Clermont plan raid on Japan's Top League to bolster depleted side: reports
Top 14 side Clermont are planning a raid on Japan’s Top League to bolster their injury-ravaged three-quarter line, according to reports.
They have their eyes on Panasonic Wild Knights’ Australian Digby Ioane (32) and two stars from Toshiba Brave Lupus – 53-cap 2011 World Cup-winner Cory Jane (34) and 17-cap All Black Richard Kahui (32) – French rugby media have said.
The desperate Japanese recruitment drive comes after veteran centre Aurelien Rougerie and winger David Strettle – as well as stalwart hooker Benjamin Kayser – were injured in Clermont’s first home defeat of the season against Castres at the weekend.
They join prop Loni Uhila; lock Sitaleki Timani; flankers Camille Gérondeau and Judicaël Cancoriet; scrum halves Greig Laidlaw and Charlie Cassang; fly-halves Camille Lopez, Patricio Fernandez and Luke McAlister; wings Alivereti Raka and Noa Nakaitaci; and centres Damian Penaud, Remi Lamerat and Wesley Fofana on an injury list that is longer than the club’s Sunday name of Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne.
With player stocks already badly depleted, the latest injuries could not have come at a worse time for Clermont. As reported, Rougerie will be out for a month with a knee injury. Strettle (ligament strain) and Kayser (concussion) will also miss the weekend’s Top 14 trip to Racing 92’s U Arena for the last round of domestic league action before the fifth and sixth rounds of the Champions Cup kick off.
Clermont are top of Pool Two in Europe, with four wins from four, including back-to-back victories over Saracens. But quarter-final qualification is still not guaranteed. A win at Northampton or at home against Ospreys would be sufficient, but that queue of players outside the physio’s room will be a concern for coach Franck Azema.
In a rare slice of good news, another prop Davit Zirakashvili returned to action off the bench for the first time since November 6 against Castres.
Of the potential new recruits from Japan, only Ioane has experience of the French domestic competition. He arrived at Stade Francais in 2013, after a successful run with Queensland Reds and the Wallabies. According to reports, he struggled with the change in culture and language. Rumour has it he sounded out then-Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie about an early return to Australia before the end of the first season of his two-year contract.
In the end, he stuck out the full term of his deal – scoring five times in 25 matches – before moving to Honda Heat in Japan, where he played 22 times before switching to Panasonic Wild Knights.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar 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.
9 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.
35 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.
2 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
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
35 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.
35 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.
35 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.
35 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 commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments