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World Cup-winning former All Blacks named to start in Major League Rugby final
Three World Cup-winning former All Blacks stars have been named to start in this weekend’s Major League Rugby final in the United States.
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Andy Ellis, Waisake Naholo and Nehe Milner-Skudder will all start for Rugby New York in the finale of North America’s premier club competition against the Seattle Seawolves at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on Saturday [local time].
All three players headline a strong Kiwi contingent at Rugby New York, who have a total of nine New Zealanders in their starting starting lineup.
Joining Ellis, the 38-year-old 2011 World Cup winner who is in his second season with Rugby New York, in the halves is young North Harbour first-five Jack Heighton, who was part of the Blues squad two years ago.
Together, Ellis and Heighton will lead a backline that features 2015 World Cup-winning teammates Naholo and Milner-Skudder at right wing and fullback, respectively.
Naholo and Milner-Skudder were both mid-to-late-season additions to the Rugby New York, with the former – a 26-test international – joining the team in April after having spent time with the Crusaders as injury cover earlier in the year.
Milner-Skudder, meanwhile, followed suit almost a month later following a Super Rugby Pacific pre-season training spell with the Hurricanes.
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The 2015 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year’s move to America came after he told RugbyPass last December of his ambitions to earn an All Blacks recall.
Milner-Skudder and Naholo are accompanied in the outside backs by Canadian international Andrew Coe, who is the only non-New Zealander in the Rugby New York backline.
That backline also includes ex-Highlanders and Maori All Blacks midfielder Jason Emery, who lines up at second-five alongside former Otago, Bay of Plenty and All Blacks Sevens centre Fa’asiu Fuatai.
Three Kiwis also feature in the Rugby New York forward pack, with ex-Blues and Crusaders flanker Brendon O’Connor, former Blues and Manawatu No 8 Antonio Kiri Kiri and Otago lock Will Tucker all named to start in the back row.
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Elsewhere, former Super Rugby props Nic Nayhew and Kalolo Tuiloma – a recent Manu Samoa call-up – have been named on the bench, which also features Canadian midfielder Quinn Ngawati, who is of Maori heritage through his father.
The remainder of the Rugby New York starting team is made up of USA Eagles stars Dylan Fawsitt, Chance Wenglewski, Ben Bonasso and Nate Brakeley, as well as Brazilian international Wilton Rebolo.
Rugby New York’s strong connection to New Zealand extends beyond the playing squad, with head coach Marty Veale a former lock for Northland and North Harbour.
The club is also owned by Kiwi businessman Murray Bolton, while Rugby New York’s chief executive is Ric Salizzo, the former All Blacks media manager and renowned media personality.
Rugby New York qualified for the MLR final on the back of a regular season where they finished third in the Eastern Conference with 11 wins and five losses.
After overcoming Rugby ATL and the New England Free Jacks in the Eastern Conference playoffs, Rugby New York will compete for the MLR title with a Seattle Seawolves team that has benefitted from controversy in the Western Conference.
The Austin Gilgronis and LA Giltinis – last year’s title-winners – finished in the top two spots in the Western Conference, but were both disqualified by MLR for league violations earlier this month.
Both teams, which are owned by Australian businessman Adam Gilchrist, were replaced by the Seawolves and Ma’a Nonu’s San Diego Legion, who joined the Houston Sabercats in the Western Conference playoffs.
Seattle thumped San Diego in the Western Conference semi-finals before they outscored Houston in a high-scoring shootout last week to book their place in this weekend’s final.
USA internationals Samu Manoa, Andrew Durutalo, Riekert Hattingh and Martin Iosefo and Manu Samoa first-five AJ Alatimu are among the notable figures in Seattle’s starting lineup, which includes one Kiwi in Tasman prop Sam Matenga.
Kick-off for this weekend’s final is scheduled for 12pm local time [4am Sunday NZT].
Comments on RugbyPass
I agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to comments