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Troubled Tigers snap up out-of-favour Scarlets back as relegation run-in injury cover
By Online Editors
Relegation-threatened Leicester have signed Clayton Blommetjies from the Scarlets as injury cover for their back line.
From Paarl in South Africa, the 28-year-old plays full-back or wing and moved to the Scarlets after previous spells with Boland Cavaliers, Blue Bulls and Free State Cheetahs. He was among the leading members of the Cheetahs squad in their first PRO14 season in 2017/18.
Speaking at the club's Oval Park training ground, Blommetjies told LTTV: "I will fit in nicely at Leicester Tigers. I will do my best and give 100 per cent in everything I do for the rest of the season.
“It [getting here] is a long story. Last year I played a great PRO14 and ended up with Scarlets. The last few months didn’t go well.
“I didn’t get game time, so I talked to my agent and asked him to get me something to play for the next few months just to keep my rugby at a level. That is why I am here at Leicester. I am enjoying it, the players and coaches are friendly.
“It’s a new environment, a new brand of rugby, a new style of rugby… I want to express myself on the field,” said the South African whose last match for Scarlets was against Glasgow in early December. He has since been playing in the Welsh Premiership for Llanelli.
Tigers boss Geordan Murphy said: “Injuries have stretched us with Mathew Tait’s retirement and the long-term absence of Adam Thompstone and Telusa Veainu, so we have been looking to add to our options in the back three and we’re happy that Clayton has come in to join that group.”
Blommetjies has gained representative honours with South Africa Students and South Africa Under-20s as well as the Barbarians.
Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac said: “We are fortunate to have a number of high-quality options in our back three at the moment, so have agreed to Leicester’s request for a loan deal for Clayton.”
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I guess the other option would be to start ALB, he's looked good in the 12 so far when he starts and sets up those outside him. But that would mean putting the vice captain on the bench, which is unlikely. Another option would be to drop Reiko to the bench and play Proctor, though he's gone home so that's not going to happen either.
Both of those players just offer more of the soft distribution skills good centres learn from playing their careers there. Unfortunately that's what's lacking with the current combo.
Go to commentsWhatever let's see if this load of waffle is still valid in 2 years time. ABs will rise we have a lot of new talent coming through. The NPC was the highest standard for years. The game is changing to suit the fast pace we like to play. We get to play the Springboks more, including the franchises, which will make us better! Overall I am optimistic. I will add having watched the England game multiple times we made most of the play. England are an awesome physical team, but you can expect the All Blacks to get better and better at executing the chances. It could easily have been 5 tries to one instead of 3 to 1.
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