Read, Messam, Thomson, Rutledge: The Mitre 10 Cup veterans who are defying rugby's youthful standards
They say rugby is a young man’s game.
That would be true if you watch premier club rugby in some of the bigger centres. Other than the odd veteran who is keen to throw himself into rucks well into his 30s, it’s like an extension of First XV rugby. Most teams would have an average age in the early 20s.
Where is the grizzled old veteran welcoming the young buck to senior footy, as Mata’afa Keenan did in emphatic fashion to rookie prop Paul Thomson in a 1994 Varsity-Grammar game in Auckland? The days of a Craig Dowd doing his front-row apprenticeship with two seasons in the Suburbs Under 21s are over. Players are too impatient now.
But the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup has welcomed back more veterans, seasoned campaigners, than ever. Many are back home because New Zealand is one of the safer places to live let alone play footy (at least outside the Auckland region). They are not back for the money. Mitre 10 Cup wages have taken a hit, for something around 15-20 percent across the board.
Kieran Read for example, has not suited up with his native Counties Manukau to boost his retirement fund. He feels a connection, wants to play for the union he watched in the 1990s on the famous Pukekohe bank (slippery when wet). He will be on pocket money compared to his wage in Japan, though we still don’t know who paid his Toyota Verblitz insurance fee or whether Steve Hansen waived it.
It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that a prodigious young No 8 talent by the name of Viliami Taulani, whose rep career thus far has promised more than it has delivered, will be soaking up lessons from a 127-test All Black. If Read can win a few lineouts, carry hard, give the last pass for the odd try, all the better for the Steelers. What’s more, he’s going to be around for the duration, unlike, say, Dalton Papali’i. That leadership and experience will be priceless to a young, raw Steelers outfit.
Tasman went back to Alex Ainley, a Mako original, and 39 years of age, to stiffen up their second-row stocks after Pari Pari Parkinson went down and Quinten Strange was still battling injury. He will be gold for the champs, even if he spends more time in jersey No 19 than 4.
Waikato is mostly full of youth and vigour, but its loose forward stocks include one two former All Blacks No 6s who cannot spell retirement. Adam Thomson went, in the space of two years, from nearly dying, to playing rugby, being whistled up for Super Rugby, to signing with the Mooloos. He’s 38, but powered through 64 minutes against Wellington, scored a try and more than held his own against a Lions loose trio of Ardie Savea, Du’Plessis Kirifi and Vaea Fifita.
Liam Messam did not play last weekend. He’s 36 and back from two seasons at Toulon. He’ll do a similar job at Waikato to the one Marty Holah did back in 2014, setting the standards at training and his approach to game. Contracts for those on the wrong side of 35 are drying up in France, though Jerome Kaino is still going at 37 for Toulouse.
Which reminds me, Marc Cecillon bowed out for his beloved Bourgoin at 39 (!) after 23 seasons. That’s a fearful amount of French scrums, let along bagarres generales. Five years later, in a fit of drunken pique, he shot his wife dead at a barbeque.
But I digress.
He's not the first man SBW has inspired – and he certainly won't be the last. #AllBlacks #Springbokshttps://t.co/Fv7ScbnnYg
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 17, 2020
At 35, Jamie ‘Whopper’ Mackintosh is back from his Gulliver’s Travels to be the Otago scrum coach, but he could yet suit up if needed.
Ben May is 37, pushing 38, and going around one last time, this season with Taranaki, his sixth province in a long and colourful career that kicked off even before the NPC reformatting of 2006. ‘Bam Bam’ has racked up over 250 first-class games and may just fancy one last title (and a Ranfurly Shield) with the Bulls.
We’ve left Jason ‘Cabbage’ Rutledge to last, but certainly not least. At 42 and after another premier club title with Woodlands, the hooker was called into the Stags to cover after an injury to former skipper Flynn Thomas. He came off the bench to see the Stags through to an upset 16-10 win over Hawke’s Bay in Invercargill last weekend. Crossfit and his physical plumbing job have maintained his fitness levels. Rutledge extended his appearance record for Southland to 140 and you just know what he will bring to the cause: total commitment.
He would smile that the Steelers reserve rake Shaun Muir made his provincial debut at 35 last weekend after five club titles with Bombay.
There’s still a place for the old fellas in our game. You young bucks better soak up the lessons. There’ll be plenty of them.
Comments on RugbyPass
The 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 👍
1 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 commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe 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.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 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.
11 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 comments