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14 rugby transfers to get excited about ahead of next season
Leinster’s signing of Jordie Barrett from the Hurricanes is maybe the standout move in this season’s flurry of rugby transfers.
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Here’s a look at 14 of the biggest rugby transfer stories of the season so far, brought you by the inimitable Neil Fissler.
Owen Farrell: Saracens to Racing 92
Racing has been looking high and low to replace Finn Russell, and they have signed a born winner who loves winning a trophy and will relish the challenge of playing in the Top 14. A massive loss to England and the Premiership.
Viliame Mata: Edinburgh to Bristol
The Bears pulled off a massive coup when they signed up the Fijian superstar, who was one of the stand performers at the World Cup. He has been brought in to add much-needed bulk to the forwards and will be a nuisance on both sides of the ball.
Louis Lynagh: Harlequins to Benetton
Another player that will feel that he has plenty to prove next season to his current employers who were seemingly content to simply allow him to move away without offering a new deal. He knows his way to the try line and will be a huge asset to Italy and Benetton.
Josh Kemeny: Melbourne Rebels to Saints
He is a player whose career is in danger of losing his way with two serious knee injuries. Kemeny lacks the physicality of Lewis Ludlam, whom he is replacing, but he has pace to burn and looks like a very astute acquisition by Saints.
Waisea Nayacalevu: Toulon to Sale Sharks
The Sharks needed a big-name signing in the centres to cover for the loss of Manu Tuilagi, and the explosive Fiji captain will certainly provide that. A menacing runner will be looking to punch holes in Premiership defences from the first whistle.
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Jordie Barrett: Hurricanes to Leinster
Leinster caused a minor sensation and had their fans salivating when they announced All Black star Barrett was moving to Dublin on a six-month deal later this year. He is guaranteed to draw attention to the URC from around the world.
André Esterhuizen: Harlequins to the Sharks
Quins fans almost went into a state of mourning when it was announced that World Cup winner Andre the Giant was returning to South Africa for family reasons. A truly world-class performer who will help to drag the Sharks out of the doldrums.
Sam Spink: Western Force to Saracens
The outside centre headed to Australia when Wasps went out of business, and many will say it’s been the making of him. He was brilliant in his first campaign in Perth and continued to impress this season. He could easily force himself into Steve Borthwick’s thinking quite quickly.
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Guy Pepper: Newcastle Falcons to Bath
England boss Steve Borthwick has already taken note of his destructive defensive displays in his breakthrough season. Pepper, who caught the eye for England A against Portugal, joins a Bath squad that is loaded with some of the best young talent in the land.
Joey Manu: Sydney Roosters – Toyota Verblitz
Raw power and stunning footwork have made Manu a true NRL superstar, but he will need all that more to crack the superior code. He will have the perfect mentor in Sir Steve Hansen the Verblitz director of rugby who took Sonny Bill Williams under his wing when he switched codes.
Kyle Sinckler: Bristol Bears – Toulon
An interesting move for the former England tighthead, who has been seen as one of the best in the world since he broke through under Eddie Jones. Some observers believe Kieran Brooks struggled in France to start with, and he’s arguably better in the scrum.
Giacomo Nicotera: Benetton – Stade Francais
Stade have made a couple of decent signings for next season. The addition of South African full-back Joe Jonas from Biarritz is promising, but landing Italian hooker Giacomo Nicotera, who uses archery to improve the accuracy of his throwing, will add significant depth to the middle of their front row.
Nicolas Martins: Soyaux-Angoulême – Montpellier
One of the stand-out performers from the World Cup will finally get the chance that he fully deserves to play in the Top 14 after learning his trade in the lower divisions. He has proved he can perform on the world stage, so Montpellier should be a doodle.
Giovanni Habel-Kuffner Stade Francais – Bayonne
The Kiwi-born Samoan with a German passport is a big ball-carrying back rower who doesn’t shy away from confrontation. He found himself surplus to requirements in Paris with Yoan Tanga’s imminent arrival, and he is a great playmate for Manu Tuilagi.
Comments on RugbyPass
Rubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
143 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
88 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
88 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
88 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
88 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
88 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
88 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
2 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
88 Go to commentsHonestly, it doesn’t matter a whole lot. RSA has a ton of experienced talent in its leadership group. I am more interested in who is the new 8 man/8 men and the younger props. The captain may change but the system does not
1 Go to comments“See you in the final” can mean whatever you want it to mean. To me it means that 12 Irish rugby players are a bunch of poeses. See y’all in Pretoria.
143 Go to commentsBen, you are one of the most arrogant and self opionated rugby critics I have ever come across (next to Keohane). I hoped that after SA beating the best ranked teams in the world on their way to the WC (something not done before) that you might have the grace to admit that this is a special team that deserved the accolades coming their way. You have no humility and as has been been already pointed out, merely a troll to attract audience numbers. Count me out in the future.
88 Go to comments‘War of independence’. Such a grand name for a few skirmishes. Where were all the great battles of this ‘war’ ? Smith got goosebumps as he was being emotionally manipulated, another mushroom.
1 Go to commentsFor all those disputing the veracity of Etzebeth’s very public recollections of the Irish players’ comments, I have one question: should we be holding our collective breath in anticipation of a barrage of strenuous denials from the Irish squad? Then again, perhaps not…
143 Go to comments> If the game of rugby is to grow globally, then the rugby Sth Africa play needs to be exterminated. Their performances at World Cup ‘19 & ‘23 were the antithesis to what the game should be. If the World Cup final is the grand spectacle of the game, please no more having to endure the drudgery and insipid ‘style ‘ of play harking back to pre WWII days, where the soulless rugby of the Bok reflected the mindset of a nation. > Gotta agree with Ben Smith, “ the Springboks took the trophy by default, with what might be the most unimpressive escape of all time “.
88 Go to commentsI think Rassie should bring in some new guys and give them a go in these irrelevant games. It’s a chance to blood some guys that might otherwise not get a chance and see if they’re up to it. As for the who’s number 1 dispute? Don’t care. As long as the trophies are brought home, that argument isn’t important. Champions don’t fuss about the could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. They just do, and that for me makes SA and NZ the top dogs. Followed by Ireland and occasionally England.
225 Go to comments