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Wasps fuming over reports Sopoaga is leaving the club
By Ian Cameron
Wasps are fuming at reports suggesting star flyhalf Lima Sopoaga is eyeing up an early exit from the club.
The Times are reporting that the former All Black star has sensationally requested to leave the club, just one year into a lucrative contract.
RugbyPass understands however that Wasps are fuming over the report and that the highest authorities in the club have described it as nonsense.
The former Highlander has struggled adjusting to the rugby in the Northern Hemisphere since arriving at the Ricoh Arena last summer.
He's currently out injured but is set to return this weekend. The ex-All Black has been open about his frustrations with his club form.
"I’d say after this year I will be evaluating the year that it has been. I’d say I will make a few adjustments heading into next season. It’s very physical over here. That is what I noticed straightaway, that guys are a lot bigger over here," Sopoaga told RugbyPass last week.
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“It’s very dominated by physicality and that is a big difference. And you play so many games and have so many different competitions. Bouncing in and out of one or the other has been a challenge for me in learning how to deal with the rigours of rugby up here.”
Sopoga claims that the club have lacked for confidence: “We have been on the wrong side of the ledger with the few games that we probably should have won. It just comes back to maybe a bit of confidence and sometimes that is a hard to thing to get.
"Unfortunately we have just missed the boat on a few of the games recently and we need to find that mojo quickly and get back to winning ways.
“When I first started rugby I was kind of like life or death and I used to get pretty dark (about losing), but having a family has definitely puts some perspective on winning and losing rugby games these days. It’s tough but at the end of the day when I go home and see my daughter, she is not worried about whether I have won or lost a football game. She just wants to see her dad. Sometimes things are really put into perspective.
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Latest Comments
I think the best 15 we have is DMac. Jordan at 14.
Go to commentsIt certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
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