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Why Liam Squire has made the decision to return to New Zealand

By Tom Vinicombe
Liam Squire. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Liam Squire is back in New Zealand and, all going well, could be lining up for a Super Rugby club next year.

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The former All Black left NZ to link up with the NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes in Japan following last year’s successful Mitre 10 Cup with the Premiership-winning Tasman Mako.

The Top League season was called off after just six rounds, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Squire managed three appearances for the Osaka-based Red Hurricanes before he was struck down by a knee injury. While Squire has well and truly recovered from that speed bump, the extended break brought about due to the global pandemic has now given the loose forward the opportunity to deal with some other lingering problems.

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“I actually injured my knee early on in the season but once COVID hit, it was decided I’d return to get it fixed in NZ,” Squire told RugbyPass.

“That was nothing major but during that break, we decided I would also get my hip cleaned out. That’s an ongoing injury I’ve been dealing with and managing for a number of years now so for me, it’s a massive relief to finally be able to get my body back to 100%. The downside is that it’s come at a cost in that I won’t be able to return to Japan.”

Squire’s career in New Zealand was besotted by injuries.

Having broken into the All Blacks on the back of an excellent 2016 with the Highlanders, a broken thumb sustained partway through the 2017 Super Rugby season prevented Squire from playing against the British and Irish Lions.

In 2018, Squire struggled to string together two matches in a row for the Highlanders due to frequent small niggles but was still selected for the national side. A hand injury suffered in the Rugby Championship again sidelined the powerful blindside flanker for a number of tests before he returned late on the All Blacks’ European tour. In what turned out to be his last match for the New Zealand national team, Squire left the field late in the first half against Ireland due to injury.

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Squire had a late start to the 2019 season – his last in New Zealand – due to the troublesome hip that he’s finally set to deal with.

Despite Squire’s obvious potential and high-quality performances for Tasman, the Highlanders and the All Blacks, injuries effectively kept the loose forward from ever establishing himself as a long-term permanent selection at the highest level.

The extended pandemic-enforced break has finally granted time for Squire to conquer the chronic injury that’s caused problems over the years.

“My goal now is just to get my body feeling 100% and fit again, which is really exciting and motivating for me because I’ve had these tidy up surgeries on injuries that I feel have held me back in the past,” Squire said.

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“Getting back playing my best rugby is naturally a massive goal. I hope to play here in New Zealand again, all going well, but I can only control what I do and that’s working hard to get back to full fitness and hopefully get the chance to play again.”

The New Zealand provincial competition has already benefitted this year from a raft of players coming home from overseas and the experience that someone like 29-year-old Squire could bring to any team would be invaluable. While a return may not be on the cards in 2020, next season could be a different story.

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Adrian 53 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

7 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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