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Waisake Naholo's NZ return confirmed as Canterbury name NPC squad
Former All Blacks wing Waisake Naholo will return to first-class rugby in New Zealand during this year’s NPC after being named in Canterbury’s 2021 squad.
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Rumours had swirled in recent weeks that Naholo would suit up for Canterbury in this year’s provincial competition after returning to New Zealand upon the completion of his two-year injury-riddled spell with Premiership club London Irish.
Those whispers were confirmed on Wednesday when Canterbury announced their squad for the upcoming domestic season, with Naholo included as one of 10 new caps on the roster.
The inclusion of Naholo, who played 26 tests for the All Blacks between 2015 and 2018, comes after he spent nine seasons plying his trade for Taranaki at provincial level between 2011 and 2019.
The 30-year-old also has plenty of Super Rugby experience as he became a cult hero during his five-year stay with the Highlanders, who he helped lead to their maiden title in 2015, while he also played twice for the Blues in 2013.
A 2015 World Cup winner, Naholo – who had been playing club rugby in Dunedin prior to his inclusion in Canterbury’s NPC squad – headlines a number of newbies who will don the red-and-black hoops this season.
Accompanying Naholo as one of the new caps is former Chiefs and Melbourne Rebels playmaker Jack Debreczeni, who returns to Kiwi shores after spending the last two season in Japan with the Hino Red Dolphins in the Top League.
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The 28-year-old has previous experience in New Zealand provincial rugby, having played for Northland in 2018 and 2019, and is likely to compete with Crusaders starlet Fergus Burke for the No 10 jersey in the absence of All Blacks pivot Richie Mo’unga.
Elsewhere, New Zealand U20 lock Zach Gallagher has been included for his debut campaign in the NPC, while journeyman Irish prop Conan O’Donnell, formerly of the Sunwolves and Highlanders, has moved south from Counties Manukau.
The 2021 Canterbury squad also features six All Blacks – Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody, George Bridge and Braydon Ennor – as well as two other internationals, Fijian wing Manasa Mataele and Samoan loose forward Henry Stowers.
Most of the All Blacks are likely to be unavailable for most, if not all, of the NPC season, although Ennor and Moody are likely to be released to feature for Canterbury as they continue to recover from their respective injuries.
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Similarly, injured Crusaders duo Mitchel Dunshea and Tom Christie have both been named in the squad, but neither are expected to play.
Nevertheless, head coach Mark Brown remains optimistic about his side’s chances as they eye up their 15th national title after having gone trophy-less since 2017.
“We’re really proud of the group of guys we’ve been able to select for this Canterbury squad, but what also makes it really pleasing is the majority of our guys have come through the Canterbury club system and/or our academy,” he said via a statement.
The 2021 NPC season will kick-off on August 6, with Canterbury scheduled to get their campaign underway against arch-rivals Auckland at Eden Park on August 8.
2021 Canterbury NPC squad:
Liam Allen*
Cameron Bailey*
Finlay Brewis
George Bridge**
Fergus Burke
Tom Christie***
Sam Darry
Jack Debreczeni*
Luke Donaldson
Mitchell Drummond
Mitchell Dunshea***
Braydon Ennor**
Chay Fihaki
Zach Gallagher*
Mitchell Gibson*
Cullen Grace
Billy Harmon
Oliver Jager
Jono Kitto*
Shilo Klein
Daniel Lienert-Brown
Manasa Mataele**
Brodie McAlister
Josh McKay
Dallas McLeod
Richie Mo’unga**
Joe Moody**
Waisake Naholo*
Fletcher Newell
Conan O’Donnell*
Rameka Pohipi
Isaiah Punivai
Ngatungane Punivai
Luke Romano
Sam Stewart*
Henry Stowers*/**
Codie Taylor**
Sam Whitelock**
Tamaiti Williams
* – denotes new cap
** – denotes All Black/international
*** – denotes injured
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Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments