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'Chris will bring a new dimension': Bath sign Cloete from Munster

(Photo by Andrew Surma/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Damian de Allende won’t be following Johann van Graan to Bath next season but the South African coach won’t be leaving Munster empty-handed as flanker Chris Cloete will be joining him at The Rec for the 2022/23 campaign. The 31-year-old Cloete arrived in Ireland at around the same time in 2017 as van Graan took over the reins from Rassie Erasmus and he has since gone on to enjoy five industrious seasons with the Irish province where he played in 63 matches.

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How, though, he is Premiership bound along with his head coach. A Bath statement on Wednesday read: “Chris Cloete will join Bath for the 2022/23 season. The South African-born openside flank had been a powerful presence at Munster for the past five seasons and will add power to the blue, black and white pack.

“Cloete, 31, played for Southern Kings, Western Province and the Pumas in South Africa before moving to Ireland where he won the PRO14 turnover king award in 2020/21.”

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Chris Ashton | Rugby Roots

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Chris Ashton | Rugby Roots

Bath CEO Tarquin McDonald said: “Chris will bring a new dimension to an impressive group of back row forwards, as we maintain our primary recruitment focus of adding power to the pack for next season. Negotiations with second row forwards are continuing.”

Cloete added: “To play in the Premiership has always been a clear ambition and I look forward to making a significant contribution as Bath move towards the top of the league. It is a fantastic club with great history, and the supporters deserve nothing less than a winning team.”

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It was earlier this month when RugbyPass quizzed Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper on how much involvement the incoming van Graan was having regarding planning the recruitment for next season? “Johann has had small amounts of input but he understands what we are doing and why we are doing it,” said Hooper.

“He is absolutely focused on Munster now but we have taken small pockets of time, when they have not had a game, for example, to get through the detail so that he is absolutely on board with the plan of what is going on and when he comes in in July that he has got the squad and the group that he needs.”

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In other news for Munster, No8 Gavin Coombes has signed a two-year contract extension to keep him at the province until at least 2025. The 24-year-old, who last season became Munster’s youngest-ever player of the year last, was already contracted until 2023 and has signed a two-year extension to that deal.

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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