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Les Whitelock à Pau : Luke prolonge jusqu'en 2026, avec ou sans Sam
Dans le Béarn, les sentiments doivent être contrastés en ce moment, à l’évocation des frères Whitelock. En effet, tandis que les rumeurs renvoyant Sam en Nouvelle-Zélande en juin foisonnent depuis une semaine, Luke vient de prolonger son contrat jusqu’en 2026 avec la Section Paloise, actuellement 8e du Top 14.
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Top 14
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Stade Francais
19
13
5
1
59
2
Toulouse
19
12
7
0
56
3
Bordeaux
19
11
8
0
49
4
Racing 92
19
10
9
0
48
5
Toulon
19
10
9
0
46
6
La Rochelle
19
9
10
0
46
7
Castres
19
9
10
0
45
8
Pau
19
10
9
0
45
9
Bayonne
19
9
10
0
43
10
Clermont
19
8
9
2
42
11
Perpignan
19
9
10
0
39
12
Lyon
19
8
11
0
38
13
Montpellier
19
8
11
0
37
14
Oyonnax
19
5
13
1
26
Le 3e ligne palois, arrivé en 2019 au pied des Pyrénées, renouvelle donc son bail au sein d’un club où il se sent bien. « Je suis très heureux de rester avec le club deux saisons supplémentaires. […] Ma famille se plait beaucoup en Béarn, nous avons été très bien accueillis et c’est comme une deuxième maison pour nous maintenant », a-t-il déclaré, dans un communiqué publié par la Section Paloise.
Une excellente nouvelle pour le club tant Whitelock a pris de l’épaisseur au fil de ses années sous le maillot vert. Devenu capitaine cette saison, il a disputé 17 des 19 matchs de Top 14.
Mais la suite de son aventure se fera sans doute sans son grand frère. Sam, 153 sélections au compteur, deux Coupes du Monde, sept titres en Super Rugby, est une légende du rugby mondial en général, du rugby néo-zélandais en particulier. Et à bientôt 36 ans (le 12 octobre), il semblerait que le 2e ligne figure dans les petits papiers de Scott Robertson, le nouveau sélectionneur des All Blacks.
Le technicien, passé notamment par Perpignan durant sa carrière de joueur, semble persuadé que le double champion du monde (2011, 2015) en a encore sous la pédale, comme il a montré lors de la dernière Coupe du Monde en France.
Robertson, confronté à de nombreuses retraites post Mondial ou à des départs hors Nouvelle-Zélande (Whitelock donc, Retallick, A. Smith, Mo’unga, Coles…), souhaiterait s’appuyer sur l’expérience inégalée du joueur pendant un ou deux ans pour reconstruire le groupe All Black plus sereinement.
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Sam Whitelock, que l’on dit intéressé, n’a pas encore tranché. Mais pour reporter le maillot noir, il sait qu’il devra quitter le Béarn, et donc son petit frère Luke. La situation est plus claire pour ce dernier : s’il a lui aussi enfilé la tenue ornée de la fougère argentée (sept sélections) dont il a même été capitaine, ce temps est révolu. Lui reste à Pau, c’est certain, quelle que soit la décision finale de son ainé.
Comments on RugbyPass
A potential 5th star for Leinster and redemption adter losing 2 tight finals against La Rochelle against Toulouse and the chance for Jacques Nienaber to have some success without Rassie Erasmus running the show.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and welcome back 😁 Vulavalu does look better this year, and about time. I suspect Schmidt will knock the hubris out of him. That one handed put down was so embarrassing. Mind you, I had thought Kiss would deal with that. Leaving aside the different games and skills, in NRL he had a very good (but no bullshit) type of coach in Bellamy, something he hasn't had in Union until this year. Bellamy would have roasted him unmercifully for an unprofessional put down.
21 Go to commentsYou’d think the first step would be taking responsibility for the stupid sh*t you did and to stop blaming other people. Does he seriously think that people believe him when he says it just magically got into his system without him knowing anything about it? You’re gonna notice if you’re on the juice, bruh.
2 Go to commentsI watch the Reds now, and many of their players, and think back to watching London Irish in their last two years under Michael Kiss. I recall Nick Phipps looking a very competent scrumhalf, Rob Simmons a lynch pin in the lineouts. Both men writen off by many on the rugby sites. There is no question in my mind that Kiss has a very different touch to any coach the Reds have had in years. It will take time, but this team could develop into a very good team, hard to beat by any one down here in the SH. You highlight two players especially, Nick. Vunivalu and Paisami are thriving this year, especially the latter. And so many others. The now heavier Fraser McReight, his great mate Harry Wilson, and the “Fardy” man, Liam Wright. That is only three, ut in reality every player is acroos the whole squad is the better for the new regime.
21 Go to commentsRecord Score Downloading…………..
1 Go to commentsWonderful insightful interview with Crusader Johnny McNicoll. He was exceptional in the wins over the Chiefs and Rebels and I am sure he will get a contract again for 2025. He was an excitement machine for Canterbury and the Crusaders in 2011-16 and he still is. He has added to the attack particularly. Had a fine career with Wales in the intervening years.
1 Go to commentsAmazing what decent coaching can do! I always felt Folau never improved much as a player and never had a great coach using his talents. Suli seems different at qld this year.
21 Go to commentsI’m sick to death of waiting 3 years for league players to become half decent. It cripples Australian rugby in the meantime. The Reds actually looked half competent without Vunivalu not starting last week. He’s just a liability of errors. Paisami is looking better than he has in previous years but I’d have Kerevi back in a flash. A kiwi wont tho …...
21 Go to commentsExcellent analysis Nick as we have come to expect. I was not really aware that NFL strategies have been adopted by rugby teams, especially in defence. One point I would make is that the Northhampton attacking player on the end of the chain in the video examples has not maintained the correct depth to be effective. In the footage shown the outside player is too flat to make the best of the opportunity his inside players have provided. In each case they have to reduce speed and turn their body backwards to secure the ball, losing all momentum and giving the impressive scrambling defence the chance to shut down the threat.
2 Go to commentsMorning, John. Do you think that it may be a good idea to rest both teams from the Madrid comp leading in to the Olympics
2 Go to comments« I am preparing myself for much more, something much bigger. I’m focussing on the next cycle, » You don’t say…
2 Go to commentsGeez plenty of time to come right before test season starts. Dont panic mr Mannering!!!!!
1 Go to commentsGreat read Nick. The Reds really have been great to watch this year, and the improvement of not only the players you mention, but the squad in general has been obvious. The Reds 10/12 play making axis is a nice counterpoint to the 10/15 partnership at the Brumbies and Rebels. If Schmidt was to pick say, Lolesio, Paisami and Wright / Kellaway, would this be too many play makers? I notice in a lot of those clips Tim Ryan playing across the field in support of Vunivalu. Is this a feature of Kiss’s structure?
21 Go to commentsSo sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
4 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
21 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
4 Go to comments