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Lyon's latest South African signing suggests Tuisova exit locked in

By Ian Cameron
Lyon's Fijian winger Josua Tuisova celebrates his try during the French Top14 rugby union match between Section Paloise Bearn Pyrenees (Pau) and Lyon Olympique Universitaire Rugby at the Stade du Hameau in Pau, south-western, France on January 7, 2023. (Photo by GAIZKA IROZ / AFP) (Photo by GAIZKA IROZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Lyon have made a significant addition to their back line for the upcoming season, confirming the signing of South African winger Thaakir Abrahams from the Southern United Rugby Championship side the Sharks.

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The LOU made the announcement via a press release on Monday, and Abrahams will be joining fellow new recruit, Semi Radradra, who has also signed with the Rhone club for the next season. Together, the pair of signing heavily suggest that the club have given up any rumoured behind-the-scenes attempts to get Josua Tuisova to stay at the club.

Tuisova is leaving the club at the end of the season for Racing 92. The Fijian winger has been a key player for Lyon over the past few years, and his departure will leave big shoes to fill. It had been suggested that the former Toulon striker runner might have been looking to extract himself from an agreement he signed with the Parisian club in 2022.

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The signing of Radradra and Abrahams suggests that if Tuisova does bust his Racing deal, it won’t be to stay at LOU.

Abrahams is known for his explosive pace, agility and ability to break through defensive lines with ease, making him a formidable addition to any squad.

Lyon
Bulls Cornal Hendricks (L) tackles Sharks’ Thaakir Abrahams (R) during the United Rugby Championship (URC) match between South African teams The Bulls from Pretoria and The Sharks from Durban at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on October 30, 2022. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP) (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images)

At 1.74m and 76kg, he has been compared to fellow South African winger, Cheslin Kolbe. Despite being an international U20 player, Abrahams has not yet received a call-up to the senior Springboks squad, but his performances for the Sharks have caught the attention of Lyon’s coaching staff.

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With the departure of Toby Arnold and Josua Tuisova at the end of the season, Lyon was in need of reinforcements for their back line. Abrahams is the sixth recruit for the LOU, following the signings of Radradra, Martin Page-Relo from Toulouse, Pierre-Samuel Pacheco from Colomiers, Alban Roussel from Bordeaux-Bègles, and Valentin Simutoga from Clermont.

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Trevor 2 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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