Munster Complete De Villiers move

[feicarsinn]

Springboks centre Jean de Villiers is set to join Munster later this year after agreeing a switch to the Magners League side.

The 28-year-old, capped 48 times by South Africa, will link up with the Irish province in mid-September following the conclusion of this year's Tri-Nations if an early release can be agreed with his current side Western Province.

The current Magners League champions, who have also claimed the Heineken Cup crown twice in the last four years, expect the 2008 SA Player of the Year to arrive ahead of the European Rugby Cup registraton deadline September 17.

Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald confirmed that the South African Rugby Union are aware that the player intends to further his career outside of South Africa and it now only remains for Western Province to agree to De Villiers' request for an early release from his existing contract which is due to expire on October 31.

De Villiers is currently in camp with South Africa ahead of their Tri-Nations opener with New Zealand in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The Springboks play their last Tri-Nations fixture against New Zealand in Hamilton on September 12.

http://www.scrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/100358.html?CMP=RSS2

Well that had been coming for ages now, not to take away from the signing. It's great business for Munster and they're looking good for a big effort in Europe next season. Don't know how strong they'll be domestically, what with shedding so many plyers at the end of last season but they should be there or there abouts.

Thoughts?

 

[Sir Speedy]

:mellow:

 

[mohamed_ali12]

Superb signing, Munster have got a hell of a backline next season.

 

[Bullitt]

Lucky he's good at interceptions... O'f***wit will never give him any ball to use.

 

[bristol-iain]

Scarily good signing.

 

[feicarsinn]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ali12 @ Jul 20 2009, 05:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Superb signing, Munster have got a hell of a backline next season.[/b]

Yup second best in Ireland

 

[O'Rothlain]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (feicarsinn @ Jul 20 2009, 11:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ali12 @ Jul 20 2009, 05:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Superb signing, Munster have got a hell of a backline next season.[/b]

Yup second best in Ireland
[/b][/quote]

:bravo: :lol: Lauging at that one...haha!

 

[shazbooger]

We all knew about this one for the past two months or so but its good to see it confirmed. Good signing alright and the right quality required for Munster too. A pitch perfect replacement for Tipoki but kinda shows the disappointing lack of talent coming out of the Munster "academy".

Looking at how Leinster are going to line up, we could well hold the entire backline for Ireland next year.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Ah now, there's a couple coming out of Munster, Scott Deasy and Andrew Burke and Peter O'Mahony. Hopefully they'll get a few starts at the start of the year and at the end.

And your all Leinster back line is gonna have a munster produced scrumhalf so nananana. (actually the connacht Munster and Leinster scrummies will all be munster prodcuts next year...which makes you wonder why we had stringer at 10 for so long)

Class signing though I've always said that I'd rathe they kept whatever they're paying him for development because between Mafi, Earls and Murphy we have plenty of centre talent.

Though it seems now that Earls will be shifted to the wing with Howlett on the other wing and Felix Jones at full back.

Feicarsinn is right though. Munster and Leinster are both gonna have s***hot backlines next year.

 

[gingergenius]

f*** me. That is a very good signing.

With all these SH players heading North, there seems to be some kind of consistency:

French - sign loads of superstars for loads of money and find out that the best players in the French league tend still to be French/ Nalaga.

English - sign foreigners who aren't quite superstars, but fit nicely into the squad

Irish - sign one or two superstars, like Elsom, Howlett, de Villiers, van der Linde etc. who really make a positive impact on Irish rugby without ruining it for young Irish players. Win trophies.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Yeh, then you have the Welsh regions who recruit washed up has-beens or never-will-be SH rejects.

 

[feicarsinn]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Logorrhea @ Jul 20 2009, 05:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

We all knew about this one for the past two months or so but its good to see it confirmed. Good signing alright and the right quality required for Munster too. A pitch perfect replacement for Tipoki but kinda shows the disappointing lack of talent coming out of the Munster "academy".

Looking at how Leinster are going to line up, we could well hold the entire backline for Ireland next year.[/b]

Can't see that happening really what with Tommy Bowe in such good for and god forbid he get injured, Keith Earles would be the next likely candidate.

 

[munross]

Well I'm gonna miss seeing him play for the Stormers and WP, really was a star player for them in the last few seasons and a good captain too.

Hope he does well at Munster and wins a Heineken Cup trophy or two and that he will be back in SA to be part of the 2011 RWC squad and maybe the captain too.

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Intercept King JdV @ Jul 20 2009, 09:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Well I'm gonna miss seeing him play for the Stormers and WP, really was a star player for them in the last few seasons and a good captain too.

Hope he does well at Munster and wins a Heineken Cup trophy or two and that he will be back in SA to be part of the 2011 RWC squad and maybe the captain too.[/b]

Yes, I hope he makes you happy and wins a couple of Heineken Cups...

See how much I care about you Intercept King. I wish this so you'll be happy.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

I can't quite belive it's actually true, that. I'm even more scared of Munster now.

On the subject of signings from each regions, so French clubs have signed the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, adding to Dan Carter and so many more over-hyped superstars, English clubs have largely been signing over English players this year, or at leats Brits, Welsh clubs? Jerry Collins, and, erm, that's it, really. (Yes, there's Cooper and more, but they're largly just players coming back to Wales.) Irish clubs? de Villers, Hines... (Actually, suddenly, only those two come to mind.)

It seems the Grand Slam has made the clubs less confident, so their now relying on foreigners. Hmm...

 

[feicarsinn]

Wut? :huh:
Off the top of my head Leinster have also signed Eoin Reddan and Mike Ross(I think), 2 Irish boys. There isn't that much trading of high profile players between the clubs but thats because the lads aren't really arsed to move an hour or two away for roughly the same money.

Munster just don't have great homegrown backs at the mo so importing players in is the way forward.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

I was going to say it the over way round, before realising it made no sense, so I flipped it. It now makes even less sense.