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South Africa leaves door open for highly rated Josh Neill
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Ex-Quins back-row Viliami Taulani headed to France
Former Harlequins and London Scottish loose forward Viliami Taulani will likely join the French Pro leagues next season, with RC Narbonnais and US Carcassonne competing for his signature.
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The 6’3, 118kg Tongan international has been without a club since leaving Counties Manukau in 2024, and the potential move marks his first opportunity to play in France.
The 28-year-old took a six-month break from rugby but is now ready to return, with a Nationale/Pro D2 move on the cards.
Raised in New Zealand, Viliami Taulani played for Auckland’s Manurewa School before joining Counties Manukau in 2016.
Five years later, he made a breakthrough when Clayton McMillan’s Waikato Chiefs selected him, handing him a debut against the Blues in May 2021. Strong performances at a provincial level earned him his first call-up for the Tongan national team, and he was capped against the All Blacks in July 2021.
However, his Southern Hemisphere career was cut short as Taulani received an offer from Harlequins, joining the Premiership side in August of that year. In his two-year spell with the London-based club, the flanker featured in 16 games before being subsequently loaned to London Scottish. He then ultimately departed England to rejoin Counties Manukau in August 2023.
Taulani returned to the Test match scene in 2024, successfully scoring one try in Tonga’s 14-36 loss to Italy, although he did not feature in Tonga’s November tour of Europe.
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The flanker is viewed as a priority by both clubs, who aim to strengthen their squads ahead of a potential promotion into the Pro D2, with Tongan international Siua Halanukonuka thought to be playing a key role in convincing his compatriot to join Carcassonne.
Narbonne and Carcassonne currently sit second and fourth, respectively in the Nationale and have a good chance of securing promotion back to the Pro D2.
Taulani is expected to make a decision soon, but clearly, France seems to be his next destination.
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