Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Video: World Cup winner Afoa gives frank advice to Northern Hemisphere players

John Afoa feels that Northern Hemisphere players should strongly consider playing Super Rugby if they’re to fully develop their potential.

ADVERTISEMENT

Speaking exclusively to RugbyPass the World Cup winning All Black feels exposure to a different style of play brings the best out.

“It’s a global game, it would be great to see some of these UK boys go down and play some Super Rugby. I think it is just great for a player to get a real sense of being a player down south, to see how they play, come up north and a Premiership-type of rugby, again different in the PRO14 and you get that flavour. I think it exposes you to different coaches and different players and I think it makes you a more rounded player.”

There are very few high profile examples of those trying their luck down south, they include England internationals James Haskell and Danny Cipriani and Welsh international Gareth Delve. Haskell played for the Highlanders, while Cipriani was at the Melbourne Rebels at the same time as Delve.

“Maybe it seems to far, normally the boys will stay loyal to clubs and they will stay quite north. It is a long way down, but I think a young guy, or guys in their mid-20’s just go down for a year, they will learn so much. A few boys in the team have gone down and played ITM Cup and they found it a great help. So I think as the years go on, the competitions start merging I think it will happen more and more.”

Afoa moved north after winning the 2011 World Cup with New Zealand and has played for Ulster in the PRO14 and Gloucester in the Premiership.

The 34-year-old’s next move is to West Country rivals Bristol, but he feels he’s leaving a side which is in good shape.

ADVERTISEMENT

“There is a lot of us leaving the club and Johan (Ackermann) has been great, all the coaches and staff have really bought into what Johan is trying to do and I think that is why we had some great rugby this year, that is why we made the final. We finished higher than we have for the last couple of years and when you put all that in and it doesn’t come off it’s hard to take. When you get that emotional connection in a team it is great and I am sure they will do better next year.”

Continue reading below…

Video: Ackermann furious with officials

Video Spacer

Afoa isn’t sticking around to watch the Champions Cup, flying back with the rest of the Gloucester squad from Bilbao, but he’s got a keen interest with Isa Nacewa and Dan Carter among those involved and feels it’s a difficult match to predict.

“I was lucky enough to catch up with some of the boys in the Racing team yesterday, texting my good friend Isa (Nacewa) at Leinster in his final game.”

“It’s a tough one, I have got a lot of friends in the Racing team, a lot of Kiwi boys either coaching or playing. I just hope they all play well, a double draw, a draw again and they can all get a little something!”

ADVERTISEMENT

“It will be tough to call, but I don’t know depending on the weather maybe Racing could power up. But the kicking of (Johnny) Sexton might swing it too.”

Video: Sexton on Racing 92 game

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

M
MelodyKaitlyn3 1 hour ago
What Newcastle 'can’t legislate for' as they face fellow basement dwellers

As a retired doc, I never thought I'd get scammed, especially not out of a whopping $98,000 in Bitcoin, thanks to a terrible forex deal. It was a crazy, hard-to-believe ordeal that left me financially drowned and lost. Realizing I'd seemingly lost all my savings was, to put it mildly, a lot to handle. But, amidst all this financial chaos, hope was restored when I found reviews about META TECH RECOVERY PRO. This sad ordeal started with what looked like a mouth-watering investment. Unfortunately, it was an existing organized fraud scheme, I only realized that after getting in touch with META TECH RECOVERY PRO. The truth hit me hard, and I was left dealing with the fallout, clueless about what to do. The digital world's complexity and the tricky process of getting back lost money made me feel helpless. Luckily, while looking for answers, I saw reviews raving about the skills of META TECH RECOVERY PRO's hackers. Out for a solution, I decided to contact them. The reviews talked about how they helped people like me recover lost Bitcoin investments. With a mix of doubt and hope, I figured I'd give it a try, thinking there might be a chance to get back what I'd lost. In no time, they showed off their digital skills by successfully getting back all my lost funds. I can't even begin to describe how grateful and relieved I felt. Having META TECH RECOVERY PRO on my side was amazing and super helpful. If you, like me, have been ripped off by fake forex brokers and scammers, it's good to know that META TECH RECOVERY PRO is there to help. Their expertise, reliability, and dedication to helping those who've been scammed online are truly impressive. I think having them in your corner gives you a sense of security and a way to get back what's rightfully yours. I wholeheartedly recommend META TECH RECOVERY PRO to anyone who needs help getting back what was stolen from them. for help via.

M e t a t e c h @ W r i t e m e. C o m

W / S  +1 4 6 9 6 9 2 8 0 4 9

THANK YOU.

0 Go to comments
M
MelodyKaitlyn3 2 hours ago
Blues lose All Black for season ahead of Hurricanes derby

As a retired doc, I never thought I'd get scammed, especially not out of a whopping $98,000 in Bitcoin, thanks to a terrible forex deal. It was a crazy, hard-to-believe ordeal that left me financially drowned and lost. Realizing I'd seemingly lost all my savings was, to put it mildly, a lot to handle. But, amidst all this financial chaos, hope was restored when I found reviews about META TECH RECOVERY PRO. This sad ordeal started with what looked like a mouth-watering investment. Unfortunately, it was an existing organized fraud scheme, I only realized that after getting in touch with META TECH RECOVERY PRO. The truth hit me hard, and I was left dealing with the fallout, clueless about what to do. The digital world's complexity and the tricky process of getting back lost money made me feel helpless. Luckily, while looking for answers, I saw reviews raving about the skills of META TECH RECOVERY PRO's hackers. Out for a solution, I decided to contact them. The reviews talked about how they helped people like me recover lost Bitcoin investments. With a mix of doubt and hope, I figured I'd give it a try, thinking there might be a chance to get back what I'd lost. In no time, they showed off their digital skills by successfully getting back all my lost funds. I can't even begin to describe how grateful and relieved I felt. Having META TECH RECOVERY PRO on my side was amazing and super helpful. If you, like me, have been ripped off by fake forex brokers and scammers, it's good to know that META TECH RECOVERY PRO is there to help. Their expertise, reliability, and dedication to helping those who've been scammed online are truly impressive. I think having them in your corner gives you a sense of security and a way to get back what's rightfully yours. I wholeheartedly recommend META TECH RECOVERY PRO to anyone who needs help getting back what was stolen from them. for help via.


THANK YOU.

3 Go to comments
M
Mzilikazi 3 hours ago
Matt Faessler: ‘To be involved in a home World Cup would be just next level’

Thanks for the article, Brett. I must say I am disappointed that the Reds have lost both games against the two top teams from NZ they have played so far this year. I feel they should be more advanced under Les Kiss and his coaching team in what is now the second year of tenure.


The lineout, which you highlight in the article, is an obvious standout. Matt Faessler is shaping as a standout finisher of mauls, but that ability is wasted if the throw/lift/catch element is a shambles.


Also very disappointing so often is the ability to spread the ball wide using the “out the back” type passes well. Just watch Scotland, even currently weak Wales, to see the level of sophistication in this area that can be achieved.


In the final analysis, the breakdown work is not as good as all the NZ sides achieve with apparent ease. Their scrum halves so often have an “armchair ride” compared to our 9’s, who deal with slow and often scrappy ball. And I would say this applies to all our Australian sides, not only the Reds.


Not being one eyed on Qld, I am also disappointed to see the Waratahs not performing as one would have hoped, given the strength of their roster now. Ofc, one must also look at the injury toll effect on all teams.


And there is no question, on the positive side of this years competition, how very competitive all teams can be on their day. Mona Pacifica are looking more than just competitive now, but the Highlanders are are much better team than last year, as are the Force.


I find the background bits on players great reading always. and your recounting of Matt Faessler’s grandfather’s exploits is just up my street. Keep writing for us, please !!

3 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Champions Cup: And then there were eight... Champions Cup: And then there were eight...
Search