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Trois pensionnaires de la Pro D2 avec les Samoa pour la Pacific Nations Cup

LONDRES, ANGLETERRE - 26 NOVEMBRE : Senio Toleafoa lors de l'entraînement du capitaine des Samoa au stade de Twickenham le 26 novembre 2021 à Londres, en Angleterre. (Photo par Christopher Lee/Getty Images pour Samoa Rugby)

Trois joueurs samoans évoluant en Pro D2 ont été sélectionnés pour jouer sous les couleurs de leur pays lors de la Pacific Nations Cup 2024 du 23 août au 21 septembre.

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Il s’agit du pilier droit de Colomiers Rugby Marco Fepulea’i, du pilier de Montauban Tietie Tuimauga et du deuxième-ligne de Nevers Senio Toleafoa.

Agé de 29 ans, Marco Fepulea’i (1,81m ; 117 kg) ne compte que deux sélections avec les Samoa, toutes deux en juillet 2024, deux victoires contre l’Italie et l’Espagne. Arrivé à Colomiers Rugby en juillet 2022, il a évolué au sein des équipes d’Auckland en NPC et des Colorado Raptors aux États-Unis en Major League Rugby avant de passer deux saisons avec les Los Angeles Giltinis, où il jouait aux côtés de Matt Giteau, participant à 14 matchs et inscrivant deux essais.

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The Pacific Nations Cup is coming | hype reel

The reimagined Pacific Nations Cup, a six-team annual competition featuring Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga, kicks off 23 August 2024. Watch it via your local broadcast partner or on RugbyPass TV.

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The Pacific Nations Cup is coming | hype reel

The reimagined Pacific Nations Cup, a six-team annual competition featuring Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga, kicks off 23 August 2024. Watch it via your local broadcast partner or on RugbyPass TV.

Columérin jusqu’en 2025, il a déjà été aligné à 45 reprises sur deux saisons (3 essais, 18 victoires) pour sa première expérience en Europe.

Arrivé comme joker médical à Brive en 2021 en provenance du Connacht et après des saisons à Manawatu et Wellington, en Nouvelle-Zélande, Tietie Tuimauga (1,88m ; 120 kg) s’est engagé avec l’US Montauban en mars 2023 (26 matchs pour l’instant).

Capable de jouer à droite et à gauche, le pilier de 31 ans compte quatre sélections avec les Samoa depuis 2021, dont la dernière début juillet contre l’Italie.

Enfin, le deuxième-ligne Senio Toleafoa (30 ans) est lui aussi un habitué des championnats français après être passé par Dax (alors en Nationale) avant d’arriver à l’USON Nevers Rugby. L’ancien des Waratahs (2016/2017) cumule en tout 79 matchs en Pro D2.

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Grâce à sa naissance à Westmead dans la banlieue de Sydney, Toleafoa (1,97m ; 124 kg) a pu jouer sous les couleurs des Samoa (2012) puis de l’Australie (2013) au Championnat du Monde des U20. Il ne compte que quatre sélections avec les Manu Samoa, toutes en 2019.

Les autres membres de cette équipe évoluent dans des clubs en Nouvelle-Zélande, en Australie, au Pays de Galles, aux États-Unis et au Japon. Manu Samoa peut bénéficier de l’expérience acquise par ces joueurs et entraîneurs à travers le monde.

L’entraîneur principal, Mase Mahonri, doit composer avec toute ces expériences et s’assurer que ses joueurs donnent le meilleur d’eux-mêmes en équipe. Mahonri a marqué ses débuts en tant qu’entraîneur des Samoa par une victoire 33-25 contre l’Italie à Apia Park le mois dernier.

Les Samoa débuteront leur campagne de la Pacific Nations Cup contre les Fidji, leur adversaire traditionnel, à l’ANZ Stadium de Suva, le vendredi 23 août. Ils affronteront également les Tonga à domicile le 30 août, pour déterminer leur qualification à l’issue de la phase de poules.

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Dans le dernier épisode de "Walk the Talk", Jim Hamilton s'entretient avec Damian de Allende, double champion du monde de rugby, au sujet des Springboks, en particulier de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023 et de la série à venir contre l'Irlande. Regardez l'épisode gratuitement dès maintenant sur RugbyPass TV.

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Bull Shark 28 minutes ago
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner

Why is Joe Schmidt the best option for Australia? (LONG READ)


An essay for @OJohn with love from South Africa.


OJohn keeps banging on about kiwis and Saffers and everyone else seeking to undermine and bring down Australian rugby… Blah, Blah, Blah. It’s boring and not worth responding too 99 days out of 100.


He misses the point completely that Australians either are or are not the masters of their own destiny. So to blame anyone else but themselves for what the state of Australian rugby is in - is hypocritical.


But recently, Australia has shown signs of life. Personally, I always believed they would be back at some point. At the beginning of this year I predicted that the wallabies would bounce back this year. I predicted that they would overtake England in the world rankings. I am predicting that they could finish second in the RC, could win the Lions series and could make it to a RWC final at home.


I tend to get ahead of myself when I’m excited... Ask my wife. But forgive me for getting excited about the Wallabies looking good! Is it so bad?


Like OJohn, I believe that Australia’s lands abound with natures gifts, including athletic specimens across any sporting code the Aussies compete in. It’s one of the reasons most of us don’t like Aussies. They win sh1t. Regularly. And look smug when they do...


But back to OJohn. And his banging on about the need for Australia to have an Australian coach. Here are a few highlights of his argument:


Several times I've given a list of half a dozen Australian coaches who would be more Australian than Schmidt and just as successful.

Tell me which Australian coaches would be acceptable to coach the All Blacks ......?

Because South Africans and Kiwis and Welshmen and Scotsman are all s.... scared that if an immensely talented and athletic team like Australia is ever able to harness nationalistic Australian passion with an Australian coach, you'll all be s.c.r.e.w.e.d.


And then finally – the list of 6:


Ewen McKenzie, Less Kiss, Stephen Larkham, Jim McKay, David Nucifora, Scott Wisenthal, Ben Mowen, Rod Kafer, Mick Byrne, John Manetti, Jason Gilmore, Dan McKellar.

Plus, a special request:


Keep in mind Rod MacQueen never won a Super Rugby title before he was appointed Wallaby coach but he ended up the greatest rugby coach the world has ever seen. Better than Erasmus even. Who is probably the next best.

Right. I don’t care about the tinfoil hat theories. I want to assess OJohn’s list and determine whether any of them fit the mold of a Rod Macqueen.

 

Like Rod Macqueen the following world cup winning coaches never won a Super Rugby Title:


·       David Kirk, 1987 (17 appearances for New Zealand)

·       Kitch Kristie, 1995

·       Rod Macqueen, 1999

·       Clive Woodward, 2003 (21 Appearance for England)

·       Jake White, 2007 (School Teacher)

·       Graham Henry, 2011 (School Teacher)

·       Steve Hansen, 2015 (Policeman)

·       Rassie Erasmus, 2019 (36 Appearances for South Africa)

·       Jacques Nienaber, 2023 (Physiotherapist).


I couldn't find out what Rod or Kitch did other than coach.


The only coach who has won a Super title and a World Cup?

·       Bob Dwyer, 1991 (A Tahs man wouldn’t you know!)


In fact coaches that have won super rugby titles have not won world cups. Robbie Deans. Heyneke Meyer to name just two.


I know I’m being childish, but I needed to bring this list in somehow because it’s quite obvious that whatever these coaches did before they became international level coaches is largely immaterial. Or is it?


Interestingly Ewan McKenzie (A Tah Man!) has won a Super title. And despite being a Tah Man made it into OJohn’s list. That’s two strikes for Ewan Mckenzie based on OJohn’s criteria so far. Not to mention his 50% win rate as head coach of the Wallabies between 2013 and 2014 (and the laundry list of off the field fcuk ups that swirled around the team at the time).


So Ewan is out.


I find it interesting that, as we speak, eight out of the ten top ranked men’s teams are coached by former international players:

1.      South Africa, Rassie Erasmus (36 appearances for South Africa)

2.      Ireland, Andy Farrell (8 appearances for England)

3.      New Zealand, Scott Robertson (23 appearances for New Zealan)

4.      France, Fabien Galthie (64 appearances for France)

5.      Argentina, Felipe Contemponi (87 appearances for Argentina)

6.      Scotland, Gregor Townsend (82 appearances for Scotland)

7.      England, Steve Borthwick (57 appearances for England)

8.      Australia, Joe Schmidt (School Teacher)

9.      Fiji, Michael Byrne (Aussie Rules Player)

10.  Italy, Gonzalo Quesada (38 appearances for Argentina).


It would appear as though we have entered an era where successful international coaches, largely, have played rugby at international level in the professional era. Or are ex school teachers. Much like Jake White and Graham Henry! Or a policeman.

 

Back to OJohn’s List. That leaves us with:


·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jim McKay, (Very little to write home about)

·       David Nucifora, (Too old)

·       Scott Wisenthal, (I literally can’t find anything on him on the Google).

·       Ben Mowen, (Too young, no coaching experience)

·       Rod Kafer, (No coaching experience)

·       Mick Byrne, (He’s coaching the Fijians, Aussie rules!)

·       John Manetti, (Can’t find him on the google)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)

·       Dan McKellar, (Not much to write home about, but could be an option).


Applying some logic, I would say the following are viable options based on age, experience in coaching AND the fact that they have played rugby for Australia in the professional era:

·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)


After having done all this research, I think it’s fair to say that none of these three have the same pedigree as Joe Schmidt, the teacher. Who took a sh1tty Ireland team to no.1. Won a few 6 Nations and helped get the All Blacks to a world cup final in 2023.


Joe’s the best option for now. But if Kiss, Larkham and Gilmore are the business for the future for Australia get them in now as assistants to Joe and stop moaning!!


Errors and Ommissions accepted. Mispelling of names is OJohn's fault.

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