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Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read reveals chance for shock NZ rugby return

(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read has revealed that he is keen to play in the Mitre 10 Cup, saying the country’s top players being back in provincial rugby would be “exciting for the game”.

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Read, who is contracted with Toyota Verblitz in Japan until 2021, is back in New Zealand to be with his family in Christchurch following the suspension of the Japanese Top League because of the coronavirus pandemic.

While Read, like many players in New Zealand, has been left pondering if he would end up seeing out his contract overseas, he has indicated his interest in playing in this season’s Mitre 10 Cup, which is due to start on September 11.

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“I would [be interested],” Read told Sky Sport‘s The Pod. “It’s a possibility. There needs to be a few things to happen.

“I think it’s just exciting if the All Blacks are back playing in that competition. I remember that’s what it was like when I was younger watching the games on the hill at Pukekohe.

“All the All Blacks were playing so you got to see a lot of legends of the game playing in that form of footy. It’s exciting for the game. Hopefully that gets going. And we’ll just have to wait and see if I’m there or not.”

The 34-year-old No 8 retired as All Blacks captain after last year’s Rugby World Cup to take up a contract in Japan.

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He has since been succeeded by former teammate Sam Cane, a man Read believes will do a great job in his former role.

“It’s massive news for him,” Read said. “I’m pretty excited. He’s a good young man. He’s actually been involved with us – in terms of our leadership group – for a number of years in the All Blacks. Even before the 2015 World Cup he was in there.

“He’s been earmarked for a wee while. And I guess in the last couple of years, he’s been a great help to me. He’s really grown into his voice. For him, just being himself and pushing the team forward, I think he’s going to do a great job.”

Read was aligned with Counties Manukau when he was last contracted with NZ Rugby.

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Flankly 25 minutes ago
Rassie Erasmus defends controversial innovation with accusation directed at Italy

Esterhuizen was about a metre offside when Libbok took the kick.

It may feel that way, but it depends on the specifics of how the Laws are interpreted, in particular the question of when Open Play begins.


Offside is very specifically defined for other set pieces and structured situations (scrum, lineout, ruck, maul). Not sure why, but there is no kickoff-specific definition for offside in the Laws. So if offside exists during kickoff then it must be covered by a more general law.


There is an offside definition for Open Play, but there is a question of whether or not this is an Open Play situation. Prior to Open Play starting there is no offside. Part of the Open Play definition is that it is after the kickoff, but what does “after the kickoff” mean?


You can say that Open Play starts the moment that the ball is kicked, and it seems this is the assumption by many people. But a reasonable alternative reading is that the kickoff is not complete, and Open Play has not started, until the whole kickoff sequence is complete, including the ball going 10m, landing/being-caught in field, etc.

One reason that this is a credible interpretation is that there would be no need for Law 12.5 (that players on the kickers side must be behind the kicker) if Open Play starts when the ball is kicked. In that case players in front of the kicker would be instantly offside and subject to the usual offside rules and sanctions. Law 12.5 is only needed because there is no Open Play (and therefore no offside) until the kickoff sequence is completed.


My guess is that Rassie and team went through this in-depth, possibly with advice from WR, concluding that this is not an offside situation and is entirely governed by the Law 12.5 sanction. That sanction requires a scrum and provides no alternative choices for the opposition (such as would have been the case if they simply kicked it short, kicked it into touch etc).


Smarter folk than me can figure out whether the above interpretation is definitive, but it is certainly not obvious to me that Esterhuizen was offside. On balance I would suggest that the game was not in Open Play and that there were therefore no offside rules in place. In that case it all comes down to the Law 12.5 sanction of opposition scrum, for not being behind the kicker.


BTW - WR can fix this by simply adding that the opposition can have a choice of a retake or a scrum, as they can for other kickoff situations. Italy would have picked the retake, no doubt.

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