ce sera la première aventure d’Abuladze en France, et elle arrive au meilleur moment si le joueur de première ligne veut réintégrer la sélection géorgienne, après avoir échoué dans les plans de Richard Cockerill pour le Rugby Europe Championship 2023 masculin.
Comments on RugbyPass
He is right. How do you pick the two? Ospreys and Cardiff?
2 Go to commentsSam like many had passed their use by dates and that is down to the selectors, not the player. I wasn't a Sam fan, but he didn’t deserve Bidwells brutally honest opinion. Could have been more diplomatic.
3 Go to commentsNice piece nick, mcreight is immense. Just like hooper, he seems to be indefatigable and sprint the full 80 from one involvement to the next. Like DuPont, its like they can see an extra phase ahead which means they know where to be before everyone else. His support and link play for mine is his real point of difference, and now he is lifting the other areas up as well. One key improvement is when to jackal or not, he used to go for everything and get pinged or stuck in the ruck. His decision making in this area has really improved. He seems to be quite competitive, and like faz not afraid to chew out a teammate. If he went down, both the reds and wallabies would be in trouble. I’d lean towards Wright or Wilkin/Gamble I think, I don’t think many of the other candidates have the work rate or ruck presence that is needed of a 7. Interestingly, the reds lineout fell apart on the weekend without faessler, although the maul still functioned. The heat seemed to affect their decision making, I think they needed to adjust to a low possession, simple game plan but they went head strong with a high possession game even though they couldn’t hold onto it, secure their ruck or their set piece…
50 Go to commentsExpecting those provincial fish-heads to vote themselves out of power is like expecting turkeys to vote for Christmas. Good luck with that!
1 Go to commentsA brilliant winger..
1 Go to commentsGood player, but how could anyone have filled RMCs shoes.? Also, I hope Razor implements better & indeed more legal tackling, the AB’s concede way too many cards. Looking forward to the new regime though.
10 Go to commentsGood article, NB. I’ve quite liked the speed and skill levels of Tom Ahern from Munster. I read he was a fullback until late in schools rugby and suddenly shot up to 6 foot 9. Another guy born in 2000 who seems to be able to play out in trams on both sides of the ball is Juan Martin Gonzalez of Saracens. Thanks for the article.
50 Go to commentsShould not even be in the thought to bring Barrett back,the team is going well and remember 2 season ago when the blues were going well & got out thought & out played in the final all Barrett did was needlessly kick away posession again and again, pass to players in worse positions as to avoid contact and for the Blues and AB proved costly in crucial games.
3 Go to commentsBarbarians will be preparing for fiji starting end of this week but fiji will be preparing only 1 week b4 the game…..so unfair
1 Go to commentsI believe it was the Wallaby Nick White who opened the floodgates - earning his team a yellow card against SA and getting Faf binned for 10. Nick White. The original soft pr1ck, diving git. Owen Farrell is growing on me.
2 Go to commentsTo be honest this result was not that seismic as shock, Canada are a very good team and very few teams fear the Black Ferns anymore. The rankings give a good picture, the top four ranked teams are the top four teams in women’s rugby with England ahead the other three can exchange places at any given time. Despite the USA result I still think Australia are ahead of the rest. WXV will show how big the gap is between nations.
9 Go to commentsFarrell playing in France next season better get use to play acting .
3 Go to commentsNot sure I see the magic. Solid flanker but the aggression and lack of bending at the hips leads to boo boos
10 Go to comments100%. Thank you, Andy.
2 Go to commentsFabulous player. Don’t know if people outside of Ireland appreciate his vision and genius. I wish he got more time with the National team. We will never know how high he could have soared. Super season to end with!
1 Go to commentsIf he's playing well enough to be in the top 2 or 3 open sides, then pick him. Essentially nothing else should come into it.
1 Go to commentsBe really surprised if Beale is considered for a WB squad, let alone a match day 23. Feel there are too many younger players in all positions in the backline now who should be developed. These upcoming games this year should be used to develop the players of the future, for building towards next RWC.
2 Go to commentsI think this all came from Fozzie immediately anointing Cane as captain when he became coach, well ahead of when any team was to be named. Then he seemingly felt unable to retract the captaincy as that would have been an admission he was wrong initially. Sam Cane was a good AB and a good captain. Through his injuries and some loss of form he maybe didn't deserve selection but Fozzie couldn't ever make that hard call which led to Cane copping it.
10 Go to commentsThe extra weight that Fraser put on over the off season is really showing. The word is 7/8 kgs heavier than last year. Feel he is now carrying into contact a lot more powerfully, which makes him a bigger threat playing in the sh position at lineout time. I do feel however that he is still too easily moved off the ball at the breakdown unless he is in really early. Comparing him to the top current guys such as Tommy Refell, and past supremos like Pocock and McCaw, I would hope he will develop more in that area. The rest of his game is way out front. His speed around the field as a support player is top notch, and his defence is very sound, apart from the front on tackle on the bigger men sometimes. I also would see him as a future WB captain. He does a lot of quiet encouraging, and for sure can lead from the front. Of the other three NZ lads on the stats. table, would think it may be Papalli’i who gets in. I do like Lakai. Is Blackadder not more a 6/8 player ? Actually really rated Lachlan Boshier, but he was not ever getting anywhere, so now in Japan. Would love to have seen how he went in a AB jersey. Excellent article, Nick…….most thought provoking
50 Go to commentsAhh too many OK 7’s out there at the moment, would have loved to have Harmon (and Boshier from Panasonic) included on that list (although I don’t know what I’m looking at with those stats!). I would love to see another 7 come through like Cane (who VdF has molded off), who was a real attacking machine before his neck injury and inability to turn his head/upper body to pass or catch properly forced his style to change. No sure McReight is it, he looks more like a canny McCaw than the blasters Hooper and Cane were. The real issue is what use can Schmidt mold out of his ability and skills in just two short seasons. I think Cale could do a lot of the more skillful stuff. McReight is probably best to knuckle down and do the core duties a modern day Cane performs for the other two loosies (if he’s the best Schmidt has to play with at 7).
50 Go to comments