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Jordan Taufua decides his immediate playing future and it will be in France
By Sam Smith
Former Leicester Tigers’ back row Jordan Taufua will be remaining in France after extending his stay with Lyon in the Top 14.
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Taufua left Welford Road in January, just six months after a long-running row with the club over salary cuts, was settled. The row saw a number of players leave the club, although the management initially managed to convince Taufua to stay.
He joined Lyon as a medical joker, a replacement for the injured Matthieu Bastareaud. In March Taufua was ruled out for the rest of the season after a tear in the left pectoral muscle, which has since been operated on.
He has now signed a new deal that will see him stay in Lyon for a further two years – Midi Olympique report.
A former Under-20s cap with both Samoa and New Zealand, Taufua played against the British and Irish Lions with the Crusaders in 2017 and also represented the Barbarians before being called into the All Blacks squad in 2018. He was never capped though, missing out due to injury. The Auckland-born back row has since said he would be interested in representing Samoa.
Noted for his physicality in the back-row positions, the 29-year-old made more than 80 appearances in Super Rugby since 2013 as well as playing club rugby with Tasman, Canterbury and Counties Manukau.
