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Matt Giteau is suddenly appreciating the true value of teachers
The stay at home advice during the coronavirus pandemic has convinced Matt Giteau of one thing – that teachers aren’t paid enough.
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The long-serving ex-Wallaby midfielder is back home in Canberra following the cancellation of the remainder of the Japanese Top League season and the readjustment to family life has had its moments.
Episode ten of The Breakdown discusses all the big developments in the game
Rather than move to Japan after Giteau’s lengthy stint at Toulon came to an end, Giteau’s wife and two boys went to live in Australia which left him spending considerable chunks of time away from them in order to play for Suntory.
Now back at home, he has been quickly catching up. “I’ve never even known such long days. The hardest part is the duties of the little ones in reality,” he quipped in an interview with French bi-weekly Midi Olympique.
“My sons are six and eight years old. And today, I can clearly tell you that the teachers are not paid enough. We should give them salaries of a prime minister or president for what they do.
“Anyway, I also feel like this time is priceless. Since when had I not spent so many hours with my children?
“When I’m not travelling, they are in school six hours a day and we hardly see each other… so, I’m just trying to think of this period as a way to make up for lost time, but it’s still quite a challenge.
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“No, I’m exaggerating… you know, my two boys were born in Toulon. When we left France, they spoke very little English. So I wanted them to go live in Australia, even if I live the Japanese experience alone. Two years later, their English is good. We can finally communicate.”
Having returned from Japan, Giteau had two take precautions upon his return to Australia. “I had to spend the first two weeks in quarantine so as not to expose my wife and my children to a possible microbe.
“I can’t leave my house. In the evening, I sleep in a separate room and during the day, I always stand more than two metres away.”
WATCH: Get the lowdown on what your favourite rugby stars are up to in isolation with the premiere episode of Isolation Nation
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Comments on RugbyPass
As long as New Zealand youth are involved in sport they are passionate for, and are well supported, it’s all good. I love league as well as rugby. NRL clubs have long since scouted the First 15 competitions, the NH and Japan scout super rugby and NPC. It’s a miracle there’s any players left for the all blacks to pick from.
4 Go to commentsI'm a Bok fan, so I don't say this lightly, but he is one of my all time favourite players. I am really going to miss watching him play. Thanks for many great memories. You are a true legend of the game.
3 Go to commentsBest way to deal with all of this is to play another game.
117 Go to commentsIt’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
5 Go to commentsAndy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
5 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
3 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
117 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
3 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
4 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
4 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
117 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
4 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to comments