Munster’s season just got one hell of a boost.
It was well known that Munster were looking to extend Jaco Taute’s stay beyond his initial six month stint.
The South African was signed as cover for the injured Francis Saili but with the All Black making his comeback against Leinster and most recently against Connacht in the Sportsgrounds, it was up in the air whether the IRFU’s high performance director, David Nucifora, would sanction such a move.
The 25-year-old has made 11 appearances for Munster so far this season, scoring five tries in the process.
"It's something I am thinking of"
Rassie Erasmus says he will make a case to the IRFU to keep Jaco Taute past January pic.twitter.com/ZGPMN0J3fh— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 10, 2016
It is not just his try scoring rate which has endeared him to Munster supporters but his physicality and willingness to smash opposition players has also made him a firm fan favourite.
However, with Saili back to full fitness and the talk surrounding promoting Irish players as a first priority, it remained to be seen whether the IRFU would grant Munster’s wish.
Munster have confirmed today that Taute will remain with the Southern province until June 2017 which means the Springbok will have a full part to play in the rest of Munster’s season.
Munster Rugby released the following statement:
“Additionally, Springbok Jaco Taute’s loan period has been extended until June 2017. The 25-year-old centre/fullback has made 11 appearances for the province, scoring 5 tries.”
Angus Lloyd’s contract has also been extended to the end of the season with Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, announcing his delight at having secured the two players.
“Thankfully all parties have successfully come together in permitting us to secure Angus and Jaco for the remainder of the season.
“We were keen to retain the services of both players as we move on to our next fixtures. With Cathal (Sheridan) continuing to rehab a long-term ankle injury and Conor (Murray) unavailable to us during the international window Angus will bolster our options at scrumhalf.
“Similarly, with Jaco already in the system, having him available as a fullback or centre will be invaluable as our backline options will need to adapt with international commitments and following recent injuries to Alex Wootton, Bill Johnston and Darren Sweetnam.”
