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Le All Black aux 103 sélections, âgé de 41 ans, a remporté la Conférence Ouest de la MLR la saison dernière, avant de s’incliner en finale face aux New England Free Jacks. Bien qu’il aura 42 ans au cours de la campagne, il voudra aller encore plus loin cette saison et ajouter un nouveau trophée à son palmarès.
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Cette annonce intervient quelques semaines après que San Diego a confirmé la signature du centurion australien Matt Giteau, qui a évolué au côté de Nonu à Toulon.
Les deux légendes du rugby de l’hémisphère sud ont tous deux 41 ans et se donnent encore un peu de temps avant de raccrocher les crampons.
Un palmarès de légende
Le trois-quarts centre apporte une expérience considérable à l’équipe, puisqu’il a remporté deux Coupes du Monde de Rugby avec les All Blacks en 2011 et 2015.
Celui que l’on surnomme « Young Tana » en référence à l’illustre Tana Umaga a également gagné cinq titres de Tri Nations/Rugby Champions Cup et huit Bledisloe Cups au cours de ses 103 sélections avec la Nouvelle-Zélande.
Ma’a Nonu a disputé en plus 159 matchs de Super Rugby avec les Hurricanes, les Highlanders, les Blues et les Chiefs.
Sans compter qu’en France, il a joué 93 fois pour Toulon en Top 14 (deux fois finaliste en 2016 et 2017) entre 2015 et 2018 avant de repartir en 2019 chez les Blues puis de réapparaître sur la rade pour la saison 2020-2021.
« La légende est de retour »
L’entraîneur principal et directeur du rugby du San Diego Legion, Danny Lee, a déclaré après la signature de Ma’a Nonu : « La légende est de retour pour une nouvelle année.
« Nous sommes ravis que Ma’a soit de retour pour la saison 2024 de la MLR après une année 2023 exceptionnelle. Ma’a a eu une influence majeure sur notre équipe la saison dernière sur et en dehors du terrain et a été un facteur déterminant dans la réalisation d’une saison très réussie, en jouant la finale de la MLR et en nous permettant de battre les records du club et du championnat en même temps. C’est reparti ! »
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Après avoir recruté en décembre Matt Giteau, Lee avait déclaré : « Nous sommes aux anges de nous assurer les services de Matt pour la saison à venir.
« C’est un joueur de classe mondiale qui apportera une incroyable somme de connaissances, une mentalité de compétiteur et une volonté de réussir qui se propagera sans aucun doute à l’ensemble de l’équipe. »
Au côté de Nonu et Giteau, le capitaine et ancien international écossais Blair Cowan a également signé un nouveau contrat sur la côte ouest récemment.
La saison de la MLR débutera en mars, avec le déplacement de San Diego au Starfire Sports Complex pour affronter les Seattle Seawolves lors de leur premier match de la saison.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Excellent game management in the last 15 or so minutes to close it out. Aussie got a bit panicky.
1 Go to commentsWhile all this is going on… I’ve been thinking more about the NFL draft system and how to make the commercial elements of the game more sustainable for SA teams who precariously live on the fringe of these developments. SA teams play in Europe now, and are welcome, because there’s a novelty to it. SA certainly doesn’t bring the bucks (like a Japan would to SR) but they bring eyes to it. But if they don’t perform (because they don’t have the money like the big clubs) - it’s easy come easy go… I think there is an element of strategic drafting going on in SA. Where the best players (assets) are sort of distributed amongst the major teams. It’s why we’re seeing Moodie at the Bulls for example and not at his homegrown Western Province. 20-30 years ago, it was all about playing for your province of birth. That has clearly changed in the modern era. Maybe Moodie couldn’t stay in the cape because at the time the Stormers were broke? Or had too many good players to fit him in? Kistchoff’s sabbatical to Ireland and back had financial benefits. Now they can afford him again (I would guess). What I am getting at is - I think SA Rugby needs to have a very strong strategy around how teams equitably share good youth players out of the youth structures. That is SA’s strong point - a good supply of good players out of our schools and varsities. It doesn’t need to be the spectacle we see out of the states, but a system where SA teams and SA rugby decide on where to draft youth, how to fund this and how to make it that it were possible for a team like the Cheetahs (for example) to end up with a team of young stars and win! This is the investment and thinking that needs to be happening at grassroots to sustain the monster meanwhile being created at the top.
45 Go to commentsGreat win - but very poor officiating yet again. Even the Aussie commentators slammed the YC decisions.
1 Go to commentsThe game where it felt like RSA was going to lose the most was the England game in my view. Heart in throat after the Farrell drop-goal…Amazing that the boks overcame 3 times in a row…not likely to be repeated ever in my view Also the boys looked emotionally spent in the England game in the 1st half That said, why was World Rugby and Beaumont allowed to stack the pools in England’s favour? Toughest opponents on that side of the draw were Fiji, Argentina (implode central) and Auckland Girls 2nd team
48 Go to commentsOnline trolls - the only ppl who the Crusaders can beat
2 Go to commentsDefinitely some greater nous by the Walleroos and it will take a bit of time for Jo Yapp to have a lasting affect. Canada are a forward dominated physical team and only the top 3 teams can match them, though not so sure about BF’s forwards. Many of Canada’s forwards earn their living in the English PWR, the breeding ground for the Red Roses amazing strength in depth. The next PAC4 matches will be interesting.
1 Go to commentsIs the Club World Cup and the World League, in combination, going to make or break world Rugby? I personally think it’s too much. Established tournaments and competitions’s significance is going to be drowned out by “the new shiney Mall built just down the street”.
45 Go to commentsLoved Carr‘s post match interview. “No, I don’t think so Jean. But thank you.” Good kid. Louw a certain feature for the Boks this year.
1 Go to comments“Where is the challenge to Leinster, Toulouse and La Rochelle likely to come from in future?” Racing 92 ? This has not been a good season for them this year, but they have a very strong squad……players like Woki, Nyakane, Kolisi, Le Roux, Lauret(these two older now), Le Garrec, Fickou, Tuisova, Arundell. With the addition next year of Owen Farrell, that is some firepower to mount a serious challenge ? And with Stuart Lancaster having a year under his belt, things should go better. Northampton will be a year wiser, more streetwise too. And I would expect one or two of the South African sides to mount a more serious challenge, but that would depend on keeping more players at home
45 Go to commentsWow, have to go but can’t leave without saying these thoughts. And carlos might jump in here, but going through the repercussions I had the thought that sole nation representatives would see this tournament as a huge boon. The prestige alone by provide a huge incentive for nations like Argentina to place a fully international club side into one of these tournaments (namely Super Rugby). I don’t know about the money side but if a team like the Jaguares was on the fence about returning I could see this entry as deciding the deal (at least for make up of that side with its eligibility criteria etc). Same goes for Fiji, and the Drua, if there can be found money to invest in bringing more internationals into the side. It’s great work from those involved in European rugby to sacrifice their finals, or more accurately, to open there finals upto 8 other world teams. It creates a great niche and can be used by other parties to add further improvements to the game. Huge change from the way things in the past have stalled. I did not even know that about the French game. Can we not then, for all the posters out there that don’t want to follow NZ and make the game more aerobic, now make a clear decision around with more injuries occur the more tired an athlete is? If France doesn’t have less injuries, then that puts paid to that complaint, and we just need to find out if it is actually more dangerous having ‘bigger’ athletes or not. How long have they had this rule?
45 Go to commentsHaha he does the exact opposite of what you’d expect any receiver to do, Brilliant!
2 Go to commentswell the favourites dont always win and let scott robertson chose his number 8
4 Go to commentsthats great for cam miller and the highlanders the crusaders have got problems within there systems that were proberly covered up astheywere winning when scott robertson was in charge
2 Go to commentsThe last time Plumtree coached the sharks they sucked the same when with the hurricanes now back with the shark Springboro. They still have no game plan
1 Go to commentsan impressive nail biting win for the Blues...but for mine the losing of the game sits with Isaia Walker-Leawere who fumbled balls from kick offs, broken play and then stripped of the ball by Sam Nock in the final minute…
4 Go to commentsAll of the Moderna law changes have been to slow the game down, playing into the hands of SA and the north. Incentivising boring, negative rugby. Brilliant changes. Speed up the game.
24 Go to commentsImagine you kick to the lineout, they give away a free kick, you have a great chance at a scrum, sorry sir you have to tap and go. Ridiculous
24 Go to commentsWhile I believe that the Crusaders do not deserve a spot in the playoffs, every single team would be worried to play them no matter where on the table they are. For example, they have the potential to knock out the Blues at Eden Park. They are the Springboks in Super Rugby in that they know exactly how to play knockout footy and have the pedigree and experience to do it. Something is just not quite right with that team this year. Fakatava is prone to to the odd brain explosion and can kick away good ball in bad positions. His work around the ruck and breakdown is a standout. Is he better than Finlay Christie? I’m not sure. TJ Perenara and Cortez Ratima should get two of the spots in the ABs squad. Aumua has so much potential but the midfield is quite well stocked with Jordie, ALB, Tupaea, and Ioane as well as Billy Proctor who is in top form. Aumua would be battling a spot with Tupaea and Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy do some Bok fans get so defensive when people have opinions on how the game should be played? Is it really necessary to take it as a personal attack on SA every time?
24 Go to commentsMost crazy rule is when attacking player has to release but defender does not. Stop the defender doing that by saying hands off. That way fender would not kill the ball. Madness and crazy
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