Former Munster & All Blacks Centre Francis Saili Leaves Harlequins For Surprise Club
Latest posts by Will Matthews (see all)
- Johnny Sexton picks his British & Irish Lions fly-half for Australia 2025 - October 6, 2024
- Ireland team named for Emerging Tour game with Western Force - October 5, 2024
- Rieko Ioane taunts Johnny Sexton with Instagram post following book quotes - October 4, 2024
D2.
Former Munster and All Blacks centre Francis Saili will be plying his trade in the second-tier of French rugby next season with Biarritz.
The 29-year-old move to Munster in 2015 having made two appearances for the All Blacks in a big-money deal believed to be worth around €500k-a-season but failed to impress in Limerick during his two seasons at the southern province.
Saili was also part of the New Zealand side that won the 2011 U20s Junior World Championship, starting alongside the likes of current All Blacks Brodie Retallick, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, Charles Piutau and Beauden Barrett.
He moved to Harlequins in 2017 but once again failed to impress in two seasons at the Stoop with injury blighting most of his spell in the Premiership and restricting him to just 34 appearances.
Munster fans will know Biarritz very well with the once giants of European rugby their opponents when they won their first Heineken Cup back in 2006. But the last few years have not been very kind to the Basque-country club.
They were relegated in during the 2014/15 season and were almost dissolved last year due to financial problems. The signing of Saili, however, will be seen as a massive coup as they look to once again compete in the Top 14.
Welcome onboard @FrancisSaili 🔴⚪️✍🏿🤝🍾 pic.twitter.com/U7e6OUMaez
— Jean-Baptiste Aldigé (@jbaldige) May 17, 2020