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Sorry Eddie! Blues set to lock in Hoskins Sotutu on a new contract

Hoskins Sotutu. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Hoskins Sotutu has been a revelation for the Blues in 2020 and, despite rumoured interest from outside New Zealand, is set to sign on for a new deal with New Zealand Rugby.

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Sotutu made just one appearance for the Blues last year and with so many experienced loose forwards in the wider squad, few would have expected the blockbusting number 8 to have accrued so many minutes for his franchise this season.

The son of former Fijian flyer Waisake Sotutu looks destined to take the step up to international football but it recently emerged that the loose forward is eligible for Fiji and England as well as his native New Zealand. Rumours from The Telegraph suggested that Eddie Jones, head coach of England, was considering making a daring play for Sotutu’s allegiance but the latest news out of NZ suggests that the Blues man won’t be going anywhere.

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England and Extere centre, Henry Slade, sat down with Jim Hamilton to discuss being back training with Exeter, salary cuts and Eddie Jones.

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England and Extere centre, Henry Slade, sat down with Jim Hamilton to discuss being back training with Exeter, salary cuts and Eddie Jones.

According to Stuff News, Sotutu is ready to put pen to paper and sign a new two-year deal with NZR and the Blues which would keep him in the country until the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Blues head coach Leon MacDonald also indicated when questioned whether his club were willing to let Sotutu go that the loose forward is enjoying his time with the franchise and is in it for the long haul.

“No way. We see him as a lifetime Blues player,” MacDonald said. “He’s passionate about this region and we don’t want that to change.

“I can see why there’s interest all over the place. I’d want him in my team if I was coach and luckily we do have him. I can understand why he’s causing the fuss because he’s playing great.”

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The Blues are well-stocked in the loose forwards with Tom Robinson, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Blake Gibson and Tony Lamborn sharing minutes this season while Sotutu has been a mainstay in the match-day trio.

Sotutu’s diverse skill-set has had many calling for the 21-year-old to be quickly elevated into the national set-up, given that former captain Kieran Read has now vacated the spot at the back of the All Blacks scrum.

“He’s created a bit of fuss because of the way he’s played,” said MacDonald. “He’s got a unique skillset because it’s so well-rounded. He can kick the ball, and chuck missed passes, yet get physical and carry hard and offload and make the hits defensively.

“He’s got a really good all-round game. And he doesn’t really have any quiet spots in a game. He’ll work right through. It makes him a pretty imposing threat.”

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Sotutu has previously spoken about the areas of the game he’s focusing his development on – namely his work at the breakdown and on defence.

“I’ve been working on my jackal and stuff around the breakdown a lot,” he told RugbyPass. “The coaches have tried to help me out a lot around that. That’s sort of the area that I need to work on the most.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBrNRFDgBut/

“Also, I’m working on trying to turn my defence into a bit of a turning point as well. Trying to be that enforcer dude as well – at both ends of the ball.”

While his on-field performances have been evident for all fans and punters to witness, it’s Sotutu’s off-field work that’s especially impressed MacDonald.

“We’re thrilled with Hos,” MacDonald said. “He’s grown up off the field as much as he has performed on it. He speaks up after meetings and seems really comfortable in his own skin at the moment.

Sotutu has acknowledged that one big change he’s made to his off-field work this year was simply looking more engaged at training.

“As a person, I’m quite relaxed. At training, sometimes I might not look engaged,” said Sotutu.

“The coaches just said that if I’m not playing, they’ve gotta pick me off the way I train and if I don’t look engaged and it doesn’t seem like I’m working hard, they won’t pick me.

“This year, I tried to change it.”

 

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O
Oh no, not him again? 1 hour ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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