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Kiwis in Europe: George Moala pick of the bunch in commanding performance for Clermont

George Moala scores a try for Clermont in their Champions Cup victory over Bath. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

George Moala is proving just as hard to contain on the fields of Europe as he was in New Zealand.

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The 29-year-old former All Black crossed for a brace in Clermont’s 52-26 demolition of Bath in round four Champions Cup action over the weekend. He made 12 carries for 62m and continues his strong form, this time in the No 12 jersey.

Alongside him were fellow Kiwis Isaia Toeava, Fritz Lee, Loni Uhila and Faifili Levave for Les Jaunards.

Clermont holds second spot in Pool 3 behind leader Ulster, which dispatched Harlequins 34-10, with Matt Faddes scoring a try for the Irish province. Sean Reidy was also in the starting line-up. Francis Saili turned out in the Quins’ midfield.

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Ben Volavola and Dominic Bird enjoyed a 40-27 Racing-Metro victory over Ospreys, which fielded Marty McKenzie and Ma’afu Fia.

 Sean Maitland scored a try as Saracens defeated Munster 15-6.

The Toulouse trio of Pita Ahki, Jerome Kaino, back in his familiar No 6 jersey, and Joe Tekori tasted a 26-18 victory at Montpellier, which fielded Nemani Nadolo and Kahn Fotuali’i.

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Connacht, with Dominic Robertson-McCoy and Bundee Aki in the ranks, defeated Josh Hohneck’s Gloucester 27-24.

Monty Ioane scored a try for Treviso in the 25-22 win over Rudi Wulf’s Lyon. Jayden Hayward, Iliesa Ratuva Tavuyara and Hame Faiva all played a part in the Italian club’s victory.

Glasgow fell 12-7 at home to La Rochelle, which will be hard to take for Callum Gibbins and former Highlanders prop Aki Seiuli.

Leinster’s imperious form shows no sign of abating, James Lowe crossing for another try in the 50-21 shellacking of Northampton. Jamison Gibson-Park was used off the bench for the victors. Ahsee Tuala scored a try for Saints, while Matt Proctor also featured in the starting XV.

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Exeter beat Denny Solomona’s Sale 35-10.

In the Challenge Cup, Alex Tulou scored a try in Castres’ 22-10 win over Enisei. His fellow loose forward Maama Vaipulu was yellow-carded.

Brive beat Zebre 24-10, with So’otala Fa’aso’o and Wesley Tapueluelu in the ranks. The Italians fielded former Manawatu outside back Junior Laloifi, Josh Renton and Jimmy Tuivaiti, who was binned.

A Simon Hickey penalty goal proved the difference as Edinburgh edged Wasps 8-7. Simon Berghan was a replacement prop for the Gunners. Wasps included Malakai Fekitoa and Jimmy Gopperth in the midfield, Lima Sopoaga, who kicked a conversion, and Jeff Toomaga-Allen.

Toulon’s Kiwi trio of Bryce Heem, at fullback, Julian Savea, at centre, and Liam Messam enjoyed a 26-20 away victory over London Irish, for whom Terence Hepetema was binned and Motu Matu’u entered the fray off the pine.

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Telusa Veainu and Jordan Taufua were in the Leicester squad that beat Samuela Vunisa’s Calvisano 20-13.

Ben Botica slotted three goals as Bordeaux-Begles defeated Agen 33-6. Seta Tamanivalu was used in the No 12 jersey for Bordeaux.

Tom Taylor also kicked three goals for Pau in the 34-29 win over Cardiff Blues. New signings Ben Smith and Luke Whitelock, plus Ziggy Fisi’ihoi, were alongside him for the French club. Rey Lee-Lo and Filo Paulo turned out for the Blues.

Bristol’s Kiwi contingent of Alapati Leiua, Chris Vui, Jake Heenan and Nathan Hughes scored a tight 18-16 win at Stade Francais.

Brad Mooar, who is working through whether he can join the All Blacks coaching group in June, enjoyed another good victory with his Scarlets club, this time 46-5 over Bayonne. Locks Sam Lousi and Danny Drake featured. Bayonne fielded Alofa Alofa and Census Johnston.

Round five of the Champions and Challenge Cups takes place on January 10-12. Domestic competitions resume this weekend.

In other news:

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J
JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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