Top 10 Northern Hemisphere signings for seaon 2018-19

With much of the transfer business now concluded in the northern hemisphere, we thought we would look at the 10 most influential signings that have already been confirmed ahead of the 2018/19 Aviva Premiership, Guinness PRO14 and Top 14 seasons.

It has been quite the haul already for the top tier European sides and the competition is stiff, with the likes of Dan Biggar, Brad Shields, Finn Russell and Jerome Kaino all just missing out.

There are still some big-name signings to be made, too, some of which are close to being announced publicly, but we have limited it moves which have been officially confirmed, so with no further ado, the 10 biggest signings of 2018/19 – so far.

Lima Sopoaga, Wasps

Where else to start but with an All Black fly-half?

Danny Cipriani has his detractors, but there is no doubting the positive impact he has had on the Wasps back line and the arrival of Sopoaga will see no downturn in Wasps’ high-octane play.

Sopoaga’s flat and fearless style should continue to see the likes of Christian Wade and Elliot Daly finding space and time out wide, especially with the Highlander working in combination with fellow Kiwi Jimmy Gopperth, a dynamic that Wasps have had plenty of attacking success with over the last couple of years.

Tadhg Beirne, Munster

Mike Haley is an interesting signing for Munster, who will be tasked with filling the boots of Simon Zebo, but Beirne returning to one of the Irish provinces is something keen watchers of the PRO14 have been looking forward to for two seasons now.

Beirne has been a revelation for the Scarlets and not only is his return across the Irish Sea reason for Munster fans to celebrate, who could certainly use more competition in their engine room, but also Irish rugby fans in general, with Beirne eligible to represent Ireland once again.

Seta Tamanivalu, Bordeaux-Bègles

Not only is Tamanivalu on his way to Bordeaux, but he will be combining his considerable talents in that back line with Toulon’s Semi Radradra. For a team that aren’t afraid to run the ball and inject tempo into a game, this a salivating mix.

It will be interesting to see where Bordeaux use Tamanivalu, with the current Crusader more than adept at both outside centre and on the wings. He could also be a very valuable weapon immediately outside of young fly-half, Mathieu Jalibert.

Francois Venter, Worcester Warriors

This is a coup for Worcester.

Venter has been in and out of the Springboks for the last two years and at 26, is just coming into his prime. In addition to a good array of attacking skills, Venter is very adept at defensively reading the game at 13 and could be key for bolstering Worcester’s, at times, shaky defence.

Presumably new head coach Rory Duncan will deploy Ben Te’o – barring a resurgence in interest from Bath – inside Venter and give himself a centre pairing that can not only knock holes in an opposition midfield, but also not get caught short defensively in the wider channels.

Ross Moriarty, Dragons

This signing is not only exciting for what it bodes on the pitch – which is a lot – but also because of what it means for the Dragons going forward.

There were a host of Premiership and Top 14 clubs in for Moriarty this season, but Wales’ selection policy meant that a move to one of the regions was necessary if he wanted to continue his international career and the Dragons were able to capitalise on that.

He will bring a rare level of physicality to Rodney Parade, not to mention leadership-by-example in the back-row.

John Barclay, Edinburgh

It tells you something about the player that Barclay has become that we are talking about him here and not Matt Scott or Simon Hickey, both of whom have also signed for Edinburgh.

Richard Cockerill has done an excellent job turning around the Scottish side and giving them more steel and consistency, something which Barclay will only add to next season.

The savvy flanker has been a thorn in the sides of every team that has faced the Scarlets or Scotland in recent seasons and there’s no reason to expect that to stop when he moves to the Scottish capital.

Simon Zebo, Racing 92

Racing’s track record with Celtic players has been mixed, to say the least, something which will also apply to the Paris-bound Russell.

Jamie Roberts and Mike Phillips had reasonable success in Paris, with neither Jonathan Sexton nor Dan Lydiate really reached their potential, but if they are looking for that ‘x factor’ to light up their glitzy new indoor arena, Zebo is certainly the type of player to provide it.

Racing are stacked with back three talent in the forms of Brice Dulin, Teddy Thomas, Juan Imhoff and Virimi Vakatawa, not to mention the ageless Joe Rokocoko, so it will be interesting to see where Zebo slots in.

Blade Thomson, Scarlets

For a side that’s about to lose both Beirne and Barclay, the Scarlets needed to make a splash.

Thomson is just that and it’s hard to think of a better fit for him in the northern hemisphere than Wayne Pivac’s Scarlets. He is a good ball-handler who is comfortable playing at tempo and whilst he perhaps lacks the traditional second-row skills of Beirne or the breakdown savvy of Barclay, he will be a valuable addition at Parc y Scarlets.

He is also Scottish-qualified, so Gregor Townsend will be taking note of his performances.

Nathan Earle, Harlequins

Why go with Earle here, when the more prolific Alex Lewington is heading to Saracens?

Lewington’s move is certainly an exciting one and one which will help shore up the defensive side of his game, but the opportunities that are about to come Earle’s way should help him realise his considerable potential.

Quins have had a very poor season to date but with the talismanic Marcus Smith at fly-half and Joe Marchant beginning to get back up to speed following a significant injury lay-off, their ability to find space out wide should be improving. If Earle can get the run of games at the Stoop that has eluded him at Allianz Park, the sky is the limit.

George Moala, Clermont

It may be an annus horribilis for Clermont right now, but the arrival of Moala, as well as Tim Nanai-Williams, should at least give fans something to look forward to.

To see Clermont battling relegation is, honestly, bizarre, especially given their impressive performances in the Champions Cup, but a big part of their calamitous season has been the injuries they have suffered in their back line.

Moala won’t fix their depth in the half-backs, but he is a versatile player that can be plugged in anywhere in the centres or on the wing, with Nanai-Williams also covering full-back and fly-half, too.

Let’s just hope they’re not competing in the Pro D2 next season.