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Toulon raid Super Rugby again for playmaker

Duncan Paia’aua (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Toulon have raided the southern hemisphere yet again with Reds playmaker Duncan Paia’aua the latest set to join Mourad Boudjellal’s club.

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Last week the club announced that All Black Nehe Milner-Skudder and Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth would be moving to the south of France..

Midi Olympique reported that Paia’aua will move to the club in 2019, with Boudjellal seeing attributes of Matt Giteau in him.

Now those rumours have been confirmed Rugby.com.au with the player set to move at the end of the Super Rugby season.

The money on offer is said to have been the deciding factor behind the move, and it leave the Reds short of depth following Quade Cooper’s departure to Melbourne.

Paia’aua was drafted into the Wallabies squad for a game with the Barbarians in Sydney in October 2017, but hasn’t been part of Michael Cheika’s plans since with Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale, Matt Toomua and Reece Hodge ahead of him in the pecking order when it comes to the 10 and 12 jerseys.

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Paia’aua will link up in the backline with Milner-Skudder. who’s joined on a three-year deal

Milner-Skudder has played 13 tests for the All Blacks since bursting onto the scene in 2015. He starred during the All Blacks’ run to their second consecutive Rugby World Cup but has been unlucky with injury in recent times after undergoing two shoulder surgeries.

Toulon’s other big signing, Eben Etzebeth, has made 75 appearances for the Springboks since 2012 and has represented the Stormers in Super Rugby over 50 times.

Toulon currently have three former All Blacks on the books in Julian Savea, Liam Messam and Malakai Fekitoa, while Etzebeth will join former Springboks Marcel van der Merwe, Juandre Kruger, Jacques Potgeiter and JP Pietersen.

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Nickers 19 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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