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Vannes add ex-All Black to ambitious recruitment drive
By Neil Fissler
Vannes continue to prepare for life in the Top 14 after signing former All Black centre Francis Saili, as predicted in Fissler Confidential two weeks ago.
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They had been sniffing around Saili, who earlier in the year was a target for Bayonne for some time. Now that his deal with Racing 92 has ended, he has signed a two-year deal to move to Brittany.
Vannes will be the third French club that he has played for after moving across the English Channel in 2020 from Harlequins to play a key role in helping Biarritz secure promotion to the French top flight.
Saili, 33, who was a Junior World Cup winner in 2011, won the first of his two All Blacks against Argentina in Hamilton two years later when he was playing for the Blues.
He moved to Munster in 2015 and, two years later, helped them reach a Pro12 final before crossing the Irish Sea to join Quins but now looks set to finish his career in France.
The inside centre, who can also play on the outside, made 19 appearances for Racing 92 last season, scoring one try and is the latest player to join Vannes in the last 48 hours and they step up their recruitment drive.
Castres and Fiji winger Filipo Nakosi has signed on for the next two seasons, while Chilean Iñaki Ayarza, 24, who can play anywhere in the back five positions. He signed up for four years.
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Ayarza, who was part of Chile’s World Cup squad, will leave Soyaux-Angoulême XV Charente. After joining them a season earlier, he helped them win promotion from Nationale in 2022.
They also landed former England and British & Irish Lions prop Mako Vunipola after he decided to end his illustrious career with Saracens, where he won Premiership and European Cup honours.