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Kiwis in Europe: Luatua must bring substance to Bristol style
Steven Luatua is testimony to the exquisite skill that the Bristol Bears bring to some of their work but he will need to lead with the hard edge if his team is to challenge the top six in this season’s Gallagher Premiership.
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The former All Black and now Bristol captain showed his wares with a nice over the top offload for Luke Morahan’s first-half try against Gloucester at Kingsholm after a nicely judged grubber by Ian Madigan. Luatua was prominent in a beaten pack, but was often to be found on the fringes when the Bears sought to spread the ball.
The Bears dominated the first spell, but there was a lot of east-west movement rather than north-south and Pat Lam’s charges wilted as Gloucester soaked up the pressure before applying the clinical touches.
Jason Woodward and Josh Hohneck are now 3-0 in the Premiership after this west country derby. Alongside Luatua were Siale Piutau, Tusi Pisi, John Afoa, Chris Vui and Jack Lam.
Lima Sopoaga chalked up 18 points as Wasps beat Leicester 41-35. Nathan Hughes scored a try, and copped a yellow card, from No 8. Telusa Veainu scored one of the Tigers’ tries from fullback.
Exeter defeated Sale Sharks 35-18, with former All Blacks lock Bryn Evans scoring a try for the latter. Denny Solomona was on the Sale right wing.
Jackson Willison and Anthony Perenise enjoyed a good away win for Bath, 37-31 over Harlequins.
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Sean Maitland’s Saracens won 38-27 at Northampton, despite tries to Piers Francis, Ben Franks and Dylan Hartley for the Saints. Ahsee Tuala and Teimana Harrison also featured.
Bryce Heem’s Worcester went down 23-20 at home to Newcastle, for whom Sinoti Sinoti and Tane Takalua scored tries. Logovi’i Mulipola, who played for Hawke’s Bay in 2011 and subsequently for Manu Samoa, was at tighthead prop.
In the French Top 14, Toulouse tipped over Racing-Metro 30-17, despite a Joe Tekori yellow card. Alongside him were Charlie Faumuina, Jerome Kaino, Carl Axtens and Pita Ahki. Racing’s ranks included Ole Avei, Ben Volavola and Census Johnston.
Agen’s Sam Vaka and Tom Murday tasted a 22-17 victory against Bordeaux-Begles, who included George Tilsley and Luke Braid.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzy2HZrxfeo
Two tries to No 8 Alex Tulou helped Castres to a 29-13 win over Taiasina Tuifua’s Grenoble. David Smith was again on the left wing for the defending champs.
George Moala, Fritz Lee and Loni Uhila all played for Clermont in the 27-23 away win over Pau, for whom Colin Slade scored a try and kicked three goals. Replacement Tom Taylor also kicked a goal, while Benson Stanley, Daniel Ramsay and Jamie Mackintosh all featured.
Lyon sent out an ominous warning to the rest of the Top 14 with a 55-13 dismantling of Montpellier. Charlie Ngatai crossed for two tries, and Toby Arnold for a single. Aaron Cruden, back from injury, slotted three goals for Montpellier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN5oHpLd9_U
Ziggy Fisi’ihoi’s Stade Francais heaped further pain on Toulon to the tune of 37-10. Julian Savea copped a yellow card, while Malakai Fekitoa and Liam Messam are finding the going tough for the red and blacks early in 2018-19.
Four goals to Ihaia West and a try to Hikairo Forbes helped land La Rochelle a 37-10 win over a Perpignan team that included Michael Faleafa and Shahn Eru. La Rochelle also featured Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Uini Atonio and Victor Vito.
In the Guinness PRO14, Sean Reidy’s Ulster beat the Southern Kings 28-7.
Jimmy Tuivaiti’s Zebre accounted for Cardiff Blues 26-24, despite a try and four goals to Gareth Anscombe. Rey Lee-Lo and Nick Williams also played for the Blues.
Rhys Marshall enjoyed starting for Munster at rake so much that he scored a double in the 49-13 win over Ospreys.
Simon Berghan’s Edinburgh defeated Bundee Aki’s Connacht 17-10, while a brace to Jamison Gibson-Park helped Leinster crush Brandon Nansen’s Dragons 52-10. Callum Gibbins scored a try in Glasgow’s 52-24 hiding of the Cheetahs.
Kieron Fonotia and Johnny McNicholl scored tries in Scarlets’ 38-29 defeat of Treviso.
Hadleigh Parkes and Blade Thomson did not get on the score sheet. Left wing Monty Ioane scored a try for the Italian club, while hooker Hame Faiva was yellow-carded. Iliesa Ratuva Tavuyara was on the right wing.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to comments