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Western Force sign ex-England hooker who will soon be Wallabies eligible
By AAP
The Western Force’s signing spree has continued with the capture of one-cap England international Nic Dolly for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
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The announcement of Dolly’s deal comes with the Force looking to stabilise after a 1-6 start to the current campaign ahead of Saturday’s bottom-of-the-table clash against the equally struggling Crusaders at HBF Park in Perth.
Dolly, who was born and raised in Sydney, has spent the last seven years playing in England, most recently with Premiership Rugby club Leicester Tigers.
The 24-year-old hooker notched his sole Test for England in 2021 having represented the country at under-age level.
His international call-up under then-coach Eddie Jones came during an impressive 2021-22 season when he scored nine tries in 21 games in Premiership Rugby and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
Dolly will link up with the Force in July and will be eligible to represent the Wallabies by November.
His signing comes just a week after the Force snapped up former Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, who will also link up with the Perth-based franchise in July after spending the past three years in France.
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Earlier this month, the Force announced the signing of former Wallabies star Kurtley Beale for the rest of the season on an injury-replacement contract.
Beale will make his debut for the side in Saturday night’s clash with the Crusaders in Perth.
Another ex-Wallaby, lock Sam Carter, recently signed with the Force for the remainder of the season.
Dolly said the time was right for his return home to Australia, and he was looking forward to playing under Force coach Simon Cron.
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“I’ve been over here for seven years, and I always had a plan to go back home to play rugby,” Dolly said in a statement.
“The long-term plan and direction the (Force) is going is exciting, with Crono locked in for the next few years.
“I spoke to Harry Potter, in particular, along with Carts (Sam Carter) and in terms of culture and what the club is trying to do, it’s all been positive and something I believe I can add to, both on and off field.”
The Force face a battle to avoid the wooden spoon after opening their season with just one win in seven.
Surprisingly, the Crusaders are also 1-6 in what marks a huge fall from grace for the powerful New Zealand outfit.
But with eight of the 12 teams in the competition qualifying for finals, the winner of Saturday’s clash will be back in the mix.
The Force are aiming to bounce back from their crushing 50-3 loss to the Blues in round seven
Beale will start at fullback, while Michael Wells (knee) and Izack Rodda (quad) will make their return via the bench.
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What happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?