Cheika recently ticked the final item on his summer shopping list by signing the former South African under-21 hooker Harry Vermaas. The 22-year-old played for the leading provincial side Blue Bulls last season and is equally adept at loosehead prop.
The former Leinster outhalf Andy Dunne is back training with the province after three years with Harlequins and Bath in the English premiership.
The former Munster backrow Stephen Keogh and the retired Australian internationals Owen Finegan and Chris Whitaker have also joined pre-season training.
The frontline internationals return to training this weekend.
Coach Cheika, however, is particularly impressed with the younger arrivals: "Andy Dunne is doing well having come in off his own bat. Stephen Keogh has been impressive, while Owen and Chris have fitted straight in, but it is the new development players like Luke Fitzgerald and Ross McCarron that have really impressed."
BlueBlue wrote:Cheika recently ticked the final item on his summer shopping list by signing the former South African under-21 hooker Harry Vermaas. The 22-year-old played for the leading provincial side Blue Bulls last season and is equally adept at loosehead prop.
The former Leinster outhalf Andy Dunne is back training with the province after three years with Harlequins and Bath in the English premiership.
The former Munster backrow Stephen Keogh and the retired Australian internationals Owen Finegan and Chris Whitaker have also joined pre-season training.
The frontline internationals return to training this weekend.
Coach Cheika, however, is particularly impressed with the younger arrivals: "Andy Dunne is doing well having come in off his own bat. Stephen Keogh has been impressive, while Owen and Chris have fitted straight in, but it is the new development players like Luke Fitzgerald and Ross McCarron that have really impressed."
I like the sounds of this
"I don't do desserts"
Gary Brown Fundamentalist Supporters' Front
The Front Lives on
BlueBlue wrote:Cheika recently ticked the final item on his summer shopping list by signing the former South African under-21 hooker Harry Vermaas. The 22-year-old played for the leading provincial side Blue Bulls last season and is equally adept at loosehead prop.
The former Leinster outhalf Andy Dunne is back training with the province after three years with Harlequins and Bath in the English premiership.
The former Munster backrow Stephen Keogh and the retired Australian internationals Owen Finegan and Chris Whitaker have also joined pre-season training.
The frontline internationals return to training this weekend.
Coach Cheika, however, is particularly impressed with the younger arrivals: "Andy Dunne is doing well having come in off his own bat. Stephen Keogh has been impressive, while Owen and Chris have fitted straight in, but it is the new development players like Luke Fitzgerald and Ross McCarron that have really impressed."
I like the sounds of this. The Blue Bulls are a big big side in terms of physicality. Hopefully he'll do well for us and fit right in.
Good to hear Dunners is back doing well too
"I don't do desserts"
Gary Brown Fundamentalist Supporters' Front
The Front Lives on
Vermaas is one of the Blue Bulls youngsters who has improved the most over the last year. He did not only earn his first caps for the senior side, but was also chosen for the SA under-21 side. In addition to being a great prop forward, Vermaas is also an accomplished hooker.
- Vermaas is listed on the Bulls website in it's Currie Cup squad rather than that for the Super 14 and South African sites are reporting that he will be playing in Ireland for "a few months" only.
I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.
Vermaas is one of the Blue Bulls youngsters who has improved the most over the last year. He did not only earn his first caps for the senior side, but was also chosen for the SA under-21 side. In addition to being a great prop forward, Vermaas is also an accomplished hooker.
- Vermaas is listed on the Bulls website in it's Currie Cup squad rather than that for the Super 14 and South African sites are reporting that he will be playing in Ireland for "a few months" only.
This i dont like. Would have liked a long term signing
"I don't do desserts"
Gary Brown Fundamentalist Supporters' Front
The Front Lives on
Vermaas is one of the Blue Bulls youngsters who has improved the most over the last year. He did not only earn his first caps for the senior side, but was also chosen for the SA under-21 side. In addition to being a great prop forward, Vermaas is also an accomplished hooker.
- Vermaas is listed on the Bulls website in it's Currie Cup squad rather than that for the Super 14 and South African sites are reporting that he will be playing in Ireland for "a few months" only.
This i dont like. Would have liked a long term signing
Is this along the lines of the Lomu thing, come over to this part of the world for experience or fitness?
Hmm, I like the signing but I'm not sure about the "few months" thing, that might just be for domestic consumption. I'd imagine the management know what they are doing, like when Jowitt just happened to be backpacking around Europe....
CulchieAbroad wrote:Hmm, I like the signing but I'm not sure about the "few months" thing, that might just be for domestic consumption. I'd imagine the management know what they are doing, like when Jowitt just happened to be backpacking around Europe....
He was on trial with leinster over the last month or so , I think that it referrs to that. I have asked breener on the official site to confirm how long his contract is.
CulchieAbroad wrote:Hmm, I like the signing but I'm not sure about the "few months" thing, that might just be for domestic consumption. I'd imagine the management know what they are doing, like when Jowitt just happened to be backpacking around Europe....
He was on trial with leinster over the last month or so , I think that it referrs to that. I have asked breener on the official site to confirm how long his contract is.
Fair enough. I do remember in my club the days when we'd get the odd antipodean in and he seemed to shrink on the plane, at least compared to how the stats were! Looking forward to seeing him play.
Excellent stuff - a South African front row player. He won't affect the "foreigner" rule either, won't he? Aren't SA and PI players exempt from those ruls?
Leinsterman wrote:Excellent stuff - a South African front row player. He won't affect the "foreigner" rule either, won't he? Aren't SA and PI players exempt from those ruls?
CulchieAbroad wrote:Hmm, I like the signing but I'm not sure about the "few months" thing, that might just be for domestic consumption. I'd imagine the management know what they are doing, like when Jowitt just happened to be backpacking around Europe....
He was on trial with leinster over the last month or so , I think that it referrs to that. I have asked breener on the official site to confirm how long his contract is.
You got a "No comment" BB.
Would anyone conversant in 'Breener' care to translate this one?
I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.
