Moving on: Sean Maitland
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Glasgow Warriors and Scottish Rugby have announced that Crusaders full-back or winger Sean Maitland will be joining the RaboDirect PRO12 outfit.
The 24-year-old is one of the most highly-rated outside backs in Super Rugby, and qualifies to play for Scotland courtesy of both his paternal Grandparents who were born in Glasgow.
Subject to medical and visa, he will join up with the Warriors squad in the coming weeks, having put pen to paper on a contract that will keep him at Scotstoun Stadium until at least the May 31, 2015.
Since making his Super Rugby debut in 2008, Maitland has scored some 24 tries, equaling the record for the most individual touchdowns in a single tournament game when he crossed the try-line four times against the Brumbies in 2011.
He was a part of the New Zealand U19 team that won the World Cup in 2007, and the U20 side that scooped the 2008 Junior World Championship. Maitland scored against Argentina, Ireland and Wales in that latter tournament.
In 2010, he represented the New Zealand Maori team, and commended himself to the British audience with two tries for the Crusaders at Twickenham in their showcase Super Rugby game against the Sharks in March 2011.
"We're delighted to be welcoming a player of Sean Maitland's calibre to Glasgow Warriors," head coach Gregor Townsend told glasgowwarriors.org.
"The back three is an area of the team where we already have a number of excellent options, and Sean will provide a further layer of quality as we enter another busy phase of the season.
"His try-scoring record in Super Rugby speaks for itself, and he's also a player who has a big appetite for self-improvement. He will be a fantastic addition to our squad and will, I'm sure, be very popular with our supporters.
"It's another indication of our increasing profile of Glasgow Warriors that a player of Sean's ability and ambition sees us as a club where he can continue to progress."
Comments
Trader2 says...
Now @tuffnut I am sure you recognised the tounge in cheek comment there, as we know MJ would have never made the AB''s anyway!!!
Seriously I agree with you totally and I am sure then when the @Willy's and his ilk go away then the baiting from Kiwis will subside, but as you pointed out it has been 30 years of the same rubbish from up north so you will have to excuse the w....ers.
Posted 22:13 28th October 2012
tuffnut says...
@Trader2 those rose tinted glasses of yours can't be that fogged up surely?
My point is that despite occasional naive comments from individuals from other countries such as @willie it gets embarrassing hearing certain over-sensitive, over-opinionated NZ rugby fans spouting off about how superior NZ rugby is both in playing terms and behind the scenes. Makes us sound like self-righteous w___ers.
Posted 14:43 28th October 2012
Trader2 says...
Now@tuffnut I could be wrong here but didn't MJ marry a Kiwi and actually played for an under age NZ team, so technically England poached him back after he had learn't the finer points of his craft. (Rugby I mean not marriage) Do you think?
Posted 05:19 28th October 2012
paulynz says...
@tuffnut
lmao...
"stoned people in houses shouldn't throw glasses"
Posted 18:37 27th October 2012
tuffnut says...
Nz doesn't poach Pacific Island players that was one of the biggest fallacies that ever floated around in the 1990s and fortunately has mostly died out apart from a few sheltered circles, such as those of @willie, who most likely won't have ever set foot in NZ to see the large communities originally from either pacific islands, Asia, or Europe who all identify themselves as New Zealanders.
However, before any fellow Kiwis become too self righteous and point the fingers at other nations... We tried VERY hard to "poach" a young up-and-coming English player Martin Johnson when he played a season or two in NZ! lol
So as the saying goes... stoned people in houses shouldn't throw glasses... or something like that... lol
Posted 13:43 27th October 2012
porridge_time says...
Willy says...
Having read your posts regarding NZ poaching PI players. You are utterly ignorant of any facts whatsoever.
Posted 10:25 26th October 2012
Ferdie says...
Willy says... NZ scouting system actively looks for young players with potential and bring them over at an early age
There is no NZRU overseas scouting system. Never has been. Why would they need it with too much homegrown talent?
A simple stat - every RWC since 1987 there have been more NZ-born players playing for other countries than the NZ squad of 30. The greatest exporter of players in the pro era.
Care to back up your bs statement with any facts? I don't think so.
Posted 09:11 26th October 2012
paulynz says...
@hellovanite
You're correct. Andrew Mehrtens was born in South Africa while his New Zealand parents were on a working holiday there.
Posted 06:34 26th October 2012
Trader2 says...
Willy, Willy how silly you are, how do you poach anyone on his playing ability if he is either still in the womb or under the age of 10, because based on your criteria thats what must be happening. I admit that 2 or 3 AB's (not the current crop as they were all born in NZ, just in case you missed that, oh except Owen Franks) have come to NZ to take up rugby scholarship but that is a school thing and has nothing to do with the NZRU. Poaching is what you do to an egg and I am afraid thats what you have all over your face. As often said NZ do not, have not and have no need to aquire players from elswhere.
Posted 23:37 25th October 2012
paulynz says...
@Willy
Totally incorrect.
Give this one away pal, you're just embarrassing yourself...
Posted 18:14 25th October 2012
APV1 says...
@ Trader2 - I actually buy it for Clarkson's input and read the rest for the same reason - entertainment value only. It's also good for laying a fire with, so excellent value for money. Add in the fact that I get to burn a picture of Jones and I'm onto a sure-fire winner (pun intended)!
Posted 18:03 25th October 2012
Trader2 says...
I mean't of course Maitland would be denying a young Scotsman a chance....just before all you smart alecs jump all over me.
Posted 15:12 25th October 2012
Trader2 says...
Timma
That is a great summation, however and I know this is the wrong story for this but it is the Super Franchise's that are trawling for players and that I think is Hansens concern. (Personally I don't think he should be concerned) Depending on criteria there is right of passage into the Wannabies and that is something NZ are not doing.
To me it is about denying young Australian's a chance, which will happen when (if) Maitland is picked for Scotland.
Posted 15:10 25th October 2012
Trader2 says...
Hmmm APV1 thats entertainment even an Englishman does not need, remember you have Twickers on a Saturday arvo. Just think if you all stopped reading him they would sack him!
Posted 15:02 25th October 2012
Willy says...
All I original said is Kiwi's have poached players in the past so can't complain about it going the other way. The NZ scouting system actively looks for young players with potential and bring them over at an early age, so the argument that the don't poach players playing senior adult rugby is null and void. Paoching is poaching regardless of age.
I personnally do not agree with the 3 year residency rule, I think its a joke and is very open to explotation (by all countries). However the grandparent rule is a seperate issue and I have no issue with players who can't get capped for their country of birth playing for the parents or grandparents country.
I would like to see the residencty rule changed to 7 or 10 years but until it is countries will keep poaching players. So until the rule is changed stop moaning and or being hypocritical about this issue.
Posted 12:06 25th October 2012
APV1 says...
@ passtheball - you must be the only person left who think that Stephen Jones makes any sense. Those of us lucky enough to live in England only ever read it for entertainment, never for thoughtful opinion or facts.
Posted 10:00 25th October 2012
hellovanite says...
Willy, you're an idiot more than 2 thirds of those players are from a million years ago and more than half grew up in NZ or had NZ parents who were on holiday... well the last part could be right, Andrew Mehrtens???
Posted 09:11 25th October 2012
Timma says...
Of the 43 players used by the Wallabies in the past 12 months, 10 of them were born in countries other than Australia, they are: Timani (Tonga), Moore (Saudi Arabi), Pocock (Zimbabwe), Samo (Fiji), Ioane (NZ), Harris (NZ), Genia (PNG), Cooper (NZ), Tomane (NZ), and Vuna (NZ).
Of those 10 players, 3 of them moved to Australia when they were 5 years old or younger (Moore, Ioane, Tomane).
Of the remaining 7 players, 3 arrived in Australia between the ages of 12-14yo and undertook almost all of their high-schooling in Australia (Pocock, Genia, Cooper). I am unsure how many 13yo would have been identified for national honours this far in advance, except for nose-picking perhaps.
This leaves 5 out of a total of 43 players who were not born or could be reasonably considered to have been raised in Australia. Of those 5, only 3 (Timani, Samo and Harris) are current Test regulars, and they represent three different countries of birth (Tonga, NZ and Fiji).
Any reasonable person, when confronted with these facts, would be hard pressed to suggest that the Wallabies are either (a) ¿pinching¿ NZ players, or (b) mining the Pacific Islands for talent¿would they?
BTW, for those that assume that because someone has a particular ¿heritage¿ they automatically mustn¿t be Australian; Polota Nau, Kepu, the Fainga¿a twins, Tapuai, Ma¿afu and Palu are all born and raised Aussies¿not gun-for-hire islanders.
Posted 08:01 25th October 2012
passtheball says...
Willy - NZ is a country, like many others, that has continuous immigration. Any given sample of the general population, especially of PIs and Asians, will have a high % of people born outside NZ.
Posted 03:07 25th October 2012
passtheball says...
Ferdie - my point is not about Ben Botica or any other player but the fact that the UK press and fans went on and on about PI poaching by NZ for more than a decade - most of it fabrication. Now they are grabbing anyone they can. Just pointing out the obvious hypocrisy!
Posted 03:04 25th October 2012