Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Kiwis carving up the north - La Rochelle hot to trot

Rene Ranger. Photo / Getty Images

Steve Hansen’s old French club has never won the Top 14 nor challenged in Europe.

ADVERTISEMENT

But La Rochelle’s supporters have cause to dream after what was described as a “masterclass” in their 49-29 defeat of Wasps in round three of European Champions Cup action.

All Blacks halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow only linked up with the club last week, so was not thrust into action at the weekend, but did soak up the match in the stands.

However, the New Zealand contingent at Stade Rochelais was again to the fore. No 8 Victor Vito made 21 runs, three tackles and gave a try assist, while lock Jason Eaton and prop Uini Atonio were also in the starting XV. Hikairo Forbes and Rene Ranger were both injected off the bench. The club is now 3-0 in Pool 1, and leads the Top 14 by two points nearly halfway through the season.

Jimmy Gopperth, at second five, kicked two goals for Wasps, who have the return game against La Rochelle in Coventry this weekend.

Elsewhere, Ulster duo Charlie Piutau and Sean Reidy enjoyed a fine 17-5 away win at Harlequins, who fielded Alofa Alofa and Mat Luamanu.

Fullback Jayden Hayward scored a try for Treviso in the 28-33 loss to Scarlets. Bay of Plenty wing Monty Ioane wore the No 11 jersey for the Italians, while Whetu Douglas entered off the bench. Johnny McNicholl and Hadleigh Parkes turned out for Scarlets.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tries to Ma’a Nonu and Alby Mathewson helped Toulon to a 24-20 victory over Todd Blackadder’s Bath, whose Kiwis were Paul Grant, Kahn Fotuali’i and Jack Wilson.

Maama Vaipulu scored the match-winning try, in the 77th minute, for Castres to edge Racing-Metro 16-13, for whom Joe Rokocoko and Ben Tameifuna started. David Smith was, as ever, on the left wing for Castres.

A try to centre Kieron Fonotia helped his Ospreys to beat Northampton 43-32. Dylan Hartley and wing Ahsee Tuala scored tries for Saints. Piers Francis and Michael Paterson also featured.

A try to hooker Rhys Marshall helped see Munster to a 33-10 win over Leicester, whose numbers included Telusa Veainu, Mike FitzGerald, Valentino Mapapalangi and Logovi’i Mulipola.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the battle of the Kiwi coaches, Vern Cotter’s Montpellier won a fine 29-22 result at Dave Rennie’s Glasgow. Aaron Cruden and Nemani Nadolo were at Nos 10 and 11 respectively for the French club, while Samuela Vunisa and Siua Halanukonuka featured for the Warriors.

Saracens versus Clermont was postponed due to adverse weather, while Leinster, featuring captain Isa Nacewa, who kicked two goals, Jamison Gibson-Park and Michael Bent, beat Thomas Waldrom’s Exeter 18-8.

In the European Challenge Cup, Pau rested several of its Kiwis, but Benson Stanley, Peter Saili and Daniel Ramsay all got the job done, 40-21, over Agen.

Paul Williams, at 34, in the twilight of his long career, was at No 12 as Stade Francais beat Russian club Krasny Yar 39-24. Ziggy Fisi’ihoi scored a try off the bench for the Parisians, while Tony Ensor also came off the pine.

There were, unusually, no New Zealanders involved in the Dragons’ 15-0 victory over Enisei.

Hika Elliot’s try was insufficient as Oyonnax fell 35-14 to Worcester. Denny Solomona’s Sale blanked Cardiff Blues 24-0. Rey Lee-Lo, Gareth Anscombe and Nick Williams played for the Blues.

Gloucester’s Kiwi quartet of John Afoa, Josh Hohneck, Jeremy Thrush and Willi Heinz helped the West Country club to a 33-26 win at Zebre.

Phil Burleigh, newly capped by Scotland, scored a brace for Edinburgh in its 50-20 win over London Irish. Mike Coman scored a try for the Exiles, while former Auckland lock William Lloyd was in the second-row.

Connacht have fielded an Ahki and an Aki in the midfield for the first time. Pita Ahki and Bundee Aki combined, with Tom McCartney off the bench, to help the Irish province to a 38-31 victory at Brive.

Toulouse beat Lyon 30-23 in a dreary Thursday night clash, Carl Axtens, Jarrod Poi and Joe Tekori emerging the victors over Josh Bekhuis, Mike Harris, making his first start of the season, and Rudi Wulf.

Newcastle dispatched Bordeaux-Begles 52-24. The latter had Fa’asiu Fuatai on the wing, with bench support from former Waikato hooker Ole Avei and Ben Volavola, who kicked a goal.

ADVERTISEMENT

Kubota Spears vs Saitama Wild Knights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 6 | Le Crunch

The Unexpected Journey to USA 7s Glory | Aaron Cummings | Sevens Wonders

USA vs Japan | Full Match Replay

Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

B
BigGabe 45 minutes ago
'Love him or hate him, Henry Pollock has got the rugby world talking.'

I may be somewhat incorrect here, given that Michalak played when I was growing up, but I was under the impression that he is remembered quite fondly as a player and deserving of adulation? I always thought that he was fun to watch, but this may also be nostalgia for French flair in the Curry Cup at a time when flair was a foreign word in the South African rugby lexicon. A quick bit of research tells me that he has won the Heineken cup 6 times, the French division a number of times, the Curry Cup, Super rugby silver medal, second highest points scorer for France in history, 77 caps for country, record points scorer for FRA in world cups..is this not good enough? Just curious.


Otherwise, I enjoyed the article. Personally, I stepped away from the world of rugby for a while (moved to the US etc etc) and been slowly getting back into it since the 2019 world cup when an English friend asked if I wanted to follow the tournament with him. As a South African, it has worked out well for me tbh. But your point that rugby is conservative is something that has really bothered me in the last few years - it’s something that I just do not understand. As a Saffa, I am obliged to dislike Pollock when he pulls on a national jersey - that comes with the territory. A huge part of that is also bc I would love to have this kind of guy on our team (nothing against our team), his work rate and energy is infectious and clearly he has a positive effect on his teammates. How can a fan of rugby dislike him, or think his antics are too much? Are supporters and/or the media afraid of having someone with opinions in the sport? Genuine question here, looking for genuine answers.

1 Go to comments
P
Pablo King 49 minutes ago
‘Unacceptable performances’: Drua boss calls for unity ahead of home stand

It started as an ordinary Tuesday. I was checking my Bybit portfolio when an email popped up that looked like a legitimate alert from the exchange, warning of suspicious activity. Without thinking, I clicked the link and entered my credentials. The moment I hit submit, a sinking feeling hit me. Within minutes, my Bitcoin wallet was completely drained.Losing 3.2 BTC, worth nearly $200,000 at the time, wasn’t just a financial blow. It felt like a personal violation. I couldn’t believe I had fallen for a phishing scam. I spent days digging through forums, contacting Bybit support, and even filing a police report. But the responses were disheartening and repetitive. Crypto transactions are irreversible. Scam victims rarely recover their funds. The helplessness was crushing.I barely slept. I kept replaying that moment over and over in my head. Why did I click the link? Why didn’t I double-check? The guilt and frustration consumed me. Friends tried to be supportive, but most didn’t understand the emotional and financial weight of what had happened. I had always been cautious with security. Yet in one distracted moment, everything disappeared.Weeks later, while scrolling through Reddit threads on crypto scams, I stumbled upon several mentions of GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES . At first, I was skeptical. It sounded too good to be true. But the testimonials felt genuine, and I was desperate. I decided to reach out.Their response was fast, professional, and surprisingly empathetic. They didn’t promise miracles. Instead, they explained their method: tracing blockchain transactions, identifying potential exchange cash-outs, and working with legal and crypto entities to freeze and recover funds.I sent them everything I had wallet addresses, transaction records, screenshots and waited. Just a few days later, I received an email that left me speechless. They had successfully traced and recovered all of my stolen Bitcoin.I couldn’t believe it. After being told repeatedly that the funds were gone forever, here they were, back in my wallet. It felt like waking up from a nightmare. GRAYWARE TECH SERVICES didn’t just help me get my money back. They restored my sense of security, my trust, and my peace of mind.I share my story now in case someone else out there is feeling the same panic and hopelessness I once felt. There is help. And sometimes, there is even a second chance.You can reach them on whatsapp +18582759508, web at ( https://graywaretechservices.com/ )    also on Mail: (contact@graywaretechservices.com)

1 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ The Champions’ Cup: All Saints' Day The Champions’ Cup: All Saints' Day
Search