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Racing 92 swoop for 6'8, 130kg Veikoso Poloniati - report
By Ian Cameron
Racing 92 seems to have apparently successfully lured another massive body to Paris, in the shape of New Zealand born second row Veikoso Poloniati.
According to Midi Olympique, the 6'8, 130kg giant is set to pen a two year deal to join the Parisians. Poloniati has just come off season playing in the inaugrual Super Rugby Pacific competition for Moana Pasifika.
Prior to Moana Pasifika, Poloniati played for Manawatu. He is yet to be capped by Tonga, but has been named in the squad for the PNC. Should he join Racing he will link up with the likes of Namibian Anton Bresler and French internationals Boris Palu and Baptiste Pesenti in the second row. Veteran lock Yoann Maestri is retiring.
According to Midi, Toulouse were also looking at him as a potential replacement for 6'10, 120kg Wallaby Rory Arnold, who is off to Japan.
If he does move, his will be the latest in the continuing fashion for signing outsized southern hemisphere second rows for the Top 14. Toulouse have had great success with 6'8, 145kg Emmanuel Meafou, who was overlooked by Super Rugby's Melbourne Rebels, while South African born Paul Willemse is arguably the league's premier second row.
Will Skelton (6'8, 145kg), who had fallen out of favour with Wallaby selectors, has also been pulling up trees since moving to Europe with Saracens and latterly La Rochelle.
All follow in the footsteps of mammoth French internationals Romain Taofifénua and Sebastien Vahaamahina before them.
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Latest Comments
It’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
Go to commentsDon’t pay a blind bit of notice to Lukie… he likes the sound of his own voice and is always looking for something controversial to say. He has been banging on about Leinster's defensive system all season like he knows something Jacques Nienebar doesn’t. Which is the reason why he didn’t apply for the job obviously
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