The 33-year-old back rower, capped by New Zealand and Samoa, last week signed a new contract at Ashton Gate and said he wanted to sign off with the Premiership trophy.
Bristol were in the Championship when Luatua joined them, swapping the pristine pitches in the southern hemisphere for mudheaps, but under head coach Pat Lam, who was in charge of the Blues in Auckland when Luatua signed for the franchise, they were soon moving upwards.
“I remember in my second game for the Bears being up to my knees in mud at Cornish Pirates,” said Luatua. “It was quite a humbling experience. It was a frustrating time because we were not functioning well, but it has been an amazing experience here and I am really happy to be continuing.”
Luatua has captained Bristol for most of his time at the club, but this season Fitz Harding took over the armband, leaning on the vast experience of the former All Black who played for Samoa in last year’s World Cup.
この記事は The Rugby Paper の May 12, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Rugby Paper の May 12, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Crusaders stun Blues to keep season alive
CRUSADERS salvaged some dignity in their torrid Super Rugby Pacific campaign with a shock 29-27 win over league leaders and fierce rivals the Blues.
Resting players for big games isn't on
IT WAS just a couple of weeks ago that certain people were up in arms because the South African clubs had fielded weaker teams rather than their full strength sides in away games during the Champions Cup.
Calcutta Cup win the highlight of my career
I WAS sat on a mattress on the floor of Alex Lewington’s flat in Twickenham waiting for the rest of my stuff to come out of storage when Gregor Townsend rang me out of the blue to say I was in the Scotland squad for the 2020 Six Nations.
Barnes hits four in nine-try rout
HAMPSHIRE ran in nine tries to thrash Surrey and kick-start their campaign with Curtis Barnes crossing for four.
Saracens hold on to take it at the death
SARACENS held their nerve to secure a home semi-final and put an end to Gloucester-Hartpury unbeaten season.
Day O'Reilly missed out on Hollywood
WHEN he last spoke in public, at his old Dublin rugby club a few hefty punts from the church where they held his funeral mass on Thursday, Tony O’Reilly summed up his extraordinary life in one sentence:
Diamond out to add some steel
EVEN someone without Steve Diamond’s coaching experience would have known that taking over at Newcastle was never going to turn them into an overnight sensation.
Champion Trailfinders cut Blues to shreds
EALING celebrated their Championship triumph with a nine-try trouncing of fourth-placed Bedford to finish seven points clear at the top of the table.
Toulouse provide a lesson in brilliance
THERE have been some extraordinary Champions Cup finals over the decades but none better than this titanic clash for the ages which saw Toulouse pull away in extra-time to claim their sixth title.
We can beat anyone now says stoked up Matavesi
SAM Matavesi knew something had changed when he joined up with Northampton after Fiji’s World Cup quarter-final exit last autumn.