Tasman sign star wingers Telea and Reece
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Crusaders and All Blacks' winger Sevu Reece has left Waikato and will play for Tasman in this year’s Mitre 10 Cup with the defending champions having lured a couple of Super Rugby guns south ahead of their Mitre 10 Cup title defence.
Crusaders and All Blacks wing Sevu Reece, and Blues flyer Mark Telea, will both play for the provincial champions this year. Tasman chief executive Tony Lewis told Stuff it was a case of an insurance policy, given he expected two of his outside backs to crack the All Blacks.
Reece and Telea have left Waikato and North Harbour respectively and will join Crusaders David Havili, Will Jordan and Leicester Fainga’anuku ahead of the season, which kicks off on September 11.
“We were looking to protect ourselves, so the idea if Will Jordan or David Havili become All Blacks, then we left ourselves a little bit isolated,’’ Lewis told Stuff.
“We’re assuming of those five, two will become All Blacks. Which two is interesting. But it gives us an insurance policy on the wing.’’
Including his eight tries in 12 appearances this year, Reece has scored 23 tries in 26 appearances since the Crusaders initially signed him as an injury replacement for Israel Dagg ahead of the 2019 Super Rugby season.
Telea, arguably the most elusive runner in Super Rugby, has chalked up seven tries in an impressive rookie season for the revitalised Blues.
Lewis also confirmed midfielder Kieron Fonotia and hooker Quentin MacDonald had returned to New Zealand and would return to the Mako for the 2020 season.
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