Exodus

Chris

@machpants Another bullshit Rugby Pass rumour mongering Article, Their souces are pulled out of their Arse

@sparky Great news, ABs average height up by 2.5cm!

TeWaio

@sparky Surely we now go with Ardie 7 Cane 6 for the RWC? None of the Highlanders WTG have made the cut at blindside..

7 days later

ShadowTrooper

@sparky Assuming Luatua saw the light as well, he was never serious (really?) about committing to NZR / Blues / coming back to NZ for RWC. At least he has made his choice now.

9 days later

It's out of thread but I'd like to inform that Luke Braid is leaving Bordeaux and is coming back to NZ for personal reasons.

taniwharugby

So Crotty maybe not to Northampton, Read not off to France...the pre-RWC rumour mill in full swing

Also

The All Blacks have traditionally lost senior players after Rugby World Cup campaigns, but the moves to Japan represent a new trend.

Not sure it is so much a new trend, just another option now.

taniwharugby

So he wants to be a 'trailblazer' to ruin what got him there in the first place?

Been a few articles with Pitutau & Sopoaga all but promoting leaving NZ for the $$$...almost like they are trying to justify it to someone?

To some, the black jersey doesnt mean as much to others, good for them if it doesnt, but it gave them a big step up in salary.

Nepia

@taniwharugby I'm really starting to dislike Piutau. He shattered his own RWC dream to take the money and that's his choice, no need to try and convince others to do the same and as you rightly say being an 'AB' has certainly helped him earn the big bucks in Europe.

Siam

@taniwharugby wow, he said you could earn more money overseas.
That'll be a new and interesting fact for all rugby players in NZ!

taniwharugby

@Siam not just rugby I expect!

Billy Tell

The articles wrong anyway. It says

Not selected for RWC => headed overseas

When in fact

Said heading overseas => not selected for RWC

rotated

Yeah, nah.

So if Piatau pledges his undying loyalty to NZ Rugby in 2015 and reups he gets picked for the World Cup squad? Ask Jane and Dagg who did just that, were in the frame and missed out.

The selectors were so locked in on Naholo that they picked him with a broken leg with perfectly good, experienced options available. I don't think there is anyway we can say Piatau would have been picked when they had such a hard on for Waisake that year.

Even if picked there is no guarantee they would have seen him as a winger which would mean his "world cup dream" would have been keeping Malakai Fekitoa and Colin Slade company in the stands and having a hit out against Namibia.