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Kiwis carving up the north: Champions Cup round two

By Online Editors
Former NZ under 20’s and Tongan fullback Telusa Veainu

While the All Blacks may have gone down to the Wallabies over the weekend, New Zealanders still had a few reasons to smile after another round of European action. Here’s a look at the top performers:

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Nick Williams, Cardiff Blues

The big number eight opened the scoring for his Cardiff side, and it proved to a be a pretty important try as they went on to beat State Toulousain 17-15 in their European Champions Cup match. Williams used to ply his trade for the Auckland-based Blues back in the day and wasn’t far off making the All Blacks, before leaving to play for Ulster and Munster and ending up in Cardiff.

Telusa Veainu, Leicester Tigers

The former NZ under-20’s fullback was the star of the show at Welford Road, scoring a hat trick as the Tigers demolished Castres Olympique 54-29 in Champions Cup action. He also picked up 92 metres running off 11 carries. Veainu will mostly be remembered by NZ fans for his time at the Crusaders and Highlanders, as well as turning out at test level for Tonga. Former Hurricanes and Blues wing David Smith did his best for the losing side, running 92 metres off 18 carries.

Ma’a Nonu, Toulon

A man who needs no introduction made his 104-test cap experience count in Toulon’s 30-29 win over Benetton in the Champions Cup. His try assist, plus a haul of 20 points from the boot of Francois Trinh-Duc, proved to be the difference in what might have been a massive upset loss to the Italian side. Nonu clearly is enjoying his time at Toulon, and has been helped with the addition of league convert Semi Radradra outside him on the wing.

Peter Saili, Pau

Kiwi-laden Pau managed a great escape against Italian opposition too, this time against Zebre in the Challenge Cup. They triumphed 38-33 in Parma, thanks in part to a try to former Auckland and Blues number right Saili, scored in the 53rd minute. Pau can also boast former All Blacks Conrad Smith, Colin Slade, Jamie Mackintosh and Tom Taylor in their ranks, as well as Maori All Black Daniel Ramsay.

Victor Vito, La Rochelle

Another former All Black and Top 14 Player of the Year had a big game for La Rochelle, scoring a try, making nine tackles and running for 66 metres off 13 carries. Vito has been the epitome of the term ‘good investment’ for La Rochelle, helping them climb to the upper ranks of the Top 14 and bringing a strong work ethic. Fellow former All Black lock Jason Eaton also managed to get on the scoresheet in their 41-17 thrashing of Ulster in the Champions Cup.

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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