Powerhouse prop Willem Petrus Nel joins Edinburgh on a three-year deal

By DAVID FERGUSON
Published on 16/02/2012 00:00

EDINBURGH may have taken longer to get off the starting grid in the race for new signings, but they are now in second gear, with the deal for a South African prop in the formidable shape of Willem Petrus ‘WP’ Nel finally being signed and sealed.

The need for new strength in the front row has been clear in the Edinburgh squad for the past few years and while the purse strings were pulled tight by former SRU Chief Executive Gordon McKie, former capital coach Rob Moffat found it impossible to bring in the quality necessary to complement the development of the few young Scots who were emerging as potential Test tightheads.

It has been a worrying position for both professional teams and the Scotland national management, and when Michael Bradley took over as Edinburgh coach his assistant, Tom Smith, himself a former Test front row, quickly alerted him to the need for new resources. Bradley was aided by Mark Dodson replacing McKie and offering new financial support from the SRU.

That turned out to be the easy part; locating the kind of prop that he was confident would make a difference to Edinburgh has proved more difficult. Players had been trialled since the pre-season camp before Argentina cap Ulises Gamboa was finally signed last week from Aironi until the end of the season, and handed a debut off the bench against the Ospreys on Friday.

Yesterday, however, they revealed a more permanent recruit in Nel from Super 15 side Free State Cheetahs on a three-year contract from this summer. He does not have any links to Scotland but, having never been involved with South Africa at Test level, would be available after three years in the country. So if he was to become as successful as Tim Visser, who qualifies for Scotland in June, he could look towards an international career beginning at the 2015 World Cup.

Edinburgh described the 25-year-old as “an immensely powerful scrummager and dynamic ball-carrier”, and he is primarily viewed as back-up to and competition for Scotland tighthead Geoff Cross.

Bradley said: “We’re delighted to have signed WP Nel for the next three seasons; a player of the calibre, experience and expertise that we seek to attract to the club and to serve our ambitions to put Edinburgh Rugby among the top clubs in Europe.

“He has a lot of experience for a 25-year-old prop and will bring a huge amount to our performance on the pitch and to the development of the talented young props we have at the club.”

Nel has played Super Rugby for the past three seasons, making 32 appearances since his debut against the Waratahs at the tail end of 2009, and was a key part of the Cheetahs’ journey to the Currie Cup Final that year, memorable for his battle with the Sharks’ Springbok prop Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira in the semi-finals. It also brought a game against the British & Irish Lions that summer, which the Lions scraped through 26-24, and Nel was the only non-capped player in the Barbarians’ win over the All Blacks at Twickenham.

The 5ft 10in and near 19-stone tighthead comes from Loeriesfontein in the Northern Cape and came through the Western Province youth system before moving to the Cheetahs. He has failed to break through into the international game, despite starting all of the Cheetahs’ 29 matches in the past two seasons and, soon-to-turn 26, has decided it is time to pursue his career north of the Equator.

He explained: “My experience at the Cheetahs has been fantastic and I can’t thank coach Naka Drotske enough for all that he has done for me, but when I got the chance to go to Edinburgh Rugby it was an opportunity to gain new experience and develop my game even further.

“Edinburgh Rugby play a fantastic brand of rugby and I’m really looking forward to lining up alongside some of their world-class players and living in a great city like Edinburgh.

“To be involved in that set-up and experience northern hemisphere rugby and conditions can only improve my game in two great competitions – the Rabodirect PRO12 and the Heineken Cup – and I’m certainly looking forward to the challenge.”

Edinburgh Rugby Chief Executive Craig Docherty added: “The signing of WP Nel is a clear statement of intent from Edinburgh Rugby as we look to retain and recruit the right players that will help us build on the many strides made this season and to ensure that we continue this momentum into future years.

“Nel is a world-class performer as he has shown in one of the toughest club [provincial] rugby environments, the southern hemisphere’s Super 15, and for the Barbarians in that famous win over the All Blacks.

“I’m sure he’ll be a big hit with supporters and will serve as an excellent addition to the club as we ramp up our search for silverware.”