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U20

Former Crusaders and Blues first five joins MLR side Glendale Raptors

By Online Editors

04 Jul 2019

Former Crusader, Stephen Brett. (Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images / Getty Images)

Stephen Brett, a man once touted as Dan Carter’s replacement for both the Crusaders and the All Blacks, has relocated to America ahead of next year’s third season of Major League Rugby.

Brett, who has represented the Crusaders and Blues in New Zealand, Toyota Verblitz in Japan and Bayonne, Lyon, Clermont and Narbonne in France, will join the Glendale Raptors as their attack coach.

The Raptors finished sixth in this year’s MLR competition and have completely revitalised their coaching team ahead of next year. Brett’s former Crusaders teammate, Peter Borlase, will take over as head coach after working with the forwards in 2019. Borlase’s predecessor, Dave Williams, has been released from his contract.

Brett, who finished his professional playing career barely a year ago, has talked up the need for Glendale to play fast, explosive rugby.

“I have a plan that will hopefully suit the coaches and the team’s needs and help the areas that they want to improve, but it will definitely be a fast playing attack with, of course, lots and lots of tries,” Brett said.

The 2020 season is unlikely to kick off until the end of January, giving Brett plenty of time to help shape the team. The current home-and-away round-robin set-up will be replaced next year with a conference system, due to the addition of three new teams: New England Free Jacks, Old Glory DC and Rugby ATL.

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Comments on RugbyPass

Rugby 101 - Ed Pye 4 minutes ago

Are other All Blacks better suited to number six than Tupou Vaa'i?

I think this is relatively weak analysis here Nick. Yes, we know that Vaai is not yet the same running threat as someone like Frizzell, but I think you might be looking at his performances with some confirmation bias here.

Over his 2 games, the stats tell us:

He was one of the top NZ tacklers over the 2 games with 19 tackles at 90.5%

He was 2nd for turnovers won with 2

He was 3rd for lineouts won

He was middle of the pack for meters run, but also scored 2 tries

He has already played better in his first 2 games at 6 than Barrett did in any of the matches he played there. The increase in set piece stats demand that we give him a chance to improve his attacking game.

Of course, right now we would kill to have Frizzell back but there have been positives to Vaais move too.

96 Go to comments

Ardy 12 minutes ago

How the Lions will heap pressure upon Australia's million-dollar man

Nick, I agree with most of your criticism, but I think your 6th snip didn’t do him any favours. Gleeson missed a pretty simple tackle and JSS needed to step in to stop the break.

I dislike our drift D and I’m convinced that giving Fiji running room is about the most stupid tactic you could use.

I suspect the same problem will appear on Saturday night as the Lions employ an aggressive (some say offside-ish) rush D.

9 Go to comments

Wagga wagga 25 minutes ago

Bok rule-benders are changing the game. They deserve respect

Your ranting paragraph suggests you do care that Erasmus has defecated on the reputation of SA rugby; a reputation that used to be held in the highest regard

168 Go to comments

Rugby 101 - Ed Pye 28 minutes ago

Major stars missing in Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies side for Lions opener

Eeesh, injuries, lack of form and experience and positional quirks… on paper, this team appears significantly weaker than the Lions - it will take a big effort but the first test is usually the one to pull something like that out.

11 Go to comments

BH 41 minutes ago

How the Lions will heap pressure upon Australia's million-dollar man

Totally agree with this. RTS was learning the requirements with more game time by the end of 2022 and 2023 seasons. His points of difference were his footwork and ability to get over the gainline. He stepped up at a time when Tupaea was unfortunately injured with a similar style of replacement. And frandinand must’ve missed the All Blacks XV game where RTS absolutely carved up the Irish XV team (who had a few future stars in the making) - that was his best game of rugby that I saw, and he did it against a classy team on their home turf.

9 Go to comments

CP 54 minutes ago

'Future is very, very bright': Junior Boks boss on superstar compared to Dupont

It will be against the spirit of the game not to. We don't want to get into trouble with those who own rugby.

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Over the sideline 1 hour ago

Are other All Blacks better suited to number six than Tupou Vaa'i?

Rugby. What sport are you following?

96 Go to comments

Over the sideline 1 hour ago

Are other All Blacks better suited to number six than Tupou Vaa'i?

Not this year Nick. 😁

96 Go to comments

Over the sideline 1 hour ago

Are other All Blacks better suited to number six than Tupou Vaa'i?

Yes the lad is only 22. Could do 3 WCs.

96 Go to comments

BA 1 hour ago

How the Lions will heap pressure upon Australia's million-dollar man

Folau Roger’s Lote Walker Sailor sll were wings fullbacks in NRL Ben Teo Timana Tahu Sonny Bill all back rowers or centers

9 Go to comments

BA 1 hour ago

How the Lions will heap pressure upon Australia's million-dollar man

Rog went alright unfortunately for him Covid then injury stalled the beginning of his go at ABs and then WC arrived and he hadn’t done enough, played his best rugby in the NPC at the end before going back to NRL basically as was actually playing regular, says a lot about him that he was able to do that…the list of successful converts is way higher than what most think I believe

9 Go to comments

MB 1 hour ago

How the Lions will heap pressure upon Australia's million-dollar man

Yeah, the justification of his crazy fee is probably about 70% eyeballs, 30% the impact he makes playing. There was a big squabble over him when he was 16 (league won), but this was union getting their final “victory” at any cost. Time will tell if it proves worth it on the field…I hope so, but think it's unlikely sadly. I agree with Frandinand above - he should be on the wing without as much responsibility - just like Folau, Rogers, Sailor, Tuquri, Walker etc. all started out. Some then graduated to fullback. None very successfully to centres.

9 Go to comments

GM 2 hours ago

The British & Irish Lions are historic in name, but losers by nature

Difficult for a kiwi to say, but I’d love the Wallabies to win. Problem is, the team that Joe Schmidt has picked is very much the same as the one that lost to both Scotland and Ireland last year. Doesn’t bode well.

37 Go to comments

BA 2 hours ago

Willie John McBride doubles down on Lions critique, suggests renaming

Chur Chur bro ! Well said

34 Go to comments

DarstedlyDan 2 hours ago

New Zealanders may not understand, but in France Test rugby is the 'B movie'

I hear what you’re saying, but for me at least it doesn’t have anything to do with the results of the matches. How close they are or not isn’t the point. I want to see the best French team possible playing the ABs, or failing that, a French team that is treating the tour seriously. France have depth, and their B and C teams still play good rugby - as do the NZ equivalents. But it is disappointing that a potentially great series between two great rugby rivals hasn’t happened.

My reaction here has been to the suggestions in the article and to an extent BTL that AB supporters should just lump it because of, well, France, that somehow it’s actually our fault for wanting a good tour, and that suggesting internal French rugby politics are bad for the international game is not allowed because of, well, France.

The “you don’t understand us” argument that is dragged out is factually incorrect. We do understand why it’s France B here. But we don’t like it. May not be much we can do about it, but we don’t - and don’t have to - like it.

It very much does risk devaluing international rugby over time. Many French supporters may not care that much. But I do, and I think many AB - and other - supporters do too.

81 Go to comments

Spew_81 2 hours ago

Are other All Blacks better suited to number six than Tupou Vaa'i?

S Barrett was a guaranteed starter when Robertson picked him as captain in 2024. He was the only really world class lock the All Blacks had. Vaa’i was still developing, and Tuipulotu was a bit hit and miss and more of a bench player.

Vaa’i stepped up massively in 2024. If S Barrett has an injury plagued year; A Savea does well as 7 and captain, and Vaa’i and Holland keep improving S Barrett may struggle to force his way back in on form alone.

But that may also get S Barrett to rise to a new level. Good faults from an All Blacks perspective.

It’s sad for Tuipulotu that there is so much depth at lock now that he is starting to, finally, reach his potential.

96 Go to comments

GB 2 hours ago

Joe Schmidt: 'I'm not sure how much respect we've been shown'

Trying so hard to gain respect that they wear Springbok jerseys to training.

3 Go to comments

frandinand 2 hours ago

How the Lions will heap pressure upon Australia's million-dollar man

Great article Nic.

It confirms my belief that a league convert should be played either on the wing or at fullback until he adjusts to the different requirements of union to league.

The most recent example of this failed experiment was Tuivasa Shek who in my opinion never learned the requirements of the number 12 position