Rugby Transfers: Bulls continue to raid Sharks’ stocks as JP Pietersen starts ‘talks’ with James O’Connor and Italian fly-half
Wallabies fly-half James O'Connor and an inset of Sharks rookie Luan Giliomee.
Our latest rugby rumours and transfers update focuses on South African team news concerning the Sharks’ fly-half search and the Bulls’ recruits.
Bulls swoop for teenage Shark
The Bulls have continued their backline rebuild ahead of next season by nabbing one of the Sharks‘ rising stars, according to a report by Afrikaans publication Rapport.
David Kriel is set to join French giants La Rochelle at the end of the current season, while Kurt-Lee Arendse is reportedly returning to Japan, rejoining the Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars. Former Springbok Johan Goosen has also hung up his boots while up front, Ruan Nortje, Siphosethu Mnebelele and Wilco Louw are off to Japan, Sharks, and Stormers, respectively.
Those pending departures have forced the Bulls’ hand in terms of recruitment, and Johan Ackermann is looking to rebuild his backline to better suit new attack coach Neil de Bruin’s structures and have seemingly landed the signature of Sharks ‘wunderkind’ Luan Giliomee.
The 19-year-old back made a try-scoring United Rugby Championship debut against Munster in March but sustained an injury in his second appearance for Cardiff a week later. The young full-back has been included in the Junior Boks’ squad for the U20 Rugby Championship despite his injury and has also represented the Blitzboks.
According to the report, he has signed with the Bulls and is set to arrive at Loftus in December, but Ackermann is eager for him to touch down ahead of schedule if the Sharks will allow it.
He will be joined by fellow full-back Hakeem Kunene, who has also signed to swap Durban for Pretoria, while another former Shark, Thaakir Abrahams, is returning to South Africa to join the Bulls after spells with Lyon and Munster.
Furthermore, Dylan Maart is joining the squad from the Griquas after the 29-year-old impressed during his loan spell at the Stormers earlier this season, while it’s understood that Curwin Bosch will don the Bulls jersey next season after his spell in France with Brive.
Up front, Hanro Liebenberg is also returning to his old stomping ground after a hugely successful spell at Leicester Tigers, while the Bulls’ raid on the Sharks includes the signing of prop Mawanda Mdanda.
Springbok’s Sharks departure confirmed while Bulls finally complete fly-half signing
Sharks begin international fly-half search
Like the Bulls, the Sharks will have a new attack coach next season, with Scott Mathie taking over from Dave Williams, who will assume the newly created general manager role.
In a bid to better equip the new attack coach, head coach JP Pietersen is eager to add an experienced fly-half to the club’s playing stocks and have reportedly set their sights on Wallaby James O’Connor and Azzurri Tommaso Allan.
According to Rapport, the Durban-based outfit are in talks with both players as possible candidates to become the team’s senior fly-half next season.
O’Connor is well-travelled during his career, having played for the Western Force, Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels in Australia while enjoying stints at London Irish, Sale Sharks and RC Toulon in England and France.
Last year, the 35-year-old forced his way back into the Wallabies squad through his performances for the Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific, which led to him signing a one-year deal at Leicester Tigers to replace Handre Pollard.
Meanwhile, 33-year-old Allan – who is the nephew of former Springboks and Scotland hooker John Allan – also has extensive experience playing for the likes of Perpignan, Benetton and Harlequins. His contract at Perpignan also expires at the end of the season and, like O’Connor, he would offer positional flexibility along with his vast experience.
Allan continues to be a regular squad member for the Italian national team, boasting 88 Test caps for his country of birth, but for several seasons now, he hasn’t been the first-choice number 10 following the emergence of Paolo Garbisi.
Similarly, O’Connor could still be in the mix for international selection with the Wallabies, but it’s unclear whether Joe Schmidt and Les Kiss will call on his services or not.
Another foreign number 10 in Durban?
The report adds that Pietersen is keen to recruit another fly-half, with 23-year-old Jean Smith, the son of Glasgow boss Franco, joining Italian club Benetton at the end of the season.
Giliomee was also lined up as a possible number 10 for the Durbanites, but he is seemingly off to the Bulls as mentioned above, while the Sharks are unsure whether Jordan Hendrikse will be regularly available for selection, as he could be involved with the Springboks.
That leaves the side with rookie number 10 Vusi Moyo, who has huge potential and is currently with the Junior Boks, and Siya Masuku, whose form hasn’t been consistent this season.
It’s added that the general criteria that Pietersen is after is a well-travelled, experienced fly-half that won’t be their country’s first-choice playmaker, but someone that can start matches for the side and seemingly help develop the youth.
In the past, the Sharks have signed several foreign players, particularly in the fly-half position, with the likes of Andy Goode, Tony Brown, Frédéric Michalak, Juan Martín Hernández, and Joaquín Díaz Bonilla playing for the Durbanites.
