Former Maori All Blacks fly-half Isaiah West has taken up a suggestion to rejoin La Rochelle following a one-season stint at Top 14 rivals Toulon. Having featured in Tremendous Rugby with the Blues and the Hurricanes, the New Zealander arrived in France in 2018 and went on to start out 83 matches for La Rochelle, including their 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup ultimate victory over Leinster in Marseille.
The 31-year-old was in Dublin in Could this 12 months on the identical weekend that La Rochelle secured back-to-back European titles with one other ultimate victory over Leinster, however he was as an alternative in action off the bench for Toulon within the earlier night’s Challenge Cup ultimate towards Glasgow.
West got here into the Aviva Stadium motion early in that win following a head harm to And Biggarthe Wales worldwide whose signing by Toulon final November from Northampton in the end performed an influential half in West deciding to return to La Rochelle moderately than duke it out with the British and Irish Lions No10 within the south of France.
Confirmation of the signing of West by La Rochelle came at the end of a week where the Ronan O’Gara-led club announced the recruitment of Fijian midfielder Akuila Joeli Tabualevu from Valance and ex-England winger Jack Nowell from Exeter Chiefs.
A club statement read: “La Rochelle is pleased to announce the return of fly-half Ihaia West after a brief stint of a season at Toulon. With 95 matches to his credit during his first stint in Charente-Maritime, the New Zealander will try to continue to write his history with this club he loves so much!
“Having played for the Blues and Wellington at the beginning of his career, the New Zealand fly-half joined the club in 2018 to bring all his science of the game and his qualities as a modern No10. Widely used by the La Rochelle staff throughout his seasons here, Ihaia made 83 appearances in the starting XV and scored 866 points.
“After a season with Toulon (28 matches, including 20 with the No10 on the back) where he took the opportunity to get a title in the Challenge Cup, the fly-half has chosen to retrace his steps to where he feels good, always with the same desire: to enlarge his trophy cabinet.”
“I can have a terrible day at training, but I’m able to cut it and go, ‘No, that is enough for the day'”
– Ihaia West on…
Emerging at Hawke’s Bay ?
Slaying Lions ?
Leaving New Zealand ??
Life at @staderochelais ?with O’Gara– writes @heagneyl ???
https://t.co/VzrvhM2dpN— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 24, 2021
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Printed : 2023-07-22 16:01:51
