NH Club Rugby
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@sparky said in NH Club Rugby:
Pita Ahki's last game for Toulouse so the Kiwis at the club performed Ka Mate for him.
The Toulouse instagram feed is loaded with Ahki posts. The French do celebrate individuals well
I have not seen much of him play since he left NZ. The fans seem to rate him very highly.. the highlight videos look great.. how has his form been in the last year or so? Still near his best?
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@Duluth From what I've seen he fits very much in the "club legend" model. A very good player but not world class.
He's had the benefit of playing for France's and probably Europe's best team in recent years.
When fit, he's been Toulouse's top choice 12 for about about seven years. He looked very good during Covid times. A mid-fielder in the Garry Ringrose model. A very good organiser who others like Dupont and Ntamack could play around. He's won five French Championships and two European Championship with Toulouse.
That's said I can't remember him shining on a big occasion. He went off early in the 2024 European Cup Final and he's had a lot of injuries in the last 18 months.
He's a solid signing for the Blues, especially as they will miss Reiko's calmness in midfield next year. But I don't expect him to play the house down.
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@sparky said in NH Club Rugby:
@Duluth From what I've seen he fits very much in the "club legend" model. A very good player but not world class.
He's had the benefit of playing for France's and probably Europe's best team in recent years.
When fit, he's been Toulouse's top choice 12 for about about seven years. He looked very good during Covid times. A mid-fielder in the Garry Ringrose model. A very good organiser who others like Dupont and Ntamack could play around. He's won five French Championships and two European Championship with Toulouse.
That's said I can't remember him shining on a big occasion. He went off early in the 2024 European Cup Final and he's had a lot of injuries in the last 18 months.
He's a solid signing for the Blues, especially as they will miss Reiko's calmness in midfield next year. But I don't expect him to play the house down.
I agree. He rarely sets the world on fire but he is a good distributor, defends well and has a good vision of the game. At 31, after multiple injuries, he is on the downside IMO. He could be as valuable as Bryce Heems was a few years ago.
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@cgrant said in NH Club Rugby:
@sparky said in NH Club Rugby:
@Duluth From what I've seen he fits very much in the "club legend" model. A very good player but not world class.
He's had the benefit of playing for France's and probably Europe's best team in recent years.
When fit, he's been Toulouse's top choice 12 for about about seven years. He looked very good during Covid times. A mid-fielder in the Garry Ringrose model. A very good organiser who others like Dupont and Ntamack could play around. He's won five French Championships and two European Championship with Toulouse.
That's said I can't remember him shining on a big occasion. He went off early in the 2024 European Cup Final and he's had a lot of injuries in the last 18 months.
He's a solid signing for the Blues, especially as they will miss Reiko's calmness in midfield next year. But I don't expect him to play the house down.
I agree. He rarely sets the world on fire but he is a good distributor, defends well and has a good vision of the game. At 31, after multiple injuries, he is on the downside IMO. He could be as valuable as Bryce Heems was a few years ago.
downslide (not downside).
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@Bovidae said in NH Club Rugby:
What did Antoine Hastoy get his red card for in the opening minute? That must be the quickest ever.
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Champions League starting this weekend
Round 1
Fri 5 Dec Sale Sharks v Glasgow Warriors (8pm)
Fri 5 Dec Bayonne v Stormers (8pm)Sat 6 Dec Saracens v Clermont Auvergne (1pm)
Sat 6 Dec Bulls v Bordeaux-Bègles (3.15pm)
Sat 6 Dec La Rochelle v Leicester Tigers (5.30pm)
Sat 6 Dec Leinster v Harlequins (5.30pm)
Sat 6 Dec Scarlets v Bristol Bears (8pm)
Sat 6 Dec Bath v Munster (8pm)Sun 7 Dec Pau v Northampton Saints (1pm)
Sun 7 Dec Toulouse v Sharks (3.15pm)
Sun 7 Dec Gloucester v Castres (3.15pm)
Sun 7 Dec Edinburgh v Toulon (5.30pm) -
@MiketheSnow Thanks. Unfortunately that video is restricted but I did find another.
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Investec Champions Cup
European Challenge Cup
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Stormers win was a copy of the Springbok NH tests. Brok Harris school of fatties paying dividends. Doesn't matter who play, they demolish the opponents in the scrums. Players who didn't play last night
Warrick Gelant, Damian Willemse, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Seabelo Senatla, Ruhan Nel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Jurie Matthee, Cobus Reinach, Stefan Ungerer, Oli Kebble, Vernon Matongo, Frans Malherbe, Zach Porthen, Ruben van Heerden, Deon Fourie, Louw Nel, Keke Morabe -
@OomPB
Bayonne fielded a B-C team too.
For those who haven't watched the Saracens vs Clermont game, Harry Plummer had a mare. From what I have seen, he could not have been the answer for the All Blacks at first five (meh kicking, weak tackling, kick directly into touch from a restart, unseen with ball in hand, standing still as a first receiver ...). But maybe it was an off-day for him. -
Good win for Leinster away to Leicester tonight. Reiko Ioane played Centre for Leinster.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/c0mpppeeedno
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@Steven-Harris said in NH Club Rugby:
@sparky how did Reiko go .?
Saw this in Irish Independent:
Making his first start after last weekend’s soft launch against a second-string Harlequins side at home, Rieko Ioane got a proper introduction to European rugby, and the All Black rolled up his sleeves and got stuck into the trenches, where James Ryan was immense. It was that kind of night.
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@Steven-Harris Reiko did his shift for Leinster. Nothing massively flash, but made all his tackles and put in some carries in a forward-dominated game on a cold December night in Leicester.
