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Kiwis in Europe: Piutau still gold for Ulster

Charlie Piutau may not be racing in the tries for Ulster but he is eating up the metres from fullback and often giving the last pass for his teammates.

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The 26-year-old former All Black celebrated the news that his 2018-19 club, Bristol, has confirmed its Aviva Premiership status next season with a try and an assist in Ulster’s 32-20 Guinness PRO14 victory at Edinburgh over the weekend.

Piutau recorded just his second try of the season – his last came way back in September – but he has racked up over 1000m and is setting up his colleagues.

Bristol has won the English Championship and, under the coaching of Pat Lam, will rejoin the big guns in September with signings such as Steven Luatua and Piutau, the latter set to start a hefty contract at the west country club.

Ulster, coached by former All Black Jono Gibbes, has a game in hand and is still a chance for next month’s PRO14 playoffs.

Sean Reidy and Rodney Ah You both came off the bench for Ulster, while Phil Burleigh and Jordan Lay both started for Edinburgh.

The Cheetahs beat the Cardiff Blues 29-27, with Willis Halaholo and Rey Lee-Lo scoring tries for the latter, while Gareth Anscombe slotted two goals.

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Hadleigh Parkes’ Scarlets defeated Conference A leaders Glasgow 26-8. The latter, coached by Dave Rennie, fielded Callum Gibbins, Siua Halanukonuka and Lelia Masaga.

Conference B leaders Leinster thrashed Zebre 41-6, James Lowe running in a double, while Jamison Gibson-Park started at halfback.

Kieron Fonotia and Ma’afu Fia enjoyed a 39-10 win over Dominic Robertson-McCoy’s Connacht.

Hooker Rhys Marshall scored a try in Munster’s 39-22 win over the Southern Kings.

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A Monty Ioane try helped Treviso to a narrow 29-27 victory over the Dragons. Jayden Hayward, Nasi Manu, Hame Faiva and Marty Banks all featured for the Italian club.

In the French Top 14, Aaron Cruden’s Montpellier club holds a six-point lead with three rounds of the regular season to play, Nemani Nadolo scored a try in the decisive 40-24 win over La Rochelle, for whom Tawera Kerr-Barlow scored again. Hikairo Forbes and Victor Vito also started.

Racing-Metro is second after a key 17-13 win over Toulon. Joe Rokocoko, closing in on 35, started, while Ole Avei, Dan Carter and Ben Tameifuna were all used off the bench. For the visitors, Malakai Fekitoa scored a try and Ma’a Nonu wore the No 21 jersey.

An Alex Tulou try helped Castres to a 28-23 local derby win over Toulouse. Alongside him were David Smith and Maama Vaipulu. Charlie Faumuina and Joe Tekori turned out for Toulouse.

Colin Slade kicked six penalty goals for Pau but it was not enough to edge Bordeaux-Begles, who took a tight contest 19-18. Simon Hickey, Ed Fidow and Ben Volavola turned out for the victors, while Slade’s teammates included Daniel Ramsay, Conrad Smith, Frank Halai, Benson Stanley, Tom Taylor and Jamie Mackintosh.

Mike Harris scored an important try as Lyon edged Brive 27-25. Outside him were Rudi Wulf and Toby Arnold.

Zak Taulafo’s Stade Francais pounded Clermont 50-13. Loni Uhila and Fritz Lee played for the latter.

Tom Murday’s Agen defeated Oyonnax 36-21. Ben Botica scored a try and kicked four goals for Oyonnax, in a desperate battle to avoid relegation. Quentin MacDonald, Hika Elliot and Rory Grice all started in the pack.

In the Aviva Premership, Bryce Heem ran for 121m to help Worcester to a 27-13 win over Newcastle. Ben Te’o and Jackson Willison formed the Warriors’ midfield. Nili Latu and Sinoti Sinoti played for the Falcons.

London Irish is desperate to avoid the drop and crushed Harlequins 35-5 at the Stoop, with Ben Franks, James Marshall and Asaeli Tikoirotuma all enjoying a crucial victory. Francis Saili, Mat Luamanu and Alofa Alofa played for Quins.

Sean Maitland scored a try in Saracens’ 63-13 dismantling of Northampton. It was a dark day for the Saints’ contingent of Ahsee Tuala, Nafi Tuitavake, Piers Francis, Teimana Harrison and Michael Paterson.

Gloucester, with Kiwis Josh Hohneck, John Afoa, Willi Heinz, Tom Marshall, Jeremy Thrush and Motu Matu’u all in the ranks, was crushed 46-10 by the Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs.

Leicester fullback Telusa Veainu was in sharp form, scoring a try in the Tigers’ 34-19 win at Bath. His teammates included Mike FitzGerald, Valentino Mapapalangi and Logovi’i Mulipola. Bath featured James Wilson, Kahn Fotuali’i and Auckland-born former Warriors NRL player Cooper Vuna.

Bryn Evans scored a try for Sale in the 28-27 win over Jimmy Gopperth’s Wasps. Gopperth landed four goals. Halani Aulika and TJ Ioane were replacements for the Sharks.

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Flankly 1 hour 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?

4 Go to comments
N
Nickers 1 hour ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Very poor understanding of what's going on and 0 ability to read. When I say playing behind the gain line you take this to mean all off-loads and site times we are playing in front of the gain line???


Every time we play a lot of rugby behind the gain line (for clarity, meaning trying to build an attack and use width without front foot ball 5m+ behind the most recent breakdown) we go backwards and turn the ball over in some way. Every time a player is tackled behind the most recent breakdown you need more and more people to clear out because your forwards have to go back around the corner, whereas opposition players can keep moving forward. Eventually you run out of either players to clear out or players to pass to and the result in a big net loss of territory and often a turnover. You may have witnessed that 20+ times in the game against England. This is a particularly dumb idea inside your own 40m which is where, for some reason, we are most likely to employ it.


The very best ABs teams never built an identity around attacking from poor positions. The DC era team was known for being the team that kicked the most. To engineer field position and apply pressure, and create broken play to counter attack. This current team is not differentiating between when a defence has lost it's structure and there are opportunities, and when they are completely set and there is nothing on. The reason they are going for 30 minute + periods in every game without scoring a single point, even against Japan and a poor Australian team, is because they are playing most of their rugby on the back foot in the wrong half.

43 Go to comments
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Nickers 1 hour ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

43 Go to comments
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