sea_point wrote: It's an interesting signing, with potential to be great. I'm holding fire on the superlatives though, because Galway ain't the High Veldt or Jo'burg.The Lough Atalia wind will test him out handy enough. I don't know if they've ever been to UK/Ireland before but having lived with South Africans, they really, really don't like the cold and damp.

He's bringing his wife Monique, so a long as he's happy he'll be happy and settle mor quickly. Danie Poolman will be key to the success of their early integration I guess..

.

Poolman, Van der Merwe, all the Sarries tribe, and someone called Quinn Roux did fit in well in wet and cold conditions coming from S-Af. True Poolman/Roux will help for sure indeed.

Should be Sean McCarthy or Jack O'Connell from championship if we decide so. But I think O'Donnell may step up behind Buckley the machine with Loughney to help him.

Great signing. I'd say it's in the pipeline a while as he mentioned he has been watching connacht this season. Hopefully now we can sign a mountain of an 8 which I think will happen. Wouldn't be surprised if we pick up another loose head too.

Darragh wrote: Now a marque 8 please and perhaps Noel Reid and I will be happy.

Yup especially with Masterson out until December
Jack Conan contract is up this year, but think he is going North

It's an interesting signing, with potential to be great. I'm holding fire on the superlatives though, because Galway ain't the High Veldt or Jo'burg.The Lough Atalia wind will test him out handy enough. I don't know if they've ever been to UK/Ireland before but having lived with South Africans, they really, really don't like the cold and damp.

He's bringing his wife Monique, so a long as she's happy he'll be happy and settle more quickly. Danie Poolman will be key to the success of their early integration I guess..

If AJ's gone I'm disappointed, because I like what we're getting from him every week more that he plays.
He's the perfect balance of Jack/Craig, and we're close to seeing what he delivered for US at RWC....

You have to think that AJ is going back to the new league in the US. It makes perfect sense for him and with Carty injured, young and inconsistent, we badly needed a marque signing at 10.

AJ also has only started to show in the last few games, so maybe this deal was initiated some time ago.

I hope Henshaw knew nothing of it and is now mildly regretful! Probably not as his love in with his new mates will run for some time.

Now a marque 8 please and perhaps Noel Reid and I will be happy.

wp_rathead wrote: On the flip side of this great news - it is very harsh on AJ MacGinty who has been really impressive since Jack got injured and any other year has done more than enough to earn a new contract
But it is ruthless at the top I suppose
He would be a great signing for any of the 3 Provinces but his NIE status will be held against him I fear

I always imagined USA Rugby would try and get AJ stateside and playing with one of the new franchises they have there.

Well I really like AJ, but TBH I'm more reassured with a Springbok leading our game against Toulon or other. Guys, we are on the rising curve, that's not a reason to skip the rejoice, moment we would have had at 100% 2 years ago with that kind of signing

South African take on the move.
www.supersport.com/rugby/sa-rugby/news/1..._signs_with_Connacht
A bit of unsubstantiated rumour is apparently fashionable in both hemispheres.

Can't see us having two NIE out-halves..

wp_rathead wrote: On the flip side of this great news - it is very harsh on AJ MacGinty who has been really impressive since Jack got injured and any other year has done more than enough to earn a new contract
But it is ruthless at the top I suppose
He would be a great signing for any of the 3 Provinces but his NIE status will be held against him I fear

Is Aj definitely gone?
And if so, it might well be his own decision as he'd surely have offers from the US.

On the flip side of this great news - it is very harsh on AJ MacGinty who has been really impressive since Jack got injured and any other year has done more than enough to earn a new contract
But it is ruthless at the top I suppose
He would be a great signing for any of the 3 Provinces but his NIE status will be held against him I fear

Was just about to ask if he was injured, but Cows' post answers that.
Maybe he was left out cos he signed for Connacht
They're back home next weekend against Cheetahs - might squeeze in a bit of a look at it between the Wales and Ireland games if he makes the squad.

Used to get annoyed at Indo coverage of Connacht, now I just laugh (my comments in italics). You can just hear the Munster lads in there going "How very dare they?" :-

"This news will go some way to offsetting Connacht's disappointment at losing Robbie Henshaw to Leinster, although it is a curious move given the westerners already have AJ McGinty (NIE medical joker out-of-contract in June), Jack Carthy (sic, who is this lad? Do they mean our starting outhalf recovering from life-saving surgery?) and Craig Ronaldson (converted to centre, out-of-contract in June) to cover the position."

So I googled Boshoff, and found this very recent article about him been left out of the Lions squad

Cape Town - Former Springbok flyhalf Braam van Straaten has questioned the exclusion of Marnitz Boshoff from the Lions squad for their three-game Super Rugby tour to Japan and New Zealand.

Coach Johan Ackermann on Monday named his squad for the tour and opted for Springbok Elton Jantjies and Jaco van der Walt as his two flyhalves.

Boshoff, who played one Test for the Springboks against Scotland in 2014, will drop down to the Golden Lions’ Currie Cup squad.

“When I read that Marnitz was not included I immediately went and thought why he wouldn’t be picked. And I still can’t come up with a good reason why,” Van Straaten told Netwerk24.

Boshoff is seen as less of an attacking player than some of his team-mates at the back, but Van Straaten would still have included him in the Lions squad.

“Marnitz may not be a player that captures the imagination, but his distribution is effective and we know how reliable his boot is.

“We saw last season that he doesn’t just disappear in the Lions’ playing pattern. At times, he is the mainstay of it.

“Marnitz is the best kicker in the Lions team and he is good at varying his game. It was said that Jaco van der Walt was picked ahead of Marnitz because he can play several positions. Marnitz has played fullback before, so you can’t see he isn’t versatile."

The Lions kick off their campaign in Tokyo on Saturday, February 27 (06:15 SA time) against the Sunwolves which will be followed by matches against the Chiefs (March 5, Hamilton) and Highlanders (March 12, Dunedin).

The team departed for Japan on Tuesday.

Lions touring squad in alphabetical order:

Ruan Ackermann, Fabian Booysen, Andries Coetzee, Robbie Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Faf de Klerk, Ruan Dreyer, Andries Ferreira, Corne Fourie, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Elton Jantjies, Jaco Kriel, Robert Kruger, Lionel Mapoe, Malcolm Marx, Howard Mnisi, Franco Mostert, Julian Redelinghuys, Courtnall Skosan, Dillon Smit, Dylan Smith, Warwick Tecklenburg, Armand van der Merwe, Jaco van der Walt, Jacques van Rooyen, Harold Vorster, Warren Whiteley (captain)