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Lyon confirm six new signings, including Super Rugby contract rebel Rodda

(Photo by Clive Rose/World Rugby via Getty Images)

With rugby in France beginning to pick up the pace again following the coronavirus cancellation of the 2019/20 season, Lyon have officially confirmed six new signings – including Izack Rodda – for the 2020/21 campaign which is due to start in September.

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At a media conference in the French city on Wednesday, president Yann Roubert presented the club’s recruits for the next season and formalised the signatures of Rodda (Reds) and Gillian Galan (Toulouse). The 23-year-old Australian second row (25 caps) and the 28-year-old Toulouse back row have each signed one-year contracts. 

Rodda was one of the three Reds’ contracts rebelsHarry Hockings and Isaac Lucas the other two – who last month ended their contracts with Rugby Australia after refusing to take pay cuts which resulted in the club initially standing them down from training before the contracts were terminated. 

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RugbyPass brings you the latest episode of The Breakdown, the Sky NZ TV rugby programme

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RugbyPass brings you the latest episode of The Breakdown, the Sky NZ TV rugby programme

Rodda and Lucas were both contracted until 2023 while Hockings was off-contract but in talks for an extension. The three were the only players of the 192 Australian Super Rugby roster to refuse pay cuts ahead of the all-Australian tournament in July. 

Aside from the captures of Rodda and Galan, the identity of Lyon’s other signings were already previously known – the returns of Mathieu Bastareaud (Rugby United New York) and Leo Berdeu (Agen) as well as the arrivals of Colby Fainga’a (Connacht) and Joe Taufete’e (Worcester Warriors).

Pierre Mignoni’s side were lying in second place when the French season was halted in March, Lyon winning a dozen of their 17 outings and poised for a title at the championship title.  

Elsewhere in the Top 14, Montpellier have confirmed the signing of second row Florian Verhaeghe from Toulouse for the next three seasons. Xavier Garbajosa said: “Flo is a very interesting young player who still has a lot of room for improvement.”

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H
Hellhound 25 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

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H
Hellhound 41 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

13 Go to comments
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