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14 rugby transfers to get excited about ahead of next season
Leinster’s signing of Jordie Barrett from the Hurricanes is maybe the standout move in this season’s flurry of rugby transfers.
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Here’s a look at 14 of the biggest rugby transfer stories of the season so far, brought you by the inimitable Neil Fissler.
Owen Farrell: Saracens to Racing 92
Racing has been looking high and low to replace Finn Russell, and they have signed a born winner who loves winning a trophy and will relish the challenge of playing in the Top 14. A massive loss to England and the Premiership.
Viliame Mata: Edinburgh to Bristol
The Bears pulled off a massive coup when they signed up the Fijian superstar, who was one of the stand performers at the World Cup. He has been brought in to add much-needed bulk to the forwards and will be a nuisance on both sides of the ball.
Louis Lynagh: Harlequins to Benetton
Another player that will feel that he has plenty to prove next season to his current employers who were seemingly content to simply allow him to move away without offering a new deal. He knows his way to the try line and will be a huge asset to Italy and Benetton.
Josh Kemeny: Melbourne Rebels to Saints
He is a player whose career is in danger of losing his way with two serious knee injuries. Kemeny lacks the physicality of Lewis Ludlam, whom he is replacing, but he has pace to burn and looks like a very astute acquisition by Saints.
Waisea Nayacalevu: Toulon to Sale Sharks
The Sharks needed a big-name signing in the centres to cover for the loss of Manu Tuilagi, and the explosive Fiji captain will certainly provide that. A menacing runner will be looking to punch holes in Premiership defences from the first whistle.
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Jordie Barrett: Hurricanes to Leinster
Leinster caused a minor sensation and had their fans salivating when they announced All Black star Barrett was moving to Dublin on a six-month deal later this year. He is guaranteed to draw attention to the URC from around the world.
André Esterhuizen: Harlequins to the Sharks
Quins fans almost went into a state of mourning when it was announced that World Cup winner Andre the Giant was returning to South Africa for family reasons. A truly world-class performer who will help to drag the Sharks out of the doldrums.
Sam Spink: Western Force to Saracens
The outside centre headed to Australia when Wasps went out of business, and many will say it’s been the making of him. He was brilliant in his first campaign in Perth and continued to impress this season. He could easily force himself into Steve Borthwick’s thinking quite quickly.
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Guy Pepper: Newcastle Falcons to Bath
England boss Steve Borthwick has already taken note of his destructive defensive displays in his breakthrough season. Pepper, who caught the eye for England A against Portugal, joins a Bath squad that is loaded with some of the best young talent in the land.
Joey Manu: Sydney Roosters – Toyota Verblitz
Raw power and stunning footwork have made Manu a true NRL superstar, but he will need all that more to crack the superior code. He will have the perfect mentor in Sir Steve Hansen the Verblitz director of rugby who took Sonny Bill Williams under his wing when he switched codes.
Kyle Sinckler: Bristol Bears – Toulon
An interesting move for the former England tighthead, who has been seen as one of the best in the world since he broke through under Eddie Jones. Some observers believe Kieran Brooks struggled in France to start with, and he’s arguably better in the scrum.
Giacomo Nicotera: Benetton – Stade Francais
Stade have made a couple of decent signings for next season. The addition of South African full-back Joe Jonas from Biarritz is promising, but landing Italian hooker Giacomo Nicotera, who uses archery to improve the accuracy of his throwing, will add significant depth to the middle of their front row.
Nicolas Martins: Soyaux-Angoulême – Montpellier
One of the stand-out performers from the World Cup will finally get the chance that he fully deserves to play in the Top 14 after learning his trade in the lower divisions. He has proved he can perform on the world stage, so Montpellier should be a doodle.
Giovanni Habel-Kuffner Stade Francais – Bayonne
The Kiwi-born Samoan with a German passport is a big ball-carrying back rower who doesn’t shy away from confrontation. He found himself surplus to requirements in Paris with Yoan Tanga’s imminent arrival, and he is a great playmate for Manu Tuilagi.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
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