Fijian winger Filipo Nakosi 'to follow brother Josua Tuisova out of Toulon exit door'
Fijian winger Filipo Nakosi looks certain to follow brother Josua Tuisova’s out of Top 14 side Toulon at the end of the season.
But, while Tuisova is expected to bring an end to a long-running will-he, won’t-he saga by finally joining Lyon, Nakosi will head in a different direction – to reigning French champions Castres Olympique.
There, he will be reunited with former Agen boss Mauricio Reggiardo, as well as assistant coach Stephane Prosper and Canadian winger Taylor Paris.
Rumours have been swirling about Nakosi’s future at Toulon for several months. Now, regional newspaper Sud Ouest has reported that a pre-contract is signed and sealed at the reigning Top 14 champions. It is waiting only for official approval from Toulon that the player – who has two years left on his contract – can leave before it is delivered.
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Nakosi moved to France in October 2015 from NPC side Northland, joining Agen as a medical joker for Paris. He then signed a four-season deal with Toulon in November 2016, but stayed on loan at Agen for another season, where he signed-off as the club’s joint top scorer with eight tries.
He has played 13 times in a troubled campaign for Toulon, including three Champions Cup outings, and scored eight tries – including a dramatic match-winner against Stade Francais in January, and the decisive score against his next employers way back in September.
The pair are not the only ones to depart Toulon at the end of a season that is almost certain to see them finish out of the play-off places. Xavier Chocci, Guilhem Guirado, Jean Monribot, Francois Trinh-Duc, Eric Escande, and Malakai Fekitoa are all heading for a rapidly spinning exit door at Stade Mayol.
More are expected to follow as part of a mass clearout at Toulon, ahead of a fundamental change in direction at the club under coach Patrice Collazo and with the support of club president Mourad Boudjellal and investor Bernard LeMaitre.