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Chiefs flyer Emoni Narawa scored a brilliant try during his team’s 52-28 victory against the Highlanders in their Super Rugby Pacific encounter in Dunedin on Saturday.

With the score 7-0 in the Highlanders’ favour – after Ethan de Groot opened the scoring during the game’s early stages – the Chiefs launched an attack from inside their half in the 20th minute.

Damian McKenzie found Narawa with a long pass close to the Chiefs‘ 10-metre line and the right wing set off on a mazy run in which he beat several defenders before rounding off under the posts.

🔥 Chiefs flyer Emoni Narawa takes the fight to the Highlanders and comes out on top! 👏 #SuperRugbyPacific #HIGvCHI pic.twitter.com/5ou1T0MpLE

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) May 5, 2023

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Mckenzie added the extras to draw the visitors level but the Chiefs continued to control proceedings as they upped the ante on attack during the rest of the half.

Tries from Shaun Stevenson and Anton Lienert-Brown followed which gave the Chiefs a 21-7 lead before the Highlanders struck back with a five-pointer from Aaron Smith.

The Chiefs still held the upper-hand, however, and were rewarded with a brilliant team try – which George Dyer rounded off – on the stroke of half-time and they had their tails up as they held a 28-14 lead at the interval.

The visitors drew first blood shortly after the restart when Daniel Rona crossed the whitewash but the Highlanders responded via a Sam Gilbert try in the 50th minute.

McKenzie then slotted a penalty and the Chiefs sealed their win with further converted tries from Rona and Brad Weber. To their credit, the Highlanders did not surrender and were rewarded with another five-pointer from Shannon Frizell in the game’s dying moments.

Video credit: Super Rugby Pacific

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Former Watford manager Oscar Garcia has been unveiled as the new St. Etienne manager, replacing Christophe Galtier on a two-year-deal.

The Spaniard leaves Red Bull Salzburg following his successful season where he guided the club to an Austrian league and cup double, and will look to take his success over to Les Verts.

“Welcome to Oscar Garcia and his staff at ASSE,” club chairman Bernard Caiazzo told the official club website. “ASSE wanted a coach of international dimension, capable of producing good football on the pitch. Congratulations to (president) Roland Romeyer and his team for having signed such a good manager in less than four weeks.”

“We chose Oscar Garcia because he seems to us to be the man with his staff who best corresponds with the values of Les Verts.”

T.S.

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Bath have announced the signing of former Wasps head coach Lee Blackett, who will join the club as an assistant coach ahead of next season.

Blackett, 40, is highly respected in the coaching game after hanging up his boots as a player following periods with Fylde, Leeds Tykes and Rotherham Titans.

He coached Rotherham to the Championship play-offs in consecutive seasons and reached the latter stages of the British & Irish Cup, which were historic feats.

Well thought of coaching mind

In 2015 he became the attack coach at Premiership side Wasps, and their game flourished with ball in hand, with Blackett’s stock rising even further in the game.

In his fifth year with Wasps, Blackett was promoted to the position of head coach, guiding them to an unlikely Premiership final during the 2019/20 campaign.

Following Wasps’ sad demise in 2022, Blackett switched to United Rugby Championship outfit the Scarlets as backs and skills coach but is now moving to Bath.

“To have the opportunity to work with Johann, the rest of the coaching team and a talented playing group, as well as return to the Premiership, is very exciting for me,” he said.

“Bath is a club with rich history, fantastic support and has the infrastructure in place to be successful.

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“I look forward to working with a team that has the potential to compete and challenge at the top end of the league.”

Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan added: “In the times I have coached against Lee for Munster and Bath, I have been very impressed with him as a person and as a leader; he will complement our coaching team and club very well.

“He has head coach experience and a fantastic rugby IQ. During his career, he has improved the abilities of world-class players, and we are excited for him to help develop our squad and game in year two of our journey.”

Edinburgh forwards coach re-signs

Elsewhere, Edinburgh forwards coach Stevie Lawrie has signed a new one-year deal with the club.

The 39-year-old joined the coaching staff as assistant forwards coach ahead of the 2019/20 season before being promoted to forwards coach two years later.

Edinburgh are currently recruiting for a new head coach to lead them into the 2023/24 campaign after it was announced in February that Mike Blair would be stepping down from the role at the end of the season.

Lawrie said: “I’m really excited to extend my contract with the club. Edinburgh Rugby has and continues to be a major part of my life.

“I’m privileged to be the forwards coach of my hometown club.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to drive standards next season while improving consistency on the field. We understand performances and results weren’t good enough this year.

💬 "It's an opportunity to be involved in something special."

Forwards Coach Stevie Lawrie chats after extending terms with the club. pic.twitter.com/X5LC1u2XB8

— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) May 2, 2023

“It’s now my role to work with the new head coach to ensure Edinburgh Rugby is back competing at the top end of the table.

“It’s a privilege to come to work every day and work with such a talented squad.

“We have all the ingredients to succeed – including a brilliant home ground and hugely engaged fan base – but it’s also about creating a robust environment, which translates into positive results.

“I’m really excited to continue the hard work next season. The club is in a great place and there’s so much more to come from this squad.”

Marseille and Monaco have officially reached an agreement over the transfer of forward Valere Germain, who will sign a four-year-deal on Monday for €8m plus €2m in bonuses.

The 27-year-old will leave the champions after spending his whole career on the peninsula, coming through into the first team in 2010.

Germain scored 17 goals in competitions this season as he helped his side win Ligue 1 and reach the semi finals of the UEFA Champions League, but has now taken the step to join Rudi Garcia at Marseille in a bid to get more first team football.

T.S.

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Chiefs flyer Shaun Stevenson showed his class as he scored what would prove to be the match-winning try for his team in their Super Rugby Pacific derby against the Crusaders in Hamilton on Saturday.

With the Crusaders holding a slender 24-22 lead, the Chiefs needed something special to retain their unbeaten status in the competition and that came from Damian McKenzie in the 73rd minute.

The diminutive playmaker tore the defending champions’ defence to shreds with a spectacular line break before offloading to Stevenson out wide on the edge of his opponents’ 22.

The full-back still had plenty of work to do but kept his composure to shrug off a challenge from Braydon Ennor before crashing over in the left-hand corner for an excellent try.

Damian McKenzie the magician sets up another! The crowd erupts 🙌

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↳ Chiefs v Crusaders, LIVE NOW. Every Match. Ad-free. Live & On Demand on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport.#StanSportAU #SuperRugbyPacific #CHIvCRU #CultureRound pic.twitter.com/DpOuQWn7Y6

— Stan Sport Rugby (@StanSportRugby) April 29, 2023

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Although McKenzie failed with the conversion attempt the Chiefs were now holding a crucial 27-24 lead and they hammered home their dominance with a converted try from Tyrone Thompson which clinched their ninth consecutive Super Rugby Pacific win of the season.

Earlier, the Crusaders made the brighter start courtesy of a Tamaiti Williams try in the fifth minute which was converted by Richie Mo’unga but the Chiefs did not panic clawed their way back with four penalties from McKenzie which gave them a 12-7 lead at half-time.

The hosts were fastest out of the blocks after the interval and extended their lead to 19-7 when Brodie Retallick crashed over for their opening try in the 49th minute.

The Crusaders struck back via a penalty try in the 54th minute, after the Chiefs dragged down a maul close to their try-line and the visitors were rewarded with another converted five-pointer from Fergus Burke in the 62nd minute which meant the champions were leading 21-19.

Five minutes later, McKenzie succeeded with his fifth penalty but the visitors reclaimed the lead in the 71st minute when Mo’unga slotted a three-pointer of his own.

That set up a tense finish and the Chiefs held their nerve to clinch the result courtesy of those late tries from Stevenson and Thompson.

Video credit: Stan Sport

AS Monaco confirmed last night that their Sporting Director Antonio Cordon will leave the club in the coming months after he asked to quit.

He arrived last year to replace Luis Campos, signing a three year contract in the process, but has since received an offer from the Chinese group Desports, owners of Granada and Parma.

Cordon will remain in his role until the end of the current transfer window.

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“Open book” Michael Hooper has hinted at retirement after admitting he may not be with the Waratahs next season.

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The veteran confirms the news amidst a hoard of re-signings being made by Rugby Australia at the moment, with several stars committing their future.

“Ambiguity in my mind”

Hooper admits he does not know his next plan as his mind is filled with “ambiguity” – a position he does not mind being in.

“They [Waratahs fans] are probably right [to think this is the last year],” Hooper told reporters.

“There’s a bit of ambiguity in the air [and] ambiguity in my mind. I’ve not got anything lined up for next year. I’ve been in a contract for a long time … since the end of 2009. Aside from that [stint in Japan in 2021], it’s all been in Australia.

“I don’t know what the next thing is going to look like. It’s a nice position to be in. That might be playing, that might not be playing, that might be having time off. I’m a completely open book. Or I’ll just hang them up.”

The most capped Wallabies captain is open to pushing for a spot in Australia’s rugby sevens side for next year’s Olympics in Paris, as reported by the Herald last year.

However, Hooper is preparing for any eventuality with the 2025 British and Irish Lions on the horizon as well.

“You’ve got to be prepared that it might not work out, so I’m prepared that something might not pop up,” Hooper said.

“There are some good things on next year, not only here … so I’m keeping my keep my mind open.

“There’s an Olympics. There’s rugby league. Nah, I’m joking … I couldn’t do that.”

Focus is on the now

Hooper is uncertain of what could happen going forward, suggesting that results going forward do not necessarily have a bearing on his future. He is just focused on what is ahead.

“I’ll never know until I get there,” Hooper said. “I could go ‘how good’s this, let’s keep going’. Ride the ride while you’re doing well.

“It’ll come around before we know it. So in terms of getting guys aligned, it’s pretty straightforward. There’s a World Cup on the line, and you may only get one of those in your career. So the time is now.”

The Test centurion claims his game is not where it should be but insists he is working hard to get back to his best and help the Waratahs out of their poor position on the Super Rugby Pacific table.

“In a romantic sense, [hopefully] I can play my best game of rugby on the 28th of October come the World Cup final. That’s where you want to be,” Hooper said.

“I don’t think I’m playing my best rugby. I think I’ve still got a lot more to give to this team and what I’m capable of. I’m chasing that. It’s not through a lack of effort, I’ve just got to find where I fit and really contribute to this team well.”

LOSC have struck a deal with Italian club AS Roma to take 20-year-old striker Ezequiel Ponce on loan for the upcoming season, with an option to buy worth €11m at the end of the campaign.

The Argentine, who signed from his homeland in 2014 has struggled to find time in the Giallorossi’s first-team – resulting in loan moves away.

Ponce spent the duration of last term with Spanish outfit Granada and failed to impress, netting just twice in 25 league appearances.

The youngster will certainly hope to revive his promising potential with Lille and said this upon signing, “I am happy to join Lille. I come with great ambition and I intend to give the best of myself. I am also delighted to be part of the team of Marcelo Bielsa who coached in the past with Newell’s, my previous club. He is a coach who has already proved that he knows how to evolve young people like me.”

S.H.

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New Zealand greats Sir John Kirwan and Jeff Wilson believe that the re-signing of Rieko Ioane could prove to be significant for the All Blacks going forward.

The Blues back has agreed a new contract until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, following hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho in agreeing a deal of that length.

It means that Ioane will be part of the next World Cup cycle, which is a big boost for incoming head coach Scott Robertson.

New era

“I was quite emotional about it,” Kirwan said on The Breakdown. “I understand that people have to look after their futures and there are big financial rewards overseas, but for him to say, ‘my legacy and our legacy with the All Blacks’, for me I just thought, ‘wow, that’s so good’.

“It’s so good we’re getting some of these guys (to stay) because I believe we need a new era after this World Cup.”

Ioane, like many of his All Blacks colleagues, will take a sabbatical – most likely in Japan – but Wilson agreed with Kirwan and is delighted that the 26-year-old is staying in New Zealand during what should be his peak years.

“I have so much respect for his decision because he would have had to sacrifice a lot to make it. In 2025, he’s going to take a sabbatical, he’s going to go and earn a well-earned amount of money, but he’s committed for four years, which is two Rugby World Cups,” Wilson said.

“That tells me that he respects and understands what his legacy in the All Black jersey could be, and that’s why it means so much.

“He joins a list of players now who are committed and dedicated to making the All Blacks better. It’s not about them, it’s about enhancing and being part of something special.

“My respect for him and the players around him, who want to be part of this group going forward, (has gone up). It is great, it is fantastic and I am proud of him.”

Next key target

New Zealand Rugby have made good progress in retaining a core of players over the next few years, but there is still work to be done.

Following Richie Mo’unga’s shock departure and with Beauden Barrett’s future uncertain, given his commitment to playing in Japan in 2024, the All Blacks need some star power at fly-half.

Damian McKenzie has yet to be signed and Kirwan believes that it is vital they retain the playmaker, who has starred for the Chiefs this season.

“He is fundamental I believe. While he may not be the number one for this World Cup, he’s definitely our number two if we play Beauden at full-back,” he said.

“If Richie Mo’unga is going, there’s a big pot (of money) there so just use it on Damian.”

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Premier League side Arsenal have decided to activate a clause in their contract with Fluminense which allows them to re-purchase Wellington Silva for €3.5m, only to sell him immediately to Bordeaux for €5m, according to L’Équipe.

Silva is able to play on both wings but also as a striker, described to Bordeaux recruiters as a powerful, precise player who likes to cut in from wide areas.

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