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Ex-Blues player reportedly set to be sacked by French Pro D2 club
By Liam Heagney
Former Super Rugby player Jonathan Ruru has reportedly played his last match for Provence in the French Pro D2. The 30-year-old scrum-half, who made a 2018 debut for the Auckland-based Blues, moved to Europe during the 2021/22 season, but his involvement suddenly came to a halt last December in his second season with the second-tier club in France.
Provence seemingly claimed he had a serious knee injury but a media report in France has explained there was a very different allegation for his absence and that he won’t wear the club’s jersey again.
A story on laprovence.com read: “Absent from the field since December 2, he has disappeared from the radar. And for good reason. For a long time, the Aix management has pretended he had a nasty knee injury but the reality is quite different and inglorious for the best scrum-half in Pro D2.
“The facts occurred during a party between players after the winter break. Everyone was gathered to celebrate the new year, just to strengthen ties before the return phase of the championship. The companions and wives were there, but the evening escalated when Jonathan Ruru sank into alcohol.
“An argument then broke out after the 30-year-old scrum-half struck... the wife of one of his teammates! Immediately after this incomprehensible and intolerable gesture, an Aix player inflicted a real correction. Verdict: broken jaw and shoulder. Hospitalised and then operated, Ruru was sent a few weeks later to the European Centre for Sports Rehabilitation in Capbreton for treatment.
“The management of Provence Rugby did not want to communicate on this issue. But according to our information, Ruru was indeed received for a pre-dismissal interview. His lawyers disputed the grounds that the evening was not a sports event but a private party, but president Denis Philipon has reportedly decided to terminate Ruru's contract... One thing is certain, Jonathan Ruru will never wear the Provence Rugby jersey again.”
The Ruru situation is the latest headache for the Pro D2 club. It was November 2021 when they sacked Ludovic Radosavljevic for racist remarks made against Nevers player Christian Ambadiang, and his scrum-half replacement Ruru has now also made unwanted headlines.
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The first half penalties against NZ were for speculative tackling because England were attacking so flat. If NZ didn't do this then it may have been tries and not penalties conceded earlier. I believe Felix Jones is still helping with the transition online. It was quite clear he wasn't helping in person with Earls in particular shooting up and leaving huge holes. NZ had a few that nearly stuck but the two tries by Telea were defensive errors. Furbank biting on Sititi leaving Genge to mark. Genge wont show Telea the outside again. Poor tacking on Telea for the second. That said he is a hard man to grab hold of.
Isolating Genge was clever for Jordans try. NZ spotted he defended wide too often and they could leave a gap with that switch play. 6 day turnaround for Ireland now.
I imagine NZ will be better, but they will need to be a lot better.
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