Unwanted by their Australian franchises, Sef Fa’agase and Jack Debreczeni have linked with New Zealand Super Rugby teams for the 2019 season.
Queensland Reds prop of four seasons Fa’agase and five-season Melbourne Rebels five-eighth Jack Debreczeni will play for the Highlanders and Chiefs respectively and also be eligible for the All Blacks.
The Auckland-born pair struggled for game time in 2018 and crossed the Tasman in August to represent Kiwi provincial teams.
Former Wallabies training squad member Fa’agase, 27, impressed with Canterbury and will link with former Rebels prop Tyrel Lomax, who made a successful transition to the Highlanders this year.
Debreczeni, 25, had his moments with Northland and will be the likely back-up playmaker to All Blacks utility Damian McKenzie at the Chiefs.
Chiefs coach Colin Cooper was impressed by a player whose future became uncertain when the Rebels announced they had secured Quade Cooper.
“Jack’s a very experienced player, is versatile and will add to the mix at 10, 12 or 15. He’s also a good kicker and game driver,” Cooper said.
There were few major surprises when the five Kiwi squads for 2019 were unveiled on Wednesday.
The least settled are the Blues, the only New Zealand team who didn’t the reach the play-offs this year. They have three new assistant coaches working under Tana Umaga, in Leon MacDonald, Tom Coventry and Daniel Halangahu.
Veteran All Black Ma’a Nonu returns from France and will link with Sonny Bill Williams in the midfield while Test prop Karl Tu’inukuafe joins from the Chiefs in their biggest gains. Tasman pair Levi Aumua and Jed Brown shift north while a handful of newcomers have been added from within the Blues’ resource-rich catchment area.
New Hurricanes coach John Plumtree welcomes flanker Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, who helped secure the last two titles at the Crusaders. Highlanders five-eighth Fletcher Smith and flying Auckland winger Salesi Rayasi are significant signings, alongside the return from Europe of fullback James Marshall.
Among the four newcomers at the Chiefs are new All Blacks prop Reuben O’Neill and rising sevens star Etene Nanai-Seturo.
Ominously, the Crusaders are a settled group, with uncapped five-eighth Brett Cameron the most notable addition after being called into the All Blacks squad preparing for this week’s Test against Japan in Tokyo.