Edinburgh could lose Fiji No.8 Bill Mata to Premiership
Bristol Bears are said to be interested in the acquisition of Fiji's No.8 sensation, Viliame 'Bill' Mata, from Scottish URC outfit Edinburgh.
RugbyPass understands that Bristol's Director of Rugby, Pat Lam, is showing keen interest in bringing the 32-year-old powerhouse to Ashton Gate.
Mata, who is widely regarded as one of the best No.8s in the game, currently commands a significant £450,000 salary, making him one of the highest-paid players in Scottish rugby. The prospect of luring Mata to Bristol is certainly a mouthwatering one for the Bears' faithful, with 'Big Bill' widely regarded as one of the sport's most dynamic and skilful No.8s.
Bristol's current roster already boasts formidable back-row talent, with players like Magnus Bradbury, Fitz Harding, Jake Heenan, Dan Thomas and Steven Luatua among the ranks. However, the undeniable skills and experience that the 6'5, 115kg Fijian brings to the table appear to have caught the attention of Lam and the Bears' recruitment team.
A cult hero in among the Scottish capital's rugby fans, Mata would be a massive loss to Edinburgh, having become the first non-Scotland-qualified player to reach 100 appearances for the side last year.
Mata - who made his first appearance for Edinburgh in 2016 - was named Guinness PRO14 Players’ Player of the Year and nominated for the European player of the year after an impressive 2018-19 campaign.
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It’s not new for nines to be the key playmaker. For the Boks it has been common, with Fourie du Preez and Joost vd Westhuizen being obvious examples. It's also not that recent for nines to be box kicking, covering high balls in the back field, and tackling in the defensive line. For example, Faf de Klerk has been doing all of that for years.
Go to commentsThe hell with this constant regurgitation of what this pretty boy is doing. For all I care he might as well be doing a Jamie Oliver cooking course. Rugby is not a progression toward the NFL, which, given its prominence in your reporting, you appear to regard as the ultimate contact sport. It has virtually nothing to do with rugby, and forever may that remain the case. I know that if I don’t like it I don’t have to read it, but I’m sick of seeing this dishwater-dull nonsense.
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