Exodus 2017

Derm McCrum

@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:

Media release from Leinster about signing James Lowe:

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/leinster-sign-maori-all-blacks-james-lowe/

Chiefs media release:
http://www.chiefs.co.nz/news/news/latest-news/397-james-lowe-to-join-leinster

After only 4 Super Rugby seasons:

But for this stage of my life and with an eye to the future, I have to set myself and my future family up so they can have every opportunity in life to succeed” said Lowe.

"this stage of my life"? Seriously! So now 24-year-olds are already giving up on their All Blacks aspirations for their future family? Sorry, but then the AB's jersey didn't mean too much to him, or he genuinely thinks he's not going to be good enough. What a difference with guys like Crotty, Todd, Parsons etc

I am not ruling out returning to NZ rugby.

Yeah right. :rolling_eyes:

I see he's been nominated to fill the NIQ slot that will be left by Zane Kirchner when he departs at end of season.

antipodean

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

I see he's been nominated to fill the NIQ slot that will be left by Zane Kirchner when he departs at end of season.

Well at least for Leinster it's an improvement.

Derm McCrum

@antipodean said in Exodus 2017:

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

I see he's been nominated to fill the NIQ slot that will be left by Zane Kirchner when he departs at end of season.

Well at least for Leinster it's an improvement.

I haven't seen Lowe play much so can't really tell. Is he an out and out winger or plays FB as well? He's nominated as one of the two wingers allowed in the foreign positions quota.

Crucial

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

@antipodean said in Exodus 2017:

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

I see he's been nominated to fill the NIQ slot that will be left by Zane Kirchner when he departs at end of season.

Well at least for Leinster it's an improvement.

I haven't seen Lowe play much so can't really tell. Is he an out and out winger or plays FB as well? He's nominated as one of the two wingers allowed in the foreign positions quota.

He's a good opportunist winger, can certainly put himself into good positions to score. Is a good proponent of quick handling back and forth within the tramlines to set someone away and has a very good left foot clearance.

Derm McCrum

@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:

@Crash said in Exodus 2017:

They can keep their filthy thieving hands to themselves and away from Lowe...

But lowe's dream has always been to play international rugby for Ireland...

At 29?.....

Edit: Make that 30. He's 25 in July.

Derm McCrum

@antipodean said in Exodus 2017:

@Billy-Tell One thing they're not short of is backrow.

Fardy was huge for the Wallabies in 2015, but hasn't hit that form since. The EofY tour he seemed to be Chicka's second choice too.

Leinster are not short of backrows currently. Nucifora has been trying to get a couple of them to move north to Ulster or out west to Connacht. It's not good that Heaslip, O'Brien, Ruddock, VdF, Conan, Murphy, Leavy, Ryan, Deegan and a couple more in the academy are all stocked in the one club.

However, Leinster never quite seem to develop enforcers for the second row - Ross Molony might be a possibility in future. Mike McCarthy is nearing the exit door. And I suspect Hayden Triggs at 35 might hang up his boots at season end although he's been very good this season. His departure will free up an NIQ slot. In addition, Coetzee in Ulster has the foreign backrow position, so Fardy gets designated as a lock and they get 18-20 games out of him for 2-3 seasons.

Milk

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

I haven't seen Lowe play much so can't really tell. Is he an out and out winger or plays FB as well? He's nominated as one of the two wingers allowed in the foreign positions quota.

I think he could be a really good fullback. I've been impressed when he has covered there for the Chiefs.

I reckon Lowe, probably fairly, saw the writing on the wall from an All Blacks perspective and is taking the sure thing. Smart maximisation of his career probably. It's unfortunate because he's a really good winger for the Chiefs.

Didn't he have that shocker of a game last year when he would probably would have been on the fringe?

gollum

@Milk said in Exodus 2017:

Didn't he have that shocker of a game last year when he would probably would have been on the fringe?

I think, like most Chiefs players that get hyped to all shit on here then go overseas when it dawns on them they are a mile from the ABs but can earn good coin offshore, that he was probably only "on the fringe" if you were a Chiefs fan...

No question if 5 or 6 guys got injured he might have had a shot, but thats not on the fringe. You could make a great Chiefs team out of players Chiefs fans were certain would be All Blacks. A shithouse ABs team, but a really good Chiefs team. For all the shit the Saders get for hyping their players they are a mile off the Chiefs guys..

Billy Tell

He's an excellent super rugby player. Just not quite good enough to play for nz. Would probably star on the wing for Ireland...

Billy Tell

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:

@Crash said in Exodus 2017:

They can keep their filthy thieving hands to themselves and away from Lowe...

But lowe's dream has always been to play international rugby for Ireland...

At 29?.....

Edit: Make that 30. He's 25 in July.

Depends
If world rugby adopt 5 years
When the new law kicks in

Milk

@gollum said in Exodus 2017:

@Milk said in Exodus 2017:

Didn't he have that shocker of a game last year when he would probably would have been on the fringe?

I think, like most Chiefs players that get hyped to all shit on here then go overseas when it dawns on them they are a mile from the ABs but can earn good coin offshore, that he was probably only "on the fringe" if you were a Chiefs fan...

No question if 5 or 6 guys got injured he might have had a shot, but thats not on the fringe. You could make a great Chiefs team out of players Chiefs fans were certain would be All Blacks. A shithouse ABs team, but a really good Chiefs team. For all the shit the Saders get for hyping their players they are a mile off the Chiefs guys..

When I say fringe I'm thinking wider training squad. I don't think he even made that. A fast left winger of decent size with a big punt and scores tries. Albeit I am a Chiefs fan, but I think he must have screwed up somewhere for them to not even want to have a closer look... most regular Super Rugby starters at least get invited to those from time to time.

gollum

@Milk

Osbourne was floating about too, in both cases I think work rate let Os down & accuracy Lowe. Lowe wasw auditioining as the "wing / 15" wing (as opposed to the big munter role) & thats a less frills but zero goofs slot in the ABs.

Crucial

@gollum said in Exodus 2017:

@Milk said in Exodus 2017:

Didn't he have that shocker of a game last year when he would probably would have been on the fringe?

I think, like most Chiefs players that get hyped to all shit on here then go overseas when it dawns on them they are a mile from the ABs but can earn good coin offshore, that he was probably only "on the fringe" if you were a Chiefs fan...

No question if 5 or 6 guys got injured he might have had a shot, but thats not on the fringe. You could make a great Chiefs team out of players Chiefs fans were certain would be All Blacks. A shithouse ABs team, but a really good Chiefs team. For all the shit the Saders get for hyping their players they are a mile off the Chiefs guys..

I think you'll find that I actually said 'he has at least 6 in the queue in front of him and plenty more jostling alongside'
On the fringe means just that. No one is claiming that he should be in there next injury or that he demands a chance. It's more a case of 'he could probably play at that level in the right circumstances'
The reason I also mentioned Aki is that he was the same. If the words Aki and AB were anywhere near each other in a post there were claims of Chiefs fans declaring he should be in black when it was more the case of 'has the potential to have a crack at it'. TNW is the other myth. No Chiefs fans have ever said he should be in the ABs but plenty here will claim that they have.

EDIT: Crusaders fans, however still think playing in red and black is a direct stepping stone to the ABs

gollum

@Crucial

I'm pretty sure TNW & Lowe were both heavily pushed on here last year, Lowe probably got more hype last year than the idea Dagg would get switched to 15.

For all the shit the Saders get for once thinking Hamilton was a potential AB, they do have a far better strike rate.

Derm McCrum

@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:

He's an excellent super rugby player. Just not quite good enough to play for nz. Would probably star on the wing for Ireland...

Feeling a bit waspish today, BT?

Billy Tell

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:

He's an excellent super rugby player. Just not quite good enough to play for nz. Would probably star on the wing for Ireland...

Feeling a bit waspish today, BT?

Nah not really. I would have him on the wing for Ireland had of Earls, Trimble, Dave Kearney, and possibly Zebo.

He's the kind of player who would already have 30 caps for the Scots. Ireland tends to wait until their wingers are at least 25 before handing out the caps though, so might not have so many there.

It's a good signing for Leinster but fckin ridiculous if he trots out for Ireland in 3 years.

Derm McCrum

@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

@Billy-Tell said in Exodus 2017:

He's an excellent super rugby player. Just not quite good enough to play for nz. Would probably star on the wing for Ireland...

Feeling a bit waspish today, BT?

Nah not really. I would have him on the wing for Ireland had of Earls, Trimble, Dave Kearney, and possibly Zebo.

He's the kind of player who would already have 30 caps for the Scots. Ireland tends to wait until their wingers are at least 25 before handing out the caps though, so might not have so many there.

It's a good signing for Leinster but fckin ridiculous if he trots out for Ireland in 3 years.

Agreed and I can't see it happening myself.
He's nominated as a NIQ player.
Nucifora is pushing the Irish qualified mantra more and more in his role.
There's other prospects coming through that show a lot of promise - Adam Byrne, O'Loughlin, Healy, Kelleher, Sweetnam, Conway, Adeolokun, Stockdale, as well as FB's in O'Halloran, Zebo and Carbery.
Given the public leaks on the viewpoints of RFU, FFR and potentially all of SANZAAR on introducing the 5-year residency, I think it will be passed.

Derm McCrum

This question may have been asked already, but I don't recall it.

Why doesn't NZRU make AB Maori or other A team equivalent as first cap status?

Milk

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

This question may have been asked already, but I don't recall it.

Why doesn't NZRU make AB Maori or other A team equivalent as first cap status?

Maybe because so many more players go through the sevens system? NZ Maori seem to play quite sporadically.

Frye

@Pot-Hale said in Exodus 2017:

This question may have been asked already, but I don't recall it.

Why doesn't NZRU make AB Maori or other A team equivalent as first cap status?

Junior All Blacks locks in your eligibility. It's our "A" team. Ignore the "junior" tag, it has no reference to age.

I don't think a Maori team should affect eligibility, it's not our second team.

The Silver Fern

Exodus 2017