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Japan-bound Read explains snubbing Europe move

All Blacks captain Kieran Read during Rugby Championship match against Argentina. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

New Zealand captain Kieran Read revealed that being closer to home and having a less hectic schedule were his main reasons for snubbing European clubs in favour of a move to Japan.

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It was announced on Wednesday that Crusaders number eight Read will end his All Blacks career after the Rugby World Cup and join Toyota Verblitz next year.

Read had been linked with Top 14 heavyweights Racing 92 and a move to England, but felt a switch to the Top League was his best option.

“With three kids and a family it is a lot closer to home,” Read said. “And for my age, and my body, in terms of the amount of footy you play there compared to Europe and the UK. They are probably the main reasons.”

He added: “It was reasonably straightforward. There were different options, but I just really sat down and looked at all the different aspects of making a decision – it really stood out, I guess, in terms of Japan and the Toyota club as well.

“It offered something pretty unique to be there and enjoy a slice of Japan life.”

The two-time World Cup winner knows it will be tough when the time comes to depart after so many years at the top with the All Blacks and Crusaders.

“I think it is always hard leaving a place that I have been a part of for a number of years, 13 years or so. So that will be hard when I get to that point,” said the 2013 World Rugby Player of the Year.

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“Right now, to be honest, it’s just a decision being made and I am sure when we get to the end of the season with the Crusaders and All Blacks there will be different emotions coming on then.

“I enjoy what I do and I love what New Zealand Rugby and the Crusaders have given me in that time.”

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Flankly 2 hours ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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