Kiwis carving up North - Anscombe still good value for the Blues
Former (Auckland) Blues players often seem to wash up at the Cardiff Blues.
Such is the case with the current Welsh regional squad, where fullback Gareth Anscombe, No 8 Nick Williams and tighthead prop Taufa’ao Filise all featured in the 18-13 defeat of Toulouse in round five of the European Challenge Cup over the weekend.
Anscombe, now 26, underlined his value to Cardiff with a decisive try and a penalty goal to edge the Blues ahead of their French rivals. All things being equal, Anscombe should still be in New Zealand plying his trade for Super Rugby’s Blues, who spurned him in 2013.
However, he would likely not have racked up 11 international caps, as he has done for Wales, had he remained in his native land.
Anscombe now has 396 points from 53 Cardiff games to his credit, though he has not always kicked the goals. The leading all-time Cardiff Blues point scorer is another Kiwi, Ben Blair, who compiled 1078 points in his tenure.
While Cardiff has won Pool 2 with a game to spare and qualified for the quarter-finals of a competition they last won in 2009-10, Toulouse, three-time champions of Europe, have fallen to the foot of the second tier pool. They fielded centre Jarrod Poi, No 8 Joe Tekori, and replacement wing Paul Perez.
Sale Sharks hold second spot in Pool 2 with a tight, 15-13 victory over Lyon, despite a yellow card to Denny Solomona. Halani Aulika wore the No 3 jersey. The former North Harbour reps Rudi Wulf and Mike Harris teamed up in the Lyonnais midfield, while Toa Halafihi was at No 8.
Former Auckland lock Will Lloyd enjoyed a 47-17 win for his London Irish club over Krasny Yar. Connacht, with Bundee Aki and Naulia Dawai in the ranks, forced a 24-all draw at Worcester. Roimata Hansell-Pune’s Oyonnax was on the receiving end of a 29-19 reverse to Dominiko Waqaniburotu’s Brive.
Frank Halai and Peter Saili scored tries in Pau’s 42-14 hiding of Zebre. Daniel Ramsay and Jamie Mackintosh also started in the pack. Edinburgh edged Tony Ensor’s Stade Francais 34-33.
A try to former NZ Under 20s and Otago wing Fa’asiu Fuatai guided Bordeaux-Begles to a 36-28 win over the Dragons. Ole Avei and Ben Volavola also started for the French club.
Jason Woodward was one of five Kiwis featuring in Gloucester’s comfortable 45-24 victory at Agen. He scored a try and his teammates included Motu Matu’u, Jeremy Thrush, Josh Hohneck and Tom Marshall.
In the Champions Cup, Alex Tulou’s Castres blanked Leicester, for whom Valentino Mapapalangi, Mike FitzGerald and Brendon O’Connor suited up, 39-0.
Hadleigh Parkes scored a try in Scarlets’ fine 35-17 win at Bath. Paul Grant and Kahn Fotuali’i were subs for Todd Blackadder’s beaten side.
There was a 15-all stalemate between Ma’afu Fia’s Ospreys and Sean Maitland’s Saracens.
Alofa Alofa and Mat Luamanu played in Harlequins’ 33-28 win over Wasps. Monty Ioane and Hame Faiva suffered a 36-0 defeat for Treviso at the hands of Toulon.
Ben Tameifuna was, unusually, the sole Kiwi in Racing-Metro’s 34-30 victory over Rhys Marshall’s Munster.
A try to Nemani Nadolo and two goals from Aaron Cruden were nowhere near enough for Montpellier, who crashed 41-10 at Exeter.
Ulster’s New Zealand triumvirate of Charlie Piutau, Sean Reidy and Rodney Ah You helped their province to a 20-13 win over La Rochelle, who fielded Uini Atonio, Jason Eaton, Victor Vito and Tawera Kerr-Barlow.
An Isa Nacewa double and a single to James Lowe gave Leinster the impetus to put 55-19 on Siua Halanukonuka’s Glasgow.
Ken Pisi, Teimana Harrison and Nafi Tuitavake were among the tries for Northampton Saints in their 34-21 result over Clermont. Ahsee Tuala, Dylan Hartley and Michael Paterson also featured for Saints. Isaia Toeava, this time from fullback, scored a try for the French club, while Fritz Lee (8) and Luke McAlister (10) were in the mix too.
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments