Brock James
2009

Brock James cracks the tonne 
By Juan Cote – June 7, 2009
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/brock-james-cracks-the-tonne/

When Brock James left the Western Force to head to France to play for Clermont in the Top 14, it caused barely a ripple in Australian rugby circles. In the pre-Gits era of the Force, James, Scott Daruda and James Hilgendorf, had all been used as fly-halves without much success.

Leaving Australia as a failed Super 14 player at the age of 24, it was not expected that anymore would be heard of the former Sydney Uni/GPS (Brisbane) fly-half – but how times have changed.

With a penalty goal in Clermont’s loss to Perpignon in the final of this year’s Top 14, Brock James racked up 1000 points in the Clermont jersey, not bad when you consider it only took him three seasons to complete.

In fact, so prolific has James’ scoring been in France, he has lead the Top 14 points scorers every season since he joined in 2006, not bad for a bloke who was ass-holed from Australia.

His name can be added to the ever increasing list of ex-pats who have had to go overseas to gain employment as professional rugby players and have flourished under different conditions and styles of play.

Given the Super 15 expansion is under way, and more than likely the new team to be based in Melbourne, what a perfect fit for Victorian born Brock James to come home and be a foundation member of the new franchise.

Although the ARU has mooted a raid on the mungo ranks to fill some of the 30-odd spots for the new team, and a dearth of local rugby talent running around, let’s hope the ARU throw their cash his way instead of some ageing-mungo.

PR's Expat Tri-Nations XVs
Extract from http://planetrugby.com

30th September 2009
Byron v Butch: Blacks v Boks? No, Toulouse v Bath

It's been a favourite topic of discussion around pubs, barbies and braais for years: What if, somehow, you could put together three teams of the southern hemisphere's top exports?

Well, we're suckers for punishment here at Planet Rugby, so in the latest edition in our series of 'Best of' teams (the dust is yet to settle from the uproar created by the 'Team of the Tri-Nations' and the 'Greatest of the pro era') we've decided to take a trip to Tri-Nations LaLaLand and give you our picks for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - made up exclusively of players plying their trade overseas.

Admittedly, the majority of these choices were far easier to make than those of the fantasy teams mentioned above (though it was pretty hard to get some of the PR staff talking to each other again after the handbag fight resulting from the editor's final choices for the Greatest pros team.)

Right, down to business. What started off as a relatively simply task of slotting in those who pick themselves - i.e. Jean de Villiers - we soon faced the selection headache that comes with picking any team: Who do you leave out?

Expat Australia: 15 Chris Latham (Worcester Warriors), 14 Clinton Schifcofske (Ulster), 13 Mark Gasnier (Stade Français), 12 Ben Jacobs (Wasps), 11 Luke Rooney (Toulon), 10 Brock James (Clermont), 9 Matt Henjak (Toulon), 8 David Lyons (Scarlets), 7 Julian Salvi (Bath), 6 Fotu Auelua (Toulon), 5 Dan Vickerman (Cambridge University), 4 Hugh McMeniman (Kubota Spears), 3 Rodney Blake (Bayonne), 2 Your choice here (?), 1 AJ Whalley (Dax)

Stephen Larkham was classy number ten in his day, but playing in Japan cannot compare to what Brock James is doing in the Top 14, where he is the top points scorer and has been so season after season. Sam Norton-Knight (Cardiff) reckons he's a natural fly-half, but he's nowhere near challenging James.

George Gregan is still playing in Japan, but isn't far from pension age, so we reluctantly went for Matt Henjak.

Clinton Schifcofske has been great form at full-back for Ulster, but we couldn't possibly leave Chris Latham out of the side, so man with hardest name to spell in world rugby gets a berth on the wing.

On the other wing, we would have liked to pick Lote Tuqiri...but he need to find somewhere to play before we can consider him an expat.

Craig Gower (Bayonne) is Italian now, so we can't put him at centre where Mafileo Kefu (Toulon) was also a consideration.

We couldn't think a Aussie hooker worth mentioning - which is a pretty poor refection of the export value of Australian front rowers. Are we being overly harsh?

January 31, 2009
Courtesy of scrum.com

French Top 14 
James extends Clermont Auvergne stay

Brock James has extended his contract at Clermont-Auvergne by a further two years, tying him to the club until the summer of 2012.
The Australian fly-half joined Clermont in 2006 as a replacement for Wales international Stephen Jones.
The 27-year-old has been the Top 14's leading points scorer in both the seasons he has been at the club

February 22, 2009 Toulouse fly-half David Skrela looks to pass opposite number Brock James, Toulouse v Clermont Auvergne, Top 14, Stade Toulouse, Toulouse, France, February 22, 2009 Picture Getty Images

Picture - http://www.flickr.com/photos/flacombat/2735132029/

From 'yesterday' via email

29 and counting for James Monday 09th March 2009                      

Monday 9th March 2009

Clermont fly-half Brock James is enjoying a rich run of form from the kicking-tee at the moment: The Australian has slotted no less than 29 consecutive attempts at goal!

James was on target twice for his team in Biarritz on Saturday, sending two conversion over the crossbar. Unfortunately his efforts were not enough to stop Clermont from going down 18-14 to the rejuvenated Basques.

The fly-half arrived in France in 2006 as a virtual unknown in the north, but has become a star in the Top 14 and an integral part of the Clermont team.

Last season James was the championship's top points scorer, and leads the stats this season with 42 penalties, 30 conversions, 2 drop goals and 2 tries. Brive's Andy Goode is second.

James' Clermont team-mate Napolioni Nalaga leads the tryscoring stats with twelve touch downs.