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Kiwis carving up the north - La Rochelle hot to trot

By Campbell Burnes
Rene Ranger. Photo / Getty Images

Steve Hansen’s old French club has never won the Top 14 nor challenged in Europe.

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But La Rochelle’s supporters have cause to dream after what was described as a “masterclass” in their 49-29 defeat of Wasps in round three of European Champions Cup action.

All Blacks halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow only linked up with the club last week, so was not thrust into action at the weekend, but did soak up the match in the stands.

However, the New Zealand contingent at Stade Rochelais was again to the fore. No 8 Victor Vito made 21 runs, three tackles and gave a try assist, while lock Jason Eaton and prop Uini Atonio were also in the starting XV. Hikairo Forbes and Rene Ranger were both injected off the bench. The club is now 3-0 in Pool 1, and leads the Top 14 by two points nearly halfway through the season.

Jimmy Gopperth, at second five, kicked two goals for Wasps, who have the return game against La Rochelle in Coventry this weekend.

Elsewhere, Ulster duo Charlie Piutau and Sean Reidy enjoyed a fine 17-5 away win at Harlequins, who fielded Alofa Alofa and Mat Luamanu.

Fullback Jayden Hayward scored a try for Treviso in the 28-33 loss to Scarlets. Bay of Plenty wing Monty Ioane wore the No 11 jersey for the Italians, while Whetu Douglas entered off the bench. Johnny McNicholl and Hadleigh Parkes turned out for Scarlets.

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Tries to Ma’a Nonu and Alby Mathewson helped Toulon to a 24-20 victory over Todd Blackadder’s Bath, whose Kiwis were Paul Grant, Kahn Fotuali’i and Jack Wilson.

Maama Vaipulu scored the match-winning try, in the 77th minute, for Castres to edge Racing-Metro 16-13, for whom Joe Rokocoko and Ben Tameifuna started. David Smith was, as ever, on the left wing for Castres.

A try to centre Kieron Fonotia helped his Ospreys to beat Northampton 43-32. Dylan Hartley and wing Ahsee Tuala scored tries for Saints. Piers Francis and Michael Paterson also featured.

A try to hooker Rhys Marshall helped see Munster to a 33-10 win over Leicester, whose numbers included Telusa Veainu, Mike FitzGerald, Valentino Mapapalangi and Logovi’i Mulipola.

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In the battle of the Kiwi coaches, Vern Cotter’s Montpellier won a fine 29-22 result at Dave Rennie’s Glasgow. Aaron Cruden and Nemani Nadolo were at Nos 10 and 11 respectively for the French club, while Samuela Vunisa and Siua Halanukonuka featured for the Warriors.

Saracens versus Clermont was postponed due to adverse weather, while Leinster, featuring captain Isa Nacewa, who kicked two goals, Jamison Gibson-Park and Michael Bent, beat Thomas Waldrom’s Exeter 18-8.

In the European Challenge Cup, Pau rested several of its Kiwis, but Benson Stanley, Peter Saili and Daniel Ramsay all got the job done, 40-21, over Agen.

Paul Williams, at 34, in the twilight of his long career, was at No 12 as Stade Francais beat Russian club Krasny Yar 39-24. Ziggy Fisi’ihoi scored a try off the bench for the Parisians, while Tony Ensor also came off the pine.

There were, unusually, no New Zealanders involved in the Dragons’ 15-0 victory over Enisei.

Hika Elliot’s try was insufficient as Oyonnax fell 35-14 to Worcester. Denny Solomona’s Sale blanked Cardiff Blues 24-0. Rey Lee-Lo, Gareth Anscombe and Nick Williams played for the Blues.

Gloucester’s Kiwi quartet of John Afoa, Josh Hohneck, Jeremy Thrush and Willi Heinz helped the West Country club to a 33-26 win at Zebre.

Phil Burleigh, newly capped by Scotland, scored a brace for Edinburgh in its 50-20 win over London Irish. Mike Coman scored a try for the Exiles, while former Auckland lock William Lloyd was in the second-row.

Connacht have fielded an Ahki and an Aki in the midfield for the first time. Pita Ahki and Bundee Aki combined, with Tom McCartney off the bench, to help the Irish province to a 38-31 victory at Brive.

Toulouse beat Lyon 30-23 in a dreary Thursday night clash, Carl Axtens, Jarrod Poi and Joe Tekori emerging the victors over Josh Bekhuis, Mike Harris, making his first start of the season, and Rudi Wulf.

Newcastle dispatched Bordeaux-Begles 52-24. The latter had Fa’asiu Fuatai on the wing, with bench support from former Waikato hooker Ole Avei and Ben Volavola, who kicked a goal.

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J
Jon 4 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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j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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