Dai Young explains why Cardiff signed Taulupe Faletau

Cardiff have confirmed they will bring in Wales international number eight Taulupe Faletau from Bath in the summer.

Faletau, who has won 86 Wales caps and played in five British and Irish Lions Tests, will join Cardiff next year.

Bath announced earlier this week that the 30-year-old, who moved to the Gallagher Premiership club in 2016, would be leaving.

Why the All Blacks selection race is tighter than it’s ever been | Healthspan Elite Performer of the Week

Video Player is loading.

Play Video

PauseSkip BackwardSkip Forward

Unmute

Current Time 0:00

/

Duration 6:12

Loaded: 0%

0:00

Stream Type LIVE

Seek to live, currently behind liveLIVE

Remaining Time -6:12

 

1x

Playback Rate

Chapters

• Chapters

Descriptions

• descriptions off, selected

Captions

• captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
• captions off, selected

Audio Track

• en (Main), selected

Fullscreen

This is a modal window.

Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

Text

ColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanOpacityOpaqueSemi-Transparent

Text Background

ColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanOpacityOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparent

Caption Area Background

ColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanOpacityTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque

Font Size

50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%

Text Edge Style

NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop shadow

Font Family

Proportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall Caps

ResetDone

Close Modal Dialog

End of dialog window.

Close Modal Dialog

This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

Why the All Blacks selection race is tighter than it’s ever been | Healthspan Elite Performer of the Week

Faletau has not played since this summer’s Lions tour of South Africa, and he was released from Wales’ Autumn Nations Series squad on Tuesday because of an ankle injury.

“Playing international rugby is still something I have a lot of passion for, and I hope that by playing well for Cardiff I will be able to continue to do that,” Faletau told Cardiff’s official website.

“I have enjoyed the last five years at Bath, and I hope to finish this season off strongly.

“Then I am looking forward to coming back to Wales to play my rugby, and I know it will feel good to be back home.”

Faletau is the second Wales international to confirm a move to Cardiff for next term, following Wasps flanker Thomas Young.

Cardiff rugby director Dai Young said of the signing of the Tongan born forward: “What he (Faletau) has achieved in the game is second to none, and he remains highly-motivated to achieve more.

“He sees Cardiff as a fresh challenge to keep him striving at the top of the game, and is excited about what we are trying to build here.

“He will play a big part in that, and his ability as a player and experience, both on and off the pitch, will drive standards across the board.

“Number eight is a position where we needed to strengthen, and he will give us that ball-carrying ability while helping develop some of our younger back-rowers through competition.”