Weird posting about Mul here in the "ex players" thread
www.bristolbearsrugby.com/news/it-s-stra...ext-chapter-muldoon/

Rory parata now with the Cornish pirates

Waikato announced Whitey as Forward Coach for Mitre 10 season, with Jonno Gibbes as Head Coach.

Nathan White to join WRU as forwards coach for Mitre 10 Cup
29 March 2018 at 11.00am

The Waikato Rugby Union has appointed Nathan White as the new forwards coach for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup replacing Carl Hoeft.

White, 36, finished playing in New Zealand at the end of the 2011 season. He moved to Europe where he played a further 82 games for two clubs, Leinster (24) and Connacht (58), before retiring from playing at the end of the 2016 season and returning to New Zealand in 2017.

Nathan White said “It is great to be back with the province that started my career. I am privileged to now have the opportunity to pass on my experience, and knowledge that I have gathered over my playing career to the up and coming players for the province.”

Waikato CEO Blair Foote said “The Waikato Rugby Union is very pleased to announce that Nathan White will be joining the Waikato Mitre 10 Cup coaching staff. Nathan is a Waikato man; he grew up in the region, he is another former player that understands the pride and passion for playing in a red, yellow and black jersey.”

Nathan and new head coach Jono Gibbes know each other well, as both men are from Te Awamutu and played together in the same Waikato teams. Nathan has also played under Jono’s leadership at Leinster when he was the coach.”

Nathan White was Waikato cap number 1007 and played a total of 77 games for Waikato between 2002 and 2011, he also has 13 International caps for Ireland.

Think Poolman came up before alright. I think he's being paid to "coach" for Malahide, like Mike Ross. Then again he actually was a coach at Buccs if memory serves so who knows.

Cian Romaine is playing with Takapuna
Nepia Fox is playing for Ponsonby.
Hopefully both will make Mitre 10 squads with North Harbour and Auckland.

Naulia Dawai is back with Otago

Unsure if already mentioned but Jason Harris Wright has left Bristol and Danie Poolman left Bucs few months back to play for Malahide. He lives in Dublin.

Great post Roadrunner

I still have a soft spot in my heart for Robbie and I am always willing him on to do well either with Leinster or with Ireland or the Lions. The same as pretty much any other former Connacht player.
This is a professional game, he left and he's doing great, more power to him. Keep it up, Robbie.

Newname wrote:

RoadRunnerR1 wrote: Congratulations to Buccaneers RFC along with all of the Connacht coach's both at various age levels right up to Eric Elwood and Pat Lam ect. for seeing the potential and developing a player capable of winning a Champions cup, not least for the bravery and confidence they showed letting him play Heineken Cup Rugby while he was still in school.

Ffs he was pure class an international by 19.
Stop talking nonsense, we were lucky to have a talent like him, there wasn't intense work in bringing him on, he was a qifted natural.
It's a two way street, Connacht know how to kick out plenty of young and not so young players, and other players have the right to decide what's best for their career, - it's a professional game.

As for someone else's embarrassing nonsense that he wouldn't have been an international if he wasn't playing for Connacht . .

Jesus you don't half talk some sh**e. Newsflash, nobody is just born with the talent and ability to play top level rugby and it wasn't some magic fairy that waved a magic wand and boom, Robbie Henshaw International rugby player.

It's down to all of the coaches and many other people working tirelessly behind the scenes at all levels of Connacht Rugby. Much of it for the love of the Game, not financial reward. He became the player he is because of the development and the chances afforded him by Connacht Rugby, not Leinster. Had they not invested so heavily in him there is a strong probability he'd never have made it in the highly competitive world of professional rugby and would have gone on to work in a factory or an office like the rest of us. He owes his career to Connacht Rugby and the difference that keeping his central contract would have made to Connacht Rugby is immeasurable. A central contract is a hell of a lot more valuable to a cash strapped Connacht than to a Leinster with the best production line in Europe. Yet despite zero investment in Henshaw's rugby developement, his decision allowed Leinster to reap the reward. He was only 22 at the time. If he'd stayed for the three years, his Ireland career would have proceeded just the same and it's fair to say he'd still have gone on tour with the lions, and if he'd wanted to leave afterwards, then nobody would have begrudged him.

Trying to promote rugby over GAA in Connacht is never an easy task but it would have been that little bit easier if kids of all ages were able to watch Robbie Henshaw running out in the Sportsground for Connacht.

And in case you hadn't noticed this is a Connacht Clan Forum. As far as I know The Clan is the official supporters club for Connacht Rugby, not the Robbie Henshaw fan club.

RoadRunnerR1 wrote: Congratulations to Buccaneers RFC along with all of the Connacht coach's both at various age levels right up to Eric Elwood and Pat Lam ect. for seeing the potential and developing a player capable of winning a Champions cup, not least for the bravery and confidence they showed letting him play Heineken Cup Rugby while he was still in school.

Ffs he was pure class an international by 19.
Stop talking nonsense, we were lucky to have a talent like him, there wasn't intense work in bringing him on, he was a qifted natural.
It's a two way street, Connacht know how to kick out plenty of young and not so young players, and other players have the right to decide what's best for their career, - it's a professional game.

As for someone else's embarrassing nonsense that he wouldn't have been an international if he wasn't playing for Connacht . .

[quote="salmson" post

So the flip side of him being free to do what he likes is Connacht fans being free to (cordially) dislike him for it.[/quote]

Miow miow . .
It's ok for anybody else to leave - or be kicked out by Connacht?
It broke my heart when he left but anyone that's being honest can understand his reasoning.
It's a professional sport and Henshaw, dispite the huge contribution he made to our Pro 12 win is being treated by you with disrespect. Says more about all of you that agrees with the post.
It's a very short career he has to look at what's best for him, and to be honest his game and career will improve at Leinster anyone can't admit that is in complete denial.
One thing Rugby prides itself on is its respect of other players and teams (including our own ex players).
You nailed it when you said ah get over yourself

cabaiste wrote: Not technically a player but reports in NZ say that Dave Ellis will be leaving the Blues. Bit of a shake up there aftee a rotten season with all of their coaches' contracts up for renewal. Umaga has been given another year with Leon McDonald joining on a 3-yr deal as assistant and possibly head coach if Umaga can't turn it around. www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cf...=4&objectid=12053302

I'd love to think there was a chance he could be coming back to Connacht, but I can't see happening.

Not technically a player but reports in NZ say that Dave Ellis will be leaving the Blues. Bit of a shake up there aftee a rotten season with all of their coaches' contracts up for renewal. Umaga has been given another year with Leon McDonald joining on a 3-yr deal as assistant and possibly head coach if Umaga can't turn it around. www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cf...=4&objectid=12053302

Borders no.2 wrote: Congrats to Shane O'Leary on winning B&I Cup with Ealing. Seem to be a club on the rise.

He's off to Nottingham next season according to the last line of this article in the42: www.the42.ie/oisin-heffernan-nottingham-rugby-4013787-May2018/

www.usmlr.com/news/mlr-week-4-first-xv-player-of-the-week

Former Connacht Academy scrumhalf Marcus Walsh got Player of the Week in MLR

Congrats to the lads. Was a slog of a game but
Leinster did the necessary. Honestly we wouldnt have won the league without Henshaw so I'll always be thankful to him for that. Ultimately its a short career and players have to be selfish. I probably don't feel as warmly about him as other former players but still credit where its due.

Congrats to Shane O'Leary on winning B&I Cup with Ealing. Seem to be a club on the rise.

For me there was the whole bittersweet irony that if he had been in the Leinster setup from youth , he would have been nowhere near the international team at that point.

I felt he owed us two years and if we weren’t doing the biz then good look to him.

He could have been the catalyst to get us a centrally contracted player, a full international and a lions player to boot, all with Connacht after his name.

That imo wound have created a snowball effect for us.

For me it’s a bit like an ex, don’t wish them any harm but don’t particularly want to hear of them winning the lotto either.