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Montpellier plug the Pienaar gap by recruiting a Samoan from the Premiership
Vern Cotter’s Montpellier have bolstered their scrum-half resources for next season by recruiting a Samoan from the English Premiership.
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The French club entered the off-season light on No9 options after the departure of Ruan Pienaar, most probably to the Cheetahs, the retirement of Julien Tomas and the likely World Cup call up of Georgia’s Gela Aprasidze.
However, they have now moved to plug that gap with the recruitment on a one-year deal of Kahn Fotuali’i, the 37-year-old last capped by Samoa in 2017 who will head to France off the back of eight consecutive seasons playing in the UK.
He spent the past three at Bath, making 10 appearances in the English club’s most recent Premiership campaign under the now departed coach Todd Blackadder. Prior to that, Fotuali’i spent three seasons at Northampton and another two at Welsh region Ospreys in a British adventure that began in 2011.
The Auckland-born, 31-cap Samoan half-back, who checks in at 94kgs, had four seasons of Super Rugby at the Crusaders as well as spells at Tasman and Hawkes Bay before opting to ply his trade in the northern hemisphere.
#Officiel : Kahn Fotuali'i rejoint le MHR pour la saison 2019/2020. Bienvenue à lui dans la #TEAMMHR ???
Pour en savoir plus sur lui, c'est par ici ??https://t.co/p8OWQecLFI pic.twitter.com/hQE0Iqrm9j— Montpellier Rugby (@MHR_officiel) June 28, 2019
Bath had announced on May 8 that Fotuali’i, first capped by Samoa in October 2010, was among a batch of 11 players departing The Rec this summer ahead of the team’s takeover by incoming director of rugby, Stuart Hooper.
Tongan Cooper Vuna, another of those departures, picked up a contract at Championship side Newcastle earlier this week.
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Bath had described Fotuali’i as “a fantastic player, and a serious competitor who loves to win” when they signed him in June 2016. He went on to play 47 times in the Premiership for them, as well as making another 15 appearances in the Champions Cup.
He said at the time when he joined: “They have an exciting, attacking ethos, which I’m looking forward to being part of, and I really like the focus that is put on individual development of players. You can always continue to learn as a player.”
That learning will now continue in France.
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Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
39 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
39 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
39 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
39 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
39 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
39 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
39 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments