FOOTAGE: The devastating prospect that is Wasps new No.8 – Sione Vailanu
After Wasps announced the signing of Saracens number 8 Sione Vailanu, they uploaded a highlights reel to leave any Wasps fan extremely excited at the thought of him playing at the Ricoh next season.
This is now the club’s sixth signing ahead of next season, and their second this week after announcing the arrival of Matteo Minozzi from Treviso. The Coventry based side are clearly going through some changes, and Vailanu could be the player to bring in a new era at Wasps.
This is what he has to offer:
The Tonga international joined Sarries in January 2018 as injury cover, and while he did get opportunities to showcase his ability, they were fleeting. One thing that is clear from the video is the amount of times we was wearing the number 20 on his back as he was usually behind Jackson Wray when Billy Vunipola was unavailable. He would have been desperate to start more regularly, and Wasps look like a club that can provide him with those opportunities.
He will have to compete with Nizaam Carr for the number 8 shirt at Wasps next season, but the South African could easily move to play as a flanker to accommodate Vailanu and give Dai Young a seriously powerful back-row.
Wasps look like they will have a scintillating backline next season, but have struggled this season in the pack to generate frontfoot ball, which has ultimately cost them. Vailanu looks like a player that can generate momentum for his team, as his power in the tight is something to behold. Any player that has been dubbed the ‘Next Billy Vunipola’ is worth paying attention to, and Wasps may have come up trumps here.
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