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Stade Francais sign Ngani Laumape

Ngani Laumape

Stade Francais have confirmed thec capture of All Blacks centre Ngani Laumape. The signing of the powerful midfielder is a major coup for Stade, who announced a raft of new recruits today.

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Laumape has featured for the All Blacks in recent years but has failed to nail down the famous black jersey at 12 since he moved from the NRL to rugby union in 2016.  The 26-year-old has earned just 13 caps since his move, a selection snub that has frustrated much of his strong New Zealand fanbase.

Palmerston North-born Laumape attended Palmerston North Boys’ High School and was selected for the New Zealand Schools team in 2011. Despite his early rugby success, Laumape decided to sign with the Warriors rugby league team when he left school and by 2014 he was an established starter in the squad.

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The following year he investigated a return to rugby and made his Investec Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in the opening match of the 2016 season. He went on to make 11 appearances, including seven starts, to help the Hurricanes to their inaugural Super Rugby title.

Laumape made his All Blacks Test debut in 2017 coming off the back of a stunning Investec Super Rugby season where he topped the try-scoring list with 15 tries.

The powerful midfielder made an assured Test debut against the British & Irish Lions, scoring an outstanding try in the third Test and went on to make three appearances later in the Investec Rugby Championship and also toured to the Northern Hemisphere later that year, playing two non-Tests. He followed that up with six appearances in 2018.

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J
JW 52 minutes ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

The opening loss to Argentina by 38-30..

Was anything but fine margins, the scoreline was flattering for that game. They were beat in every margin but most emphatically be effort of Argentina. They were slow and likely arrogant in their prep following the England series. You can see the effect on the selection and poor messaging all the playmakers started receiving from the coaching setup there after.


Otherwise though there was also a lot of really good stuff that can too easily be labelled as lucky by people intent on making a point. The team was far from certain and clinical though and the best that can be said of their losses was that they were largely due to some atrocious decisions with cards twice against SA and the neckroll last weekend (you can't take away the 14 point try, that is typical French rugby and to be expected).


This team is good enough to be able to cope with those sorts of difficulties if they could just execute a bit better (but only as well as they have traditionally mind you). Sound selections aside. Some good positivity in this article but we know it's not going to be easy as the ABs have just been trying to return to their DNA after Fosters control but countries like Aussie have a much bigger task in that respect and SA is even trying to change their DNA (again). Those two opponents (along with France obviously) are going to provide some tough competition in seeing who can lead into the 2027 RWC with the best prospects and form behind them.

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