Béziers tie up their front row before the new season

A week before the Pro D2 kicks off, Béziers are making progress on three signings, according to Rugbyrama.

New Zealand tighthead prop Maka Mafileo, 27, has arrived at the club and put pen to paper on a two-season contract. He was playing for Manly Rugby Union Football Club in Australia, having previously been at Belfast Rugby Football Club in Christchurch. His Tongan heritage earned him selection for Tonga Under-20.

The most notable deal concerns Nika Sutidze. The 22-year-old La Rochelle hooker is expected to arrive on loan. His record is that of a player already used to the top level: twelve Top 14 matches last season, three of them as a starter, plus two Champions Cup games and one in the Challenge Cup. The season before, he played nine Top 14 matches with five starts. A Georgia international, he has started three times for the Lelos this year.

Finally, Béziers are working on bringing in scrum-half Andrea Lucchini, 21, released by Agen. He played seven Pro D2 matches last season, all off the bench, and mainly featured for Agen’s Espoirs.