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French club table offer for All Blacks captain Kieran Read
By Online Editors
French rugby club Racing 92 are the first to put their hand up and signal interest in the services of All Blacks captain Kieran Read after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
According to French rugby paper Midi Olympique the club have already put an offer in front of the 115-test veteran, who has confirmed he will likely finish his playing career overseas after next year's showpiece event.
According to the paper, Racing have made Read their top priority after previously chasing All Blacks midfielder Ryan Crotty.
Number Eight Read has played a key role in back-to-back World Cup triumphs after making his All Black debut in 2008.
After the World Cup in 2015 he assumed captaincy of the All Blacks following the retirement of Richie McCaw.
Read, who underwent major back surgery at the end of last year, told the NZ Herald earlier in the week that he and his family were leaning towards finishing his career with an overseas experience.
"We have always thought as a family that we would like to go overseas and use that experience for the kids," Read said. "That is probably the main option at the moment."
Racing have hosted a plethora of All Blacks after they finish up in New Zealand including Dan Carter, Joe Rokocoko and Ali Williams. They currently field former All Blacks Dominic Bird and the aforementioned Rokocoko and sit fifth on the Top 14 ladder.
Read will lead the All Blacks out against England at Twickenham this weekend before taking on world number two Ireland in Dublin the following week.
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Latest Comments
Australia definitely the game of the weekend. Wallabies by 3.
Go to commentsSmith is playing a different game with the rest of the backs struggling to understand. That's the problem with so called playmakers, if nobody gets what they're doing then it often just leads to a turnover. It gets worse when Borthwick changes one of them, which is why they don't score points at the end. Sometimes having a brilliant playmaker can be problematic if a team cannot be built around them. Once again Borthwick seems lacking in either coaching or selection. I can't help but think it's the latter coupled with pressure to select the big name players.
Lastly, his forward replacements are poor and exposed either lack of depth or selection pressure. Cole hemorrhages scrum penalties whenever he comes on, opponents take advantage of the England scrum and close out the game. Is that the best England can offer?
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