Maori Tour
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@pakman The official team naming lists Curtis, Wainui and Ngatai as outside backs, which is odd, because Wainui and Ngatai are midfielders. Ngatai has covered fullback a few times for Taranaki, but Wainui??? They wil name at least one more outside back, so hopefully Wainui will provide cover from the bench only.
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Surely they are after two more outside backs? Joe Webber and Declan O'Donnell must be strong contenders, but how does that impact on sevens contracts? Hopefully one or both make it. Else it is a toss-up between Emery, McKenzie and Lowe.
Franklin gives enough loosie and lock cover IMO. Surprising Prinsep misses out though.
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@arhs said in Maori Tour:
Surely they are after two more outside backs? Joe Webber and Declan O'Donnell must be strong contenders, but how does that impact on sevens contracts? Hopefully one or both make it. Else it is a toss-up between Emery, McKenzie and Lowe.
Franklin gives enough loosie and lock cover IMO. Surprising Prinsep misses out though.
Clayton McMillan said after the team naming that of the two players still to be named, definitely one would be an outside back and the other someone who could cover frontrow.
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@stargazer said in Maori Tour:
@crucial said in Maori Tour:
Maybe they are negotiating to get Lowe. When does his new contract start?
Now why would they do that? That wouldn't make sense at all. Less than selecting TKB for the ABs.
Maybe because the coaches are tasked with selecting the best available to win games?
Why does everyone get caught up in trying to look to the future or 'punish' leavers?
If Lowe is available and is the best option available then why not?
It is a long shot anyway with Leinster expecting him as soon as the NPC is finished for him, but I was just throwing it out there as a possibility. -
This post is deleted!
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From an interview with Ash Dixon in the Hawke's Bay Today:
"There're a few old heads and we have some pretty exciting youth in the squad. Being realistic and from the season we had with the Magpies we should be pleased to have three selected. There are still two spots up for grabs and we could get more as Tiaan [Falcon] and Pouri [Rakete-Stones] are among several players coming into camp with us and the two players will be selected from them," Dixon explained.That indicates how they're planning to select two further players, but also that Jonah Lowe probably isn't in that group. I can't imagine him not being mentioned in an interview with a Hawke's Bay paper if he were. Obviously, I hope I'm wrong.
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@nepia said in Maori Tour:
@nepia No fullbacks in the squad?
Maybe Ngatai is the fullback?
What a weird selection.
At least there's only Keepa Mewett as the random coach home province selection rather than the 2 or 3 Cooper used to include.
Oi! That's Championship Finalist & Captain Keepa Mewett to you, Hawkes
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@donsteppa said in Maori Tour:
@nepia said in Maori Tour:
@nepia No fullbacks in the squad?
Maybe Ngatai is the fullback?
What a weird selection.
At least there's only Keepa Mewett as the random coach home province selection rather than the 2 or 3 Cooper used to include.
Oi! That's Championship Finalist & Captain Keepa Mewett to you, Hawkes
Apologies - Championship finalist and Captain random home coach home province selection Keepa Mewett! Better?
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@nepia said in Maori Tour:
@donsteppa said in Maori Tour:
@nepia said in Maori Tour:
@nepia No fullbacks in the squad?
Maybe Ngatai is the fullback?
What a weird selection.
At least there's only Keepa Mewett as the random coach home province selection rather than the 2 or 3 Cooper used to include.
Oi! That's Championship Finalist & Captain Keepa Mewett to you, Hawkes
Apologies - Championship finalist and Captain random home coach home province selection Keepa Mewett! Better?
It's been a long time between drinks, we're deifying the players while we can
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French Barbarians squad for the match against the MÄori All Blacks:
Props:
TAOFIFENUA SĂ©bastien (Union Bordeaux BĂšgles)
TICHIT Antoine (Casters Olympiques)
GOMES SA Cedate (Racing 92)
SETIANO Emerick (RC Toulon)Hookers:
ETRILLARD Anthony (RC Toulon)
PELISSIE Adrien (Union Bordeaux BĂšgles)Locks:
REBBADJ Swan (RC Toulon)
VERHAEGHE Florian (Stade Toulousain)
FLANQUART Alexandre (Stade Français)Loosies:
BURBAN Antoine (Stade Français)
DEVERGIE Martin (Montpellier RC)
DIABY Mahamadou (Union Bordeaux BĂšgles)
CHOUZENOUX Baptiste (Racing 92)Halfbacks:
COUILLOUD Baptiste (Lyon OU)
IRIBAREN Teddy (Racing 92)First-five:
NTAMACK Romain (Stade Toulousain)Midfielders:
AGUILLON Pierre (Stade Rochelais)
REGARD Thibaut (Lyon OU)
ROUGERIE Aurélien (AS Clermont Auvergne)Outside backs:
DUPICHOT Louis (Racing 92)
JALIBERT Matthieu (Union Bordeaux BĂšgles)
POURAILLY Bastien (Section Paloise)
RAMOS Thomas (Stade Toulousain) -
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Just read something interesting. From the 2017/18 rugby season onwards (= as of 1 July 2017), the French Barbarians must be considered as France's second national team (in terms of World Rugby's Law Book). Earlier this week, the French Rugby Federation, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (which administers the domestic competition in France) and the Barbarians Rugby Club reached a (transitional) agreement about the conditions that will rule the selection of players for the game against the MÄori ABs.
The agreement stipulates that the French Barbarians may select 23 players from Top 14 clubs*. However, these players are only released by the clubs from Monday, 6 November. They must return to their clubs the day after the game, on Saturday, 11 November. So they have 5 days of preparation.
(*Previously, players had to take annual leave to be able to train with and play for the French Barbarians; now, the Baabaas coach may select whoever he wants - obviously, with the exception of players selected for the first French team - and the clubs must release them and it doesn't cost the players any annual leave.)
I also read somewhere else that the Barabarians are thinking about an original way to respond to the haka. Hopefully, nothing cringeworthy ...
For Ferners who can read French, from the interview with the coach of the French Barbarians (Franck Azéma, head coach of Clermont):
Les Maoris All Blacks, câest aussi le fameux Haka⊠Comptez-vous faire un clin dâoeil Ă lâĂ©quipe de France qui sâĂ©tait illustrĂ©e en dĂ©fiant les Blacks en 2007 et 2011 ? Secret dĂ©fense. Nous allons en parler avec les joueurs, voir si ils ont quelque chose en tĂȘte⊠Nous avons beaucoup de respect pour ce Haka, mais il faut savoir en jouer aussi, voir ce quâil y a moyen de faire. Etre Barbarian, sâest se comporter de maniĂšre dĂ©calĂ©e, originale. Peut-ĂȘtre que vous serez surpris !
http://www.ffr.fr/Equipes-de-France/Rugby-a-XV/Barbarians-Francais/Barbarians-Francais-Le-groupe-pour-les-Maori-All-Blacks
