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Bordeaux size up Scott Higginbotham after failing to land Taufua

Reds’ Scott Higginbotham is attracting interest from Bordeaux, the French Top club (Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images)

Bordeaux are poised to snap up Reds No8 Scott Higginbotham on a two-year deal when the new Super Rugby season finishes in July.

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The French Top 14 club had been chasing the signature of Jordan Taufua from the Crusaders. However, they were forced to alter their plans when it was revealed on February 8 that the New Zealander had been captured by Leicester Tigers.  

Higginbotham, who earned the last of his 34 Wallaby caps in June 2017, has spent the past four seasons double-jobbing, combining his Queensland Super Rugby duties with annual stints in Japan with Green Rockets. 

However, that routine will now end if agreement is reached with Bordeaux who will be under the control of Castres coach Christophe Urios next season. 

A deal with Higginbotham, 32, isn’t fully certain, as French publication Midi Olympique are reporting that the club still have some other options to consider.

But there is every chance he could follow in the footsteps of his former teammate Kane Douglas, the second row who swopped life in Brisbane at the Reds last year for a taste of French rugby with Bordeaux. 

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The incoming Urios has offered interim Bordeaux boss Joe Worsley and assistant Luke Narraway the opportunity to stay on under him as respective defence and forwards coaches.

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While the outlook sounds positive for in-demand Australian Higginbotham, the future is uncertain at the moment for fellow countryman Ben Mowen.

The 34-year-old, who has 15 Wallaby caps, has been told he won’t be kept on at Pau when his three-year deal elapses in June. Mowen initially left Australia in 2014 to take up a two-year offer at Montpellier.  

Steffon Armitage is leaving Pau (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Former England international Steffon Armitage and Irish-qualified Sean Dougall are other forwards due to exit at the end of the season from Pau, who have already reached agreement for the early termination of Peter Saili’s contract which was due to last until 2020. 

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The 31-year-old had been injury prone since signing for Pau in 2017, featuring in just 12 matches following a similar injury-hit time at Bordeaux whom he joined after quitting the Super Rugby Blues.

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R
RedWarrior 32 minutes ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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G
GS 1 hour ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The key is realising this AB side is not what they are now but what they will be in 2025/26.


You can already see a Power bench forming, and I would highlight that people watch the AB XV game vs Munster and watch Fabian Holland - he, in the next 24 months, will be WC and bring some huge physicality to the team.


Then, aligned with Peter Lakai, probably at 7, another WC talent, the AB pack by 2026 will probably both be starting and on the bench - be rated as No 1 or 2 packs in the world.


Then, there is the usual WC talent around the backline, and the missing link is Mo'unga. Unlike in last year's WC, the coming forward pack for the ABs, is similar to the Bok pack, It will be packed full of power, and the key to this is a realitively young pack.


So I think we will lose to Ireland and France in the coming weeks, but watch out as this pack builds into - I mean, look at the tight five and loose forwards that are coming for the ABs - De Groot, Lomax, Williams, Tosi, Taylor, Ofa T, Samson T, Aumua, Patrick T, Barrett, Vai, Fabian H, Setiti, Lakai, Savea, Frizzell (understand they are attempting to get him and Mo'unga back), Blackadder, Papalii and bar Barrett, Savea, Patrick T, Taylor - pretty young in international terms.


Huge front row starting and on bench, Power locks and usual class in loose forwards - only missing ingredient is a WC 10 and with Mo'unga back probably in 2026, these ABs are trending in a very healthy direction.

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