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French leaders Lyon reveal first signings for next season

Colby Fainga’a and Joe Taufete’e

Ambitious French club Lyon have raided Connacht and Worcester to beef up their pack for next season. 

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Back row Colby Fainga’a has been a standout during his season and a half with Connacht and impressive Heineken Champions Cup performances for the Irish side this winter versus Toulouse and Montpellier have led to Lyon making an offer he has accepted. 

Joe Taufete’e is the other player they have captured to kick-start their 2020/21 recruitment drive. The American arrived in the Premiership in 2016, but he will now leave Worcester after catching the eye for his country at the recent World Cup in Japan. 

Lyon are currently leading the Top 14, winning eleven of their 14 matches so far for a two-point lead ahead of Bordeaux and a twelve-point advantage over La Rochelle and Racing. 

However, they lacked the necessary depth to adequately compete in Europe, their Champions Cup campaign ending with them managing just one win on six in a pool, featuring Leinster, Northampton and Benetton.  

WATCH: Catch all the highlights from the round three Top League fixture between Kobelco Steelers and Suntory

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M
MA 3 hours ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

In regards to Mack Hansen, Tuipoloto and others who talent wasnt 'seen'..

If we look at acting, soccer and cricket as examples, Hugh Jackman, the Heminsworths in acting; Keith Urban in Nashville, Mike Hussey and various cricketers who played in UK and made the Australian team; and many soccer players playing overseas.


My opinion is that perhaps the ' 'potential' or latent talent is there, but it's just below the surface.


ANd that decision, as made by Tane Edmed, Noah, Will Skelton to go overseas is the catalyst to activate the latent and bring it to the surface.


Based on my personal experience of leaving Oz and spending 14 months o/s, I was fully away from home and all usual support systems and past memories that reminded me of the past.


Ooverseas, they weren't there. I had t o survive, I could invent myself as who I wanted, and there was no one to blame but me.


It bought me alive, focused my efforts towards what I wanted and people largely accepted me for who I was and how I turned up.


So my suggestion is to make overseas scholarships for younger players and older too so they can benefit from the value offered by overseas coaching acumen, established systems, higher intensity competition which like the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, can produce more Skeltons, Arnold's, Kellaways and the like.


After the Lion's tour say, create 20 x $10,000 scholarships for players to travel and play overseas.


Set up a HECS style arrangement if necessary to recycle these funds ongoingly.


Ooverseas travel, like parenthood or difficult life situations brings out people's physical and emotional strengths in my own experiences, let's use it in rugby.

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