Ma'a Nonu has resigned with NZ rugby & will play his super rugby for Auckland. He has also been given a sabbatical to play some club footie up in Japan at the end of this year. I pity the poor Wellington midfield that will face Nonu in the Blues jersey next season.
Seems NZRU think these sabbaticals are the way forward for players retention but its going to get very messy controlling all this. I thought the players were claiming they needed rest as well due to too much footie?
Victor Vito replacing Jerome Kaino is the only change to the run-on XV for this weekend's match vs Wales as Graham Henry seems intent on using the Steinlager series to test a few rookies. Not a bad policy either as the Northern Hemisphere teams were pretty disappointing across the board last weekend (except Scotland of all people).
What is harder to understand is how Richard Kahui can replace Zac Guildford on the bench in one of three changes there (the others being the return of Woodcock for Tialata & Big Red for Kaino).
What is going on with the importing of half backs & first fives into the Auckland area? First of all the Blues draft in Alby Mathewson, Stephen Brett & Daniel Kirkpatrick & now the Auckland Rugby Union have signed Toby Morland & Matt Berquist for the NPC.
