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Kiwis carving up the north - Nanai-Williams experiment on hold

By Campbell Burnes
Semesa Rokoduguni (Getty Images)

The jury is still out on whether Tim Nanai-Williams will make it as an international No 10.

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The 28-year-old Manu Samoa first five played his third test in a row at pivot on the weekend, slotting two goals as his side went down 48-14 to England at Twickenham.

Nanai-Williams, more accustomed to operating at centre, wing or fullback, has made a reasonable fist of his new post, though ironically his early drop of a high ball helped gift England’s opening try to Alex Lozowski. Otherwise he was busy on attack and made 11 tackles. His problem will be that the Chiefs are looking to play All Blacks fullback Damian McKenzie at first five in 2018, so his opportunities there will be limited. In fairness, Nanai-Williams is better suited out wide where he can give full rein to his expansive mindset. Samoa are transitioning from a decade with Tusi Pisi as their pivot, so this measure may just be a stop-gap.

Former North Harbour captain Chris Vui was again inspirational for Samoa, leading from the front and scoring a nice try, his first in internationals, in the corner, using all his skill. The TMO gave his assent. His former North Harbour teammate Josh Tyrell locked the scrum with him.

Samoa looked good in patches against England, with the likes of openside flanker TJ Ioane and centre Kieron Fonotia both having their moments. Alapati Leiua put on some big hits. However, Samoa has not won a test in 2017, which must be galling to their legion of fans.

Piers Francis, who played several seasons with Nanai-Williams’ Steelers, was a late sub for England.

Two ‘Kilted Kiwis’ appeared for Scotland in their 53-24 crushing of Australia.

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Sean Maitland was a late switch to fullback for the injured Stuart Hogg, and he showed his pace with a long-range try down the left flank. Former Highlanders and Chiefs midfielder Phil Burleigh won his first cap, on residency, off the bench.

The result was probably sealed after Sekope Kepu, an alumnus of Wesley College and the 2007 New Zealand Under 21s, crashed his shoulder into the jaw of Hamish Watson, thus incurring a red card. Taniela Tupou, who exploded into the 2014 Auckland 1A First XV competition with a televised hat-trick for Sacred Heart against Kelston, made his long-awaited Wallaby debut off the bench.

France and Japan drew 23-all, one of the latter’s tries going to centre Timothy Lafaele, once a student of Auckland’s De La Salle College.

Bundee Aki was back in the No 12 jersey as Ireland swept the autumn internationals, winning 28-19 over the Pumas.

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Fiji’s Ben Volavola again kicked goals, three of them, as the Flying Fijians dispatched Canada 57-17.

Tonga defeated Romania 25-20 in Bucharest. Tries to Atieli Pakalani (15) and George Taina (10), with Tane Takalua (9) adding the extras saw a good finish to the season for the Ikale Tahi.

South Africa discarded Italy 35-6, with Jayden Hayward and Dean Budd turning out again for the Azzurri.

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Jon 6 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 9 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.

36 Go to comments
A
Adrian 11 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

36 Go to comments
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