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Northampton sign pacy Fiji-born number 8 with 'enormous potential'
Northampton Saints have signed a promising 21-year-old Fiji-born back row.
Number 8 Tui Uru will join the club’s academy from Bury St Edmunds for the 2019/20 season.
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He has played for the National 2 South side for the last two seasons after making the move from Ipswich in 2017.
Uru is regular member of the Eastern Counties set-up and has also represented England Counties at under-20s level in his fledgling career so far.
He cites Jonah Lomu as his rugby idol and you can see why when looking at his showreel put up on the Northampton Saints Twitter feed, with Uru showing plenty of pace, power and a sidestepping ability.
Here's a flavour of what to expect from the Fijian-born @EnglandCounties U20 international ???
? @BSERugby pic.twitter.com/0SmDo6sJn0
— Northampton Saints ? (@SaintsRugby) February 19, 2019
“I am delighted to be joining Northampton Saints, and to get the opportunity to develop as a player using the wonderful facilities at Franklin Gardens,” he said.
“It’s clear that Chris Boyd is looking to bring through young players through at the club which is really exciting to be a part of; and I’m looking forward to working with him and the rest of the squad from the start of pre-season”.
Uru is the second new signing of the season for Saints Academy, with centre Reuben Bird-Tulloch already putting pen to paper on a deal to switch to Franklin’s Gardens from Saracens last month.
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And academy manager Simon Sinclair is relishing the prospect of seeing how far the ball-carrying No.8 can develop once he is introduced into a full-time environment at Saints.
He said: “Tui has enormous potential and the thing that has impressed me most about him is his attitude; he’s humble and dedicated to becoming a better player.
“He has strong attributes for a No.8 – he carries hard, he’s quick from the base, and his soft skills are impressive.
“He trains every day before going to a full-time job, in addition to his rugby training with Bury St Edmunds, so we’re extremely excited to see how far he can go within a professional set-up here in Northampton.”
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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