Newcastle Falcons are on the brink of tieing up the signing of Cheetahs centre Corne Uys for the 2011/12 season.
The 16-stone South African will not be available for the Falcons for the first few weeks of the new Aviva Premiership season, but will be released from his contract with the Free State franchise once the necessary paperwork between the two clubs has been agreed and completed.
As uncompromising in attack as he is brutal in defence, Uys's strong running game and resolute tackling will add to the spine of a Newcastle side not always defined by their ability to grind out wins in close games. Uys will bring a wealth of experience and the steel the Falcons require in order to retain their top flight domestic status.
He joins two other South Africans already at Kingston Park, prop Ashley Wells and utility back Greg Goosen, and despite having never actually met the pair Uys is "happy to get this opportunity of working with his fellow countrymen in the North East.
Head coach Alan Tait added that the capture of 25-year-old Uys was an important one which will provide extra options and fire-power for the Falcons backs division. Tait confirmed that Uys had probably played his last game for the Cheetahs with the centre being rested for the weekend fixture with Platinum Leopards, adding "the sooner we get him over the better.
Uys may be remembered by the British public after scoring an intercept try for his province in the tightly-contested 26-24 defeat by the Lions on their 2009 tour of South Africa. Now with the help of his "ambitious new club, Uys hopes to make the most of his opportunity in the Northern Hemisphere and truly show British rugby how good he can be.
