Ospreys add much-travelled lock to European roster

I didn’t know Japan was in Europe.

Thanks for that new info!

Soliloquin 20 minutes ago

The guy has won arguably the best club competition (Champions Cup), the best domestic competition (Top14), switched for the first time to 7s in January and was 7s World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist. While always playing amazing in the finals.

The guy played almost 30 games this year. So yeah, big deal.

Saying he only won a national prize is so laughable.

PSDT has won player of the year twice in the last 2 years? Where? In 2019 and 2024, that’s not 2 years.

It’s Dupont, not DuPont.

'Razor's conservatism is in danger of halting New Zealand's progress'

Bull Shark 38 minutes ago

Yeah. Probably not.

I think the more likely scenario here is that Razor will experiment more in selection next year. While biding his time for Mounga to come back.

He wasn’t going to risk a sub 70% first year out. But now that he’s got his feet under the desk, he’ll be forgiven a bit more for losses in the name of building depth.

He can always reference how necessary it is given how much further ahead the competition is in the depth department.

The All Blacks will have a worse win ratio next year as they bring in new players. But his job is more secure.

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Bull Shark 47 minutes ago

It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

They’re not exclusive.

South Africans rugby teams aren't helping themselves in Europe

Ed the Duck 49 minutes ago

SARU isn’t going to pass up the EPCR rewards available and while it’s going to take a little time to get accustomed, I’ve got no doubt the Boks teams will get there soon enough. Much as they are doing in the URC, remember how poorly they fared in the early games/tours, and look how they’re performing now. EPCR is a step up from the URC and as the logistics playing field starts to even itself out and their game experience grows, they will compete and no doubt, at times, prevail.

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Ed the Duck 59 minutes ago

Four horsemen...and an apocalypse?

Entitlement is the issue here, entitlement from the English and French leagues to those guaranteed places but the difference is, the French have been able to back it up. There needs to be a stronger meritocratic basis for Champions Cup qualification, regardless of which league the teams are from.

And ofc that means greater risk for the English teams, and potentially the French too over time…

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PW 59 minutes ago

Here's my Rugby Pass column on those players who I thought were unlucky to miss out. Cheers, Paul Williams

https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/top-100-the-unluckiest-players-not-to-make-the-list/

Ryan 1 hour ago

Not too sure what sort of pay out rugbypass gets from making DuPont no1 in everything, don’t get me wrong he’s a good player but PSTD or Kolbe deserved that position far more, Pieter has won player of the year twice in the last 2 years and DuPont won “best French person” big deal I say

It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

johnz 1 hour ago

I think you will find if you look at the facts, i.e. the stats, that Ardie was well above average. Being above (or top) most other forwards in most categories. Was he at his best? Probably not, but a huge contributor none the less. Less leg-drive highlights and more of a workman-like contribution. Besides, he's probably due an off-form season; all top players have them. Look at Taylor, 2 seasons or so ago he was genuinely poor, but after a breather from domestic duties, he was probably the best hooker in the world this season. Ardie had to play back-to-back seasons when he went to Japan. So give him a break, I reckon. A literal one, that is.

It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

Rucknroll 1 hour ago

Been saying this. Our forwards have absolutely smashed every team this year only for the backs to produce peanuts. I thought 10 was the issue bit putting all our eggs in to one position is backwards. Midfield has always been the issue. Great players but they both are use to playing isolated positions and offensively it shows. Reiko is the issue as 12 has had 3 different players in that jersey and still no outcome. It's 13. Many standout midfielders in this year's super and ioane seems to be a set pick. Reece went from scoring machine in super season to playing as a forward in the rucks....Dmac 10, Plummer 12 and Jordie 13 would have been a better combination to have tried out instead of ALB and Havili. Brett cameron is promising and the all vlacks need to start picking players on performance. Satiti 6, Hoskins 8 and Ardie 7 with Lakai sub is Chaos. Cody Taylor is good, I feel Riccitelli is a fitness workhorse and needed in that breaking the enemy down phase before the runners and hitters come on. Also, timing of subs made no sense. Razor literally runs the front row into the dirt(tamati in france) before utilizing his next 3 as impact rather than try to save the game. Good article. They better pick this team right next year as eden park will be on the line.

The George Ford reaction at Sale after his 'fringe' England part

fl 1 hour ago

so? the fact that you have money to waste doesn't make you any less stupid.

If you have watched that much rugby it just makes it sad how poorly you understand it.

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OK 2 hours ago

Dupont has only played 24 minutes of rugby outside of Europe in his entire career, with that stat, it should not be possible that he is put at world number 1

It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

Nickers 2 hours ago

What is it about Wallace that will be "found out" in a tight game?

Defensively our line out has gone to another level this year. S.Barrett, Tuipolotu, Vaa'i, and Sititi have won more ball against the throw than anyone. It has become a genuine weapon.

Why do we need a tall no.8? And what about Ardie or Sititi is not skilled?

Line out jumpers need be fast off the ground, not 3cm taller.

Darry got game time and looked OK, but the incumbents all played better.

Unlike SA we don't have 6 world class players that are 2m+. They are in the team because they are good, not because they are tall. Picking a player just because they are tall is the weirdest thing I keep reading in comments on this website.

At 1.85m Sititi is 6 inches+ shorter than a lot of the guys he jumping against and beating, try telling them that you need to be 2.03m rather than 1.98m. Total nonsense.

Steve Hansen's claims that All Blacks were 'robbed' of World Cup shot down

GrahamVF 2 hours ago

Hansen is just keeping up a Kiwi perfect record. I have read serious comments from various Kiwi personalities over the years which if accurate would have had the All Blacks winning every single World Cup since its inception.

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Nickers 2 hours ago

It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

No chance Ardie was the best player in 2024. Sititi or Lomax, with Vaai and Ofa "most improved". Ardie was good, but not as good as 2023, he looked decidedly undercooked coming back from Japan and wasn't anywhere near his best for the England, and didn't hit his straps until the NH tour.

Jordan should definitely be back on the wing. His decision making was terrible, he lost the ball so many times in contact trying to push a crazy pass, 4 or 5 times in one game, that insane quick throw in hospital pass, numerous other moments where he took the worst option available. Just as much promising ball died with him as it did with Ioane. I don't know if he was "overplaying" trying to make a case for being the second playmaker but he is definitely not that.

Jordie needs to be used properly. He is not a battering ram, or a DDA style 4th loose forward. He is a genuine playmaker who can come into first receiver and have DMac/BB playing off him very comfortably as he been able to do seamlessly at Leinster with only 10 days prep, with the addition of being a strong ball carrier. He was used in this role successfully by Schmidt and it gave the backline a lot more variation and adaptability. At the moment they look like Warren Gatland is the attack coach which is embarrassing when you look at the riches available. Leinster have already made better use of JB in one half than Razor and co did all year.

Reiko has not been able to gel with anyone on attack despite playing alongside Barrett, DMac, JB, Jordan etc.. for years. It is not going to happen and he needs to be jettisoned. A 5 on 2 overlap to win the game went begging against France when BB and Reiko were unable to coordinate simple running lines between them. BB very clearly wanted to take the ball to the line and put Reiko through a big gap, but Reiko was hanging back on a holding thinking the ball was going to ALB (which was probably the better play) and in the end ALB decides to run into the gap and BB, Reiko, and ALB ended up within a few feet of each other, almost stationary, with the ball being knocked on by Reiko after a terrible pass from Barrett that was designed for Ioane steaming through the gap rather than standing beside him. The French defence made such a bad read that had Reiko caught the ball, even while stationary, we probably still would have scored. It's the kind of thing a social team that doesn't train would have run in easily, yet B.Barrett and Reiko with 200+ tests between them, probably having played 70+ together were clueless about. Reiko's defence is excellent, but he has become such a drag on attack that he is definitely a net negative.