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Luka Matkava set to be Montpellier's latest recruitment

270 days ago

Luka Matkava of Georgia in action during warm up prior to the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship semi-final match between Georgia and Romania at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium on March 2, 2024 in Tbilisi, Georgia. (Photo by Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images)

Georgian fly-half Luka Matkava is expected to pen a deal with Montpellier Hérault Rugby for the next two seasons and will be the 16th signing for the Top 14 side. This will be the 22-year-old’s first time playing outside of his home country, ending his successful stint with the Georgian franchise Black Lion.

He entered the Test Match scene in the Autumn of 2022, making his debut against Uruguay, but quickly ascended to international stardom when he converted the winning kick against Wales two weeks later in Cardiff. Matkava featured in the 2023 Men’s Rugby World Cup, starting in three out of four games, adding a total of thirteen points, and has been playing a central role in Ricard Cockerill’s Georgia team.

Matkava will have Pumas Domingos Miotti and U20 French international Thomas Vicent as rivals for the number 10 jersey, a reshuffle for Montpellier due to the early departure of Les Bleus Louis Carbonel – who is still without a club.

Rassie Erasmus on the blow of losing Willie le Roux so early in the second Test against Ireland

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Rassie Erasmus on the blow of losing Willie le Roux so early in the second Test against Ireland

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus admitted that his team’s attacking game against Ireland in Durban fell flat after Willie le Roux was forced to leave the field

As the utility-back is currently with the Georgian squad touring the South Hemisphere – they will wrap up this Saturday in Sydney – he will only join his new team after the conclusion of the mid-year international window.

After avoiding relegation in 2024, Montpellier is employing a massive investment, having signed the likes of Mohamed Haouas, Nika Abuladze, Nicolás Martins, Stuart Hogg and Billy Vunipola in a bid to return the club to its former glory.

The Top 14 is scheduled to start on the 7th of September, with Montpellier hosting Lyon OU, a match that might see Luka Matkava and Davit Niniashvili face each other.

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Comments

1 Comment

JoeyFresh62 270 days ago

I’m a huge fan. Watched as much Black Lion as I could this year because I’m such a Luka stan lol. Guess I’ll be keeping an eye on Montpellier!

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Comments on RugbyPass

JW 14 minutes ago

'We offered him a three-year deal': Hurricanes priced out of U20 star

I think NZ is his new home GD, hence the “ish” part. He’s been here since his last school years, so around 3?

Yes of course. One particular one was that he looked to be uncomfortable and lacking confidence when in France, judging by the way he cam across in the videos. So that was one reason why I liked the idea of him growing further closer to home (now that’s an English saying, don’t pull me up on that one too), growing a bit more as a man first, where he may have made progress in recently.

But if you’re using logic and putting two and two together, which is all I was doing after reading this article, you’ve got him wanting to return home and get himself amongst the Hurricanes stars, and now months later, ‘family’ being reported as the reason he’s decided against that now.

Sure, anything is possible though GD if that’s how you want to think in life. But back to your comment, you incorrectly assumed that if their were indeed shackles in place, that he wouldn’t have returned. Can you work out logically how this is a false statement? The simplicity of it will be quite striking when you realise.. it implies that this situation - him deciding months later to go to France - would be impossible if he returned to NZ.

9 Go to comments

JW 25 minutes ago

How Scott Barrett performs in Super Rugby Pacific is not a big deal

He was noting #2 more as a fault of Razor than a recommendation of Will at 15 GP! :p

13 Go to comments

JW 28 minutes ago

Suaalii stars as Waratahs topple Chiefs in Super Rugby win the for ages

Is that a Tane Edmond pun or a mix of Cane’d and tamed? lol I hope it was a rugby one at least!

7 Go to comments

JW 36 minutes ago

Suaalii stars as Waratahs topple Chiefs in Super Rugby win the for ages

More importantly Jacomb had a really good first half (all I saw), much tougher than Dmac and still a better clearer to boot.

Dmac probably shouldn’t have been starting at all when you’ve got someone like Scooter they tried so hard to get back (they’re hanging out for some good/fit wing stocks though?).

7 Go to comments

JW 38 minutes ago

Suaalii stars as Waratahs topple Chiefs in Super Rugby win the for ages

I applaud the foul play review officer for his decision to keep it a yellow. At the time I was thinking to myself how unlucky Wrampling was to actually come up against a rugby player who tries to avoid contact, a player that’s not programmed to take contact in a way that ensures ball retention. Jo is the only player I could imagine not taking that tackle and instead stopping and swaying like a boxer.

Wrampling didn’t know what to do, so he rose with him and Jo wasn’t fast enough to get away. I fully expected it to be a red but the ruling completely matched my perception so well done.

I didn’t watch the second half but thought Feketi’s dissalowed try was a good square up for scoring off a forward pass for their first. There was also no way Jacobson passed that ball forward, it only travelled forward about a meter despite going all the way to the sideline while running at full tilt. Great to see the loyal crowd getting incited and behind their team though.

7 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

Crusaders hold on for dramatic win over Hurricanes on the road

What would that have looked like?

4 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

Hurricanes vs Crusaders: Only two true Kiwi contenders, Bluesprint in full effect

The Hurricanes could easily be the most dangerous team come semi final game, a very even game without many of their best either performing or playing, and they should have one that game if not for some brain dead substitutions from Laidlaw and a freak opportunistic try by O’Connor.

While the two Canes midfields started the season pretty rusty, and I thought in Sullivan’s case especially, well out of form, they have started playing very well together as Peter suggested on TV last night. Still though, their is some class to come back, and if Roigard can sort out his game and actually provide some impact, and Laidlaw can get things right at 10, well that’s a very dangerous side if that front row start getting into gear. Dissapointed Kirifi didn’t quite bring the big game like Lakai did. Missing players like Rayasi and Moorby from last year for sure.

3 Go to comments

Katy Martin 1 hour ago

WRU reveal how much they paid for Cardiff Rugby

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0 Go to comments

JS 1 hour ago

Glasgow the latest victims of a Leinster Champions Cup beatdown in Dublin

Best result ever. Have Glasgow EVER been held scoreless before,I doubt it

1 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

Waratahs vs Chiefs: McKenzie needs to be No.10, James O’Connor is right

Yes all for the sake of progress though. They were willing to take the risk but they likely underestimated the Tahs.

There was talk Dmac might take his sabatical next year, so MacMillan wouldn’t want to leave the club in the lurch without a proven/developed first five.

13 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

Waratahs vs Chiefs: McKenzie needs to be No.10, James O’Connor is right

Yeah but Saders could finish top of the table still and wouldn’t that make all those calling for Penney’s last year, and this, look stupid!

13 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

Waratahs vs Chiefs: McKenzie needs to be No.10, James O’Connor is right

LOL what? The Canes were poor last night, Roigard was directionless compared to Hotham, and Laidlaw blew the win with his substitutions.

Large parts of the Saders game was great though yeah, the tight work led by Barrett and those two young halves were brilliant.

13 Go to comments

Ritea 1 hour ago

Waratahs vs Chiefs: McKenzie needs to be No.10, James O’Connor is right