Watch: Kiwis carving up the north - Latu defying Father Time
Nili Latu is one of the great warriors of rugby and, even at 35, still has plenty to offer.
That much was clear with his last gasp try to help Newcastle Falcons to a 24-22 win over Northampton in round 10 of the Aviva Premiership.
Latu had 13 minutes off the bench, but has started more often than not at No 8 for the Falcons. His coach Dean Richards, himself an indefatigable loose forward, if built along less dynamic lines than Latu, would have approved of Latu’s low body position for the driving, close range try.
Latu only played the last of his 48 tests for Ikale Tahi in July. His international and clubmate Tane Takalua kicked the easy conversion for the win. Earlier, wing Sinoti Sinoti had shown a refusal to be tackled with a bullocking try, while Sinoti gave the last pass for Josh Matavesi’s score.
Kiwi-born Dylan Hartley scored a try for Saints, while Piers Francis slotted two goals off the bench. Ahsee Tuala strolled over for a try, but it was ruled out by the TMO for an earlier knock-on.
Jimmy Gopperth kicked four decisive goals for Wasps in their 32-25 victory over Leicester, whose squad included former Hawke’s Bay and Samoa prop Logovi’i Mulipola, Mike FitzGerald, Valentino Mapapalangi and Telusa Veainu.
The Kiwi quartet of John Afoa, Josh Hohneck, Jeremy Thrush and Willi Heinz were front and centre for Gloucester, who are working their way up the Premiership table after a 39-15 win over London Irish. Lock Filo Paulo scored a try for the Exiles, who also started James Marshall and Mike Coman.
Bryn Evans’ Sale edged Bryce Heem’s Worcester 18-14, while a Thomas Waldrom try helped leaders Exeter to a 42-29 result over Bath, who fielded Paul Grant, Anthony Perenise and Kahn Fotuali’i.
Mat Luamanu’s Harlequins edged Sean Maitland’s Saracens 20-19.
In the Guinness PRO14, Dave Rennie’s Glasgow Warriors beat Cardiff Blues 40-16. Lelia Masaga, Callum Gibbins, Siua Halanukonuka and Samuela Vunisa, who scored a try, all featured for the victors. Gareth Anscombe (at fullback), Nick Williams and Rey Lee-Lo all turned out for the Blues, while former (Auckland) Blues prop Taufa’ao Filise copped a red card.
Ulster, with Charlie Piutau and Sean Reidy in the mix, drew 32-all with Dragons, while Johnny McNicholl’s Scarlets lost 28-21 to the Cheetahs.
Rhys Marshall’s Munster dispatched Kieron Fonotia’s Ospreys 36-10, while Pita Ahki’s Connacht went down 24-10 to Zebre.
Phil Burleigh and Simon Berghan enjoyed a 48-21 away win for Edinburgh at the Southern Kings.
James Lowe made a fine debut for Leinster, the left wing scoring a brace in the 36-10 win over Treviso, for whom Marty Banks, Whetu Douglas, Nasi Manu and 2017 Blues hooker Hame Faiva featured.
In the French Top 14, Malakai Fekitoa and Alby Mathewson helped Toulon to a 39-11 victory over Lyon. Toby Arnold, Rudi Wulf, Toa Halafihi and Mike Harris played for the vanquished.
A Quentin MacDonald try and five goals to Ben Botica were insufficient as Oyonnax lost 33-30 to Brive.
Colin Slade and Tom Taylor shared six goals in Pau’s 27-17 win over Bordeaux-Begles. Others to feature for Pau were Conrad Smith, Benson Stanley, Frank Halai, Peter Saili and Jamie Mackintosh. Fa’asiu Fuatai scored a try for the opposition, while Ben Volavola popped up off the bench.
David Smith’s Castres won the local derby 41-31 over bigger neighbours Toulouse, for whom Charlie Faumuina was again at tighthead.
Aaron Cruden’s Montpellier fell 26-10 to leaders La Rochelle, whose line-up included Rene Ranger, Uini Atonio, Jason Eaton, Victor Vito and Hikairo Forbes.
Tony Ensor and prop Siegfried Fisi’ihoi appeared for Stade Francais in the 27-17 Parisian derby win over Racing-Metro. No 8 So’otala Fa’aso’o scored a try and incurred a yellow card for the latter.
Luke McAlister – formerly of Toulouse and Toulon – has popped up at Clermont, kicking four goals in the 35-26 victory over Agen. Les Jaunards, who are said to have signed Tim Nanai-Williams for the 2018-19 season, fielded Isaia Toeava at fullback. George Tilsley ran in a hat-trick for Agen.
This weekend sees round three of the European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
*Hunterville’s very own Hadleigh Parkes had a dream debut for Wales. The midfielder, regarded as something of a nomadic rugby journeyman in New Zealand, scored a double and took the man of the match honours in the 24-22 win over South Africa.
Parkes has just qualified on residency after three years of consistent form for Wayne Pivac’s Scarlets, where his low error rate is highly valued.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments