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Julian Savea unsure of post-Toulon destination: 'It could be another franchise, it could be Japan, it could be the NZ Warriors'
54-cap All Blacks wing and Hurricanes centurion Julian Savea is heading back to New Zealand and could be back on the pitch in the near future.
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Savea, who was a member of the All Blacks side that won the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, has announced on Instagram that his time with European powerhouse Toulon has come to an end after spending two seasons in the south of France.
The man nicknamed ‘the Bus’ relocated to France after the 2018 Super Rugby season and has amassed almost 40 caps for the team that has attracted world-class rugby talent from across the globe.
The likes of Drew Mitchell, Chris Ashton, Semi Radradra and Bryan Habana have all spent time in Toulon’s outside backs while Savea’s fellow Kiwi, Bryce Heem, joined the side last year.
Nehe Milner-Skudder, the man who partnered Savea on the wings in the All Blacks’ run to their World Cup success in 2015, was due to join Toulon for the current season but didn’t make the trip over due to a shoulder injury and has now signed with the Highlanders for the new Super Rugby Aotearoa competition.
Savea could also be looking to link up with a New Zealand Super club now that the current Top 14 season has been called off and the damaging winger is set to touch back down in his home country but given that most squads have already been sorted, he may simply be looking to take some time out from the game to spend with his family after playing almost non-stop for the last decade.
“Thank you to those who have supported me over the past two season here at RCT,” Savea posted on Instagram. “I will forever be thankful for this experience and my time in Toulon.”
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“Very bittersweet moment not getting to end the season the way I wanted to, but also very excited for this next journey ahead of me. I want to thank all my brothers that I’ve played with over the past two seasons, you guys are very special to me and I’ve made some life long friendships I will cherish forever.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAHoD3EoKrW/?utm_source=ig_embed
“I want to thank @rctofficiel, the coaching staff and the management for always being good to us. It’s been a long journey and not a pretty one either but the highs definitely outweigh the lows,” he added.
Savea also posted a video conversation between himself and his younger brother, All Blacks flanker Ardie.
“I’m open to anything,” Julian said regarding his future. “Ideally, I’d like to be back with the ‘Canes.
“If that doesn’t happen, it could be another franchise, it could be Japan, it could be the NZ Warriors.”
“The [Top 14] season is done and I’m coming home soon, hopefully, once everything dies down,” Julian told his brother.
“And I guess trying to get back into New Zealand rugby or find another contract but that’s a five-month, six-month timeline in terms of what could happen because the Covid-19 is still ongoing.
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“We’re waiting for everything to calm down and when teams and organisations are ready to sign again.”
Savea played 120 matches for the Hurricanes between 2011 and 2018, scoring 52 tries in the process – placing him tenth on all the time Super Rugby try-scorers list.
His All Blacks debut came against Ireland in 2012, in the same match as Aaron Smith and Brodie Retallick.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments