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The long career of Conrad Smith is over.
The 36-year-old centre bowed out of top rugby for Pau in the French Top 14 with a 38-26 victory over Toulon. It was, alas, not enough to propel Pau, who placed eighth, into the playoffs.
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Smith first appeared for Wellington in 2003 and racked up 265 first-class games, not to mention 94 tests for the All Blacks, and two Rugby World Cup victories, before playing three seasons in France’s south-west.
Smith wore the Pau No 13 on the weekend, occasionally opposing Toulon’s Malakai Fekitoa, who was at second five and copped a yellow card. Toulon qualified fourth and will have to go through the barrages in a fortnight.
Tom Taylor kicked six goals for Pau, while Daniel Ramsay and Jamie Mackintosh also featured.
Dominiko Waqaniburotu’s Brive beat Bordeaux-Begles 22-20, but will be relegated, having propped up the table. Brive will be replaced by PRO D2 champions Perpignan for 2018-19. Luke Braid, Ben Volavola and Ed Fidow all played for the latter.
David Smith scored a try as Castres qualified sixth, scraping into the playoffs, with a hefty 54-3 win over Oyonnax, who will now play Grenoble, PRO D2 runners-up, for next season’s Top 14 berth. Maama Vaipulu, Alex Tulou and Paea Fa’anunu all turned out for Castres, while Oyonnax fielded Vili Ma’afu, Hika Elliot, Quentin MacDonald and Ben Botica, who scored the only points via a penalty goal.
La Rochelle just missed out on the playoffs, despite a swift start to the season, but they did have the satisfaction of defeating Stade Francais 31-7. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Uini Atonio, Victor Vito and Hikairo Forbes all turned out for the victors.
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Fifth placed Lyon beat top qualifiers Montpellier 32-24, aided by tries to Toby Arnold and Taiasina Tuifua. Rudi Wulf, Toa Halafihi and Mike Harris were also on the team sheet.
Montpellier fielded Nemani Nadolo, who scored a try, Aaron Cruden, who kicked a conversion, and Jarrad Hoeata.
Racing-Metro confirmed second place with a 42-13 beating of Agen. Ole Avei and So’otala Fa’aso’o tries highlighted the effort by those with Kiwi connections, while Anthony Tuitavake, Census Johnston and Ben Tameifuna all played a part.
Racing-Metro tuned up for this weekend’s big European Champions Cup final against Leinster in Bilbao.
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Defending Top 14 champs Clermont finished a disappointing ninth but would be happy with the 36-26 defeat of third-placed Toulouse. Fritz Lee and Loni Uhila fronted for Clermont, while Joe Tekori scored a try for Toulouse. Carl Axtens and Jarrod Poi entered the fray from the bench.
In the Guinness PRO14 playoffs, Hadleigh Parkes’ Scarlets booked their semifinal berth with a 43-8 win over the Cheetahs. Wayne Pivac’s charges will now face Dave Rennie’s Glasgow for a place in the decider. A try to hooker Rhys Marshall was key to Munster’s 20-16 victory over Edinburgh, whose props were Simon Berghan and Jordan Lay.
There were some hard luck stories in the final round of the Aviva Premiership. But Todd Blackadder’s Bath will still be on cloud nine after a 63-19 rout of London Irish gave them qualification to next season’s Champions Cup. Cooper Vuna and James Wilson scored tries, while the Samoan duo of Kahn Fotuali’i and Anthony Perenise both started. Blair Cowan and Ben Franks turned out for the Exiles.
Thomas Waldrom’s Exeter easily beat Harlequins 41-17, with Alofa Alofa and Mat Luamanu both starting for Quins.
Jimmy Gopperth scored a try and kicked two goals off the Wasps bench as they defeated Newcastle 39-22, but the Falcons, with Tane Takalua and Nili Latu featuring, have made the semifinals.
Northampton, who welcome Chris Boyd as head coach in August, defeated Worcester 32-24. Ben Teo scored a try for the Warriors, while Nafi Tuitavake dotted down for the Saints. Mike Harris, Teimana Harrison and Ahsee Tuala all tasted victory to close what has been a difficult season for Midlands club.
Leicester’s 35-13 win over Sale was to no avail, as the Tigers cemented a rare finish outside the top four. Telusa Veainu, Mike FitzGerald, Brendon O’Connor, Logovi’i Mulipola and Valentino Mapapalangi all played for Leicester. The Sharks – with Bryn Evans, Halani Aulika and Johnny Leota in the ranks – were kicking themselves after seeing Champions Cup qualification slip from their grasp.
Sean Maitland scored a try as Saracens smashed Gloucester 62-12. Jason Woodward, Motu Matu’u and Jeremy Thrush, who was binned, turned out for the west country club, who now reset their sights on this weekend’s European Challenge Cup final, where they face Cardiff Blues.
There should be several New Zealanders on show in both Cup finals in Spain.
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Comments on RugbyPass
What was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
27 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
27 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
27 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to comments