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TOP 14Montpellier

REPORT: International referee to quit whistle and coach Montpellier instead

Alexandre Ruiz

International referee Alexandre Ruiz is to quit refereeing the game to turn his hand to coaching, report Midi Olympique.

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Midi report that Ruiz is set to make an unprecedented switch to take up the role of defence coach at Montpellier Herault in the Top 14. The newly minted Challenge Cup champions sit 10th in the Top 14 after an inconsistent domestic campaign. They have conceded 574 points, with a points difference of just minus 20 after 25 rounds, having conceded an average of 22.96 points a game.

The 34-year-old started officiating in 2006 at the age of 19 and rose through the reffing ranks in France at pace. By 2010 he was a referee at ProD2 level before a year later being promoted by the LNR to the Top 14.

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His first international match followed in 2014 and has since refereeed a number of Tier 1 matches.

Should he join Philippe Saint-Andre’s side, he will work alongside Olivier Azam, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and Bruce Reihana among others.

The prospect of the yet un-confirmed and very left-field appointment by Saint-Andre, who took over the reins at the club in 2020, has baffled the internet.

“This might be one of the most bizarre stories I’ve seen. Top 14 referee Alexandre Ruiz is retiring from refereeing to become the defence coach of Montpellier. Apparently not an April Fool!.. Even for the wonderful world of French rugby, this is bonkers!”

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“Top 14 referee Alexandre Ruiz quitting to join Montpellier as defence coach, Rugbyrama reporting. We’ll find out next season if that’s an inspired signing, I guess.”

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Comments on RugbyPass

S
SadersMan 13 minutes ago
Former All Blacks grade the 2024 campaign

Sheesh Goldie, South Africa actually lost two tests, IRE & ARG. Everyone got beaten at least twice this year so I'm not sure why the Boks are the "standard". I'd hate the ABs to follow their example. Our standard should be ABs (version 2015).


But I agree, the ABs are definitely in the B range. For me, it's a B+, the + mainly reflecting the lifting of the teams baseline from wobbly to now comfortably being able to win ugly.


Bring on 2025.

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T
Tk 14 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Reiko could have been one of the great all time AB wings, he will be remembered as a very average centre.

29 Go to comments
T
Tk 16 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

No DMac is not the answer at 10. BB and DMac are both amazing athletes who can dazzle with ball in hand but are not test match 10's who can drive a team and manage a game plan.

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C
Cantab 24 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Yes Roigard scored a great try when the Italians were focusing on our mediocre midfield which defends well enough but has lacked penetration all year. We could certainly do with the likes of a Nonu or Robertson from yesteryear who did know how to penetrate in midfield. A work on for Razor next year as I have seen some promising talent at provincial and super franchise levels which needs to be developed.

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I
IS 39 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Dmac 10 alb 12 and tupea in 13 or proctor in 13 it's a combination that works and worked well against Fiji and Fiji are better than Italy

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I
IS 43 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Bb a 9.5 you got to be joking he was straight trash he wasn't even a 5 the attack was so bad so bad we score almost the same amount if points with dmac on that we did with barret

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J
JW 47 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Yeah hope they have plans to give Roigard more game license in that sense. There were a few times when the tight work was really good rolling down the field but the endeavor of the Italians did beat it a lot too didn't it. No dominant class midfielder is there, almost prefer to have the Italian midfield!

29 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 50 minutes ago
TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

Yeah, I'm down with unity.


E pai ana o korero TJ.

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J
JW 52 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Laughed when Lakai didn't even have the decency to tell Cane he'd been subbed.


Bugger being the one to tell a guy he's off in his last game lol

29 Go to comments
J
JW 54 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

I can't really see it. He says Dmac is a great bench option, worlds best 23 I think he said he would be in that Bledisloe game if he wasn't otherwise his 10, but that would only be in the advent of injury for me. Should have kept BB and Jordan as they were, no point in changing them. Too small to make an impact as 23 (fullback) is why I'd describe why as well. Jordie fits that bill perfectly though.


Normally they rate them a bit lower if they have no impact don't they. Dmac came on and only really performed better as a 10, when he came into that role from fullback, where he just commits defenders and did a couple of nice flat passes. Otherwise as a fb replacement, very ineffectual (not really saying much in a game like this).


I really hope that Razor is just conserving Dmac because he's going to have no off season (going to top14 supposedly) and will return him to 10 next year. Otherwise just please please oh lord just give him to Toshiba in a swap to get the Mo'ongu signing over the line for next year (too late now).


I don't think I can handle an more of these selections.

29 Go to comments
J
JB 1 hour ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Hoping Riley Higgins kicks on. Proctor must be 13 moving forward.

29 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 1 hour ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

Rassie should be "miles ahead" of Razor, he's been involved with the Boks as full-time Director of Rugby since 2017. And the Boks should be ahead of the current ABs, they have kept all of their superstars.


Clearly, we are rebuilding from the floor up. But the one place that the Boks are not "miles ahead" is on the paddock. A brand new, relatively untested coaching team, with a new team still in the making, came close in Sth Africa.


Change takes time. Whatever this magic instant innovation potion is you allude to, it doesn't exist. Just ask Rassie. It's taken the Boks years to develop. I've no doubt Razor will get us there.

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J
JB 1 hour ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

BB and exceptional kicking do not belong in the same sentence.

29 Go to comments
J
JB 1 hour ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Smith loves BB and doesn't try to hide it. Takes any credibility he may have away. BB gets a free ride by the NZ media and I just don't know why.

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Utiku Old Boy 1 hour ago
TJ Perenara's departing verdict on future of All Blacks No. 9 jersey

Well said TJ. You can be proud of your AB career and your passion for the country, the AB team and Canes and Wellington has always been unquestioned. Enjoy the new chapter(s).

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U
Utiku Old Boy 1 hour ago
Former All Blacks grade the 2024 campaign

Agree with Wilson B- at best. And that is down to skilled individual players who know how to play the game - not a cohesive squad who know their roles and game plan. For those who claim that takes time to develop, the process is to keep the game plan simple at first and add layers as the squad gels and settles in to the new systems. Lack of progress against the rush D, lack of penetration and innovation in the mid-field, basic skill errors and loose forwards coming second in most big games all still evident in game 14 of the season. Hard to see significant measureable progress.

2 Go to comments
U
Utiku Old Boy 1 hour ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

Keep telling yourself that. The time for a fresh broom is at the beginning - not some "balanced, incremental" (i.e. status quo) transition. All teams establish the way forward at the beginning. This coaching group lacked ideas and courage and the players showed it on the pitch. Backs are only average. Forwards are unbalanced and show good set piece but no domination in traditional AB open play. Unfortunately, Foster - Mark 2. You may be happy with those performances and have some belief in some "cunning plan" but I don't see any evidence of it. Rassie is miles ahead and increasing the gap.

15 Go to comments
C
Cantab 1 hour ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

NZ were not great and allowed themselves to be bustled by the opposition. Some traditional forward drives and grubbers behind the advancing rush defenders may well have paid dividends in creating more space for the fancy moves. Our midfield backs rarely made an impression once again

29 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 1 hour ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

I saw a stupid statistic trotted out on Sky Sport comparing the win % of the last 4 ABs coaches first 14 tests. Fair enough I thought.


Ted & Shag were both about 85% I think, Foster at 78% & Razor at 71%. The implication was, of course, that Razor hadn't done as well as the others. A closer look though shows Foster's first 14 tests were v AUS (7) ARG (4) FIJ (2) & TON (1). There was no explanation about this, despite the obvious discrepancy rendering the "statistics" completely useless.


Not good enough Goldie, Kristie, whoever dreamt up this fiasco.

15 Go to comments
J
JWH 1 hour ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

DMac didn't do anything to deserve a 6, but the ABs did look better when he came on. I don't think BB is the right man for the job, neither is DMac (too small), but DMac seems to be playing to Razor's gameplan more than Baz

29 Go to comments
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