Top 5 Guinness Pro12 15/16 Signings

Following on from our look at the top five Aviva Premiership signings earlier this week, we now turn our attentions to the Guinness Pro 12.

Though the Pro 12 sides must rely more heavily on home-grown players for the good of their respective national sides, that doesn’t often impact the quality of the signings made, just the quantity.

The provinces, regions and clubs of the Pro 12 have made some stellar additions for the upcoming campaign and we take a closer look at what we believe to be the top five here.

5. Nasi Manu, Edinburgh

The powerful number eight has been one of the driving forces behind the Highlanders’ superb Super Rugby campaign. His destructive carrying has paved the way for their talented back line to thrive in a looser, more open game.

Manu’s arrival in Scotland could push David Denton to six, but even so, the Kiwi will still be faced with plenty of competition in the back row, not only from Edinburgh’s current incumbents, but also the highly-touted duo of Jamie Ritchie and Magnus Bradbury.

The peak of Manu’s international career so far has been representing New Zealand at U20 level, meaning he would be eligible to represent Scotland after his residency period is up, and having already spoken about how much he is looking forward to learning about the country’s culture and history, could be a route he and Scotland choose to take.

4. Rey Lee-Lo, Cardiff Blues

A relatively late bloomer, Lee-Lo has been somewhat of a secret weapon for the Hurricanes this season. His two previous Super Rugby campaigns with the Hurricanes (2013) and Crusaders (2014) were fairly quiet affairs, but he has done an excellent job deputising for both Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu during this season.

The Blues’ pack remains an issue heading into the 2015/16 season, but by bringing in Lee-Lo and putting him alongside the likes of Rhys Patchell and Gareth Anscombe, they have a back line which will be capable of pulling off some special performances.

Of course, that something special will be hard to achieve without the right foundation from their forward pack, but nonetheless, Lee-Lo will give the Blues’ midfield a penetration and threat with ball in hand that has not always been apparent of late.

3. Francis Saili, Munster

From one talented midfielder to another, Saili is the perfect addition for Munster and should help their challenge for trophies just as much as the final two players on this shortlist do for their respective new teams.

Alongside Frank Halai and Brendon O’Connor, Saili is another extremely skilled player to jump ship from the perennially struggling Blues (Auckland) this year. The centre offers everything you could want in a midfielder, having the distribution skills to unlock defences, as well as the physicality and attacking instincts to shred defensive lines as a carrier.

Munster have been missing a creative spark and/or dangerous running threat in their midfield for some time now, and in Saili they have found both conveniently wrapped up in a single package. If he can gel quickly with Ian Keatley, then it may be the Munster back line, rather than the forward pack, which draws the headlines next season.

2. Jonathan Sexton, Leinster

Sexton has a very valid case for being number one in these rankings, especially when you consider the drop off in playing levels Leinster have exhibited since he set sail for France. Admittedly, there were other factors prevalent in that slight slump for the province, but there’s no doubt that they have missed Sexton’s playmaking ability at fly-half.

Finding the right coach to take the province forward will be just as important, if not more so, than Sexton’s return to Dublin, but he gives the side experience and class at the fly-half position. Sexton is the perfect man to lead Leinster’s charge to return to the summits of the Pro 12 and Champions Cup.

His return should also allow him to mentor his heir apparent, the very impressive Ross Byrne, who is someone who could see early game time for the province, with Sexton likely to be busy with Ireland at the Rugby World Cup.

1. Taqele Naiyaravoro, Glasgow Warriors

The Naiyaravoro transfer saga was one of the more drawn out this season, but ultimately Glasgow have snared their man, at least according to their latest statement, and he should help transform them into legitimate contenders in the 2015/16 Champions Cup.

A colossal winger who has drawn a fair amount of comparisons to Jonah Lomu, Naiyaravoro will give the Warriors’ back line a threat that is currently missing, with the big Fijian capable of creating tries from nothing, thanks to his ability to break tackles with ease.

There will undoubtedly be a transitional phase as Naiyaravoro gets used to the Scottish winter, but without even picking up a ball yet in the northern hemisphere, you can make an educated guess that the winger will be amongst the tournament’s most proficient try scorers next season, even with his likely early commitments at the RWC taken into consideration.

Naiyaravoro has publicly said that he now sees his future with the Waratahs and playing for Australia, so it will be interesting to see how this one pans out over the next few months, but if he does make the trip north, Glasgow have snared a destructive talent for their back line.

Honourable Mentions

Luke Burgess (Zebre), Alberto De Marchi (Benetton Treviso), Simone Favaro (Glasgow Warriors), Mick Kearney (Leinster), Kieran Low (Glasgow Warriors), Sarel Pretorius (Newport Gwent Dragons), Quinn Roux (Connacht), Blaine Scully (Cardiff Blues), D. T. H. van der Merwe (Scarlets).