Kiwis carving up the north - European Champions Cup Round One
The European Champions Cup kicked off over the weekend, with a number of New Zealanders part of the action. Admittedly, one big name was missing – Dan Carter was given the weekend off by Racing 92, but the Parisian club managed to get along fine without him.
Fellow former All Black Ma’a Nonu played his part in Toulon’s thrilling win over Scarlets as well, and there is a Kiwi connection to Russian club Krasny Yar, who pulled off a shock upset of Stade Francais in the Challenge Cup. The Siberian outfit was once the team of the likes of Marty Banks, Glenn Horton and Campbell Johnstone among others, having formed a partnership with the Crusaders back in 2010 to use their facilities and provide an alternative overseas pathway for Kiwi players.
Charles Piutau, Ulster
Once again, the former Blues and All Black fullback showed why leaving NZ at the peak of your powers means you end up on lists like this more often than not. Piutau set up a crucial try for his side in their dour 19-9 win over Wasps, but was also very busy around the park – running for 117 metres on 15 carries. Wasps and former Hurricanes first five Jimmy Gopperth had plenty of work to do on the other side of the ball, making 10 tackles.
Joe Rokocoko, Racing 92
While Dan Carter watched Remi Tales take a turn in the number 10 jersey for Racing, fellow former All Black Joe Rokococko had to put in a shift on the wing in their 22-18 win over Leicester Tigers. He didn’t set the world on fire, with four carries, 35 metres gained and four tackles, but it’s still highly impressive that a 34-year-old is still competing at the highest level of European competition.
Kieron Fonotia, Ospreys
The Manu Samoa and former Crusaders midfielder is now in his second season in Wales, and had a busy game in Ospreys’ 26-21 defeat to Clermont. Fonotia had 15 carries for 87 metres, and made four tackles. Opposite him was former Chiefs and Counties-Manukau hard man Fritz Lee, who also had a high workrate. The number eight made 13 tackles, and picked up 56 metres on 12 carries.
Johnny McNicholl, Scarlets
The tightest Champions Cup game of the weekend ended in heartbreak for Scarlets, but none of the blame for that loss can be put on former Crusaders winger McNicholl. He had an outstanding game for the Welsh outfit, scoring a try off nine carries and running 75 metres in their 21-20 loss to Toulon. While McNicholl has impressed at Pro14 level, this is only his second taste of Champions Cup action and first try.
Tyler Blyendaal, Munster
Yet another Canterbury man makes our list this week, this time it’s Tyler Bleyendaal. At one stage he was being touted as the natural successor to Dan Carter, having gone through the same Christchurch Boys High School path that so many great Canterbury and All Blacks have come from. Instead, he’s ended up at Munster for the past three seasons, and kicked two crucial conversions and a penalty in their 17-all draw with Castres Olympique on Sunday. Out on the wing for the French club was former Auckland, Hurricanes, Blues, Force and Toulon (I think I got them all) player David Smith, who had 12 carries for 51 metres.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments