Massive: French Giants Launch Hefty Bid to Sign Gigantic Springboks Prospect to Replace All Blacks Forward
Top 14 and Investec Champions Cup winners Toulouse are in the market for a new tighthead prop and are reportedly willing to pay a hefty to pay a handsome fee.
The French giants have been actively looking to strengthen their front-row stocks ahead of the 2025/26 season and have Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye in their sights.
Toulouse target tighthead props
Former All Blacks tighthead prop Nepo Laulala is reportedly set to leave the club at the end of the season despite being contracted to Toulouse until 2026.
The 32-year-old has played just nine times for the club since arriving at the side after the 2023 Rugby World Cup having sustained a serious achilles tendon injury in February this year.
Reports in France state that his playing career is now in question and even if he does continue playing it is unlikely to be at Toulouse.
Despite having the likes of Dorian Aldegheri and the impressive Joel Merkler on their payroll, Toulouse boss Ugo Mola is keen to improve his options at tighthead prop having already secured the services of La Rochelle star Georges-Henri Colombe.
France international Colombe is another mammoth tighthead prop weighing 142kgs and has reportedly signed a four-year deal with the French champions.
Now according to a report by Afrikaans publication Rapport, Ntlabakanye could also join the French giants despite being contracted to the Lions until 2026.
The report states that Toulouse are willing to pay a ‘hefty fee’ to secure Ntlabakanye’s release from the Lions but the Johannesburg-based outfit are eager to retain his services considering their lack of depth at tighthead. It adds that the French side are ‘very serious’ about recruiting him.
The 148 kg prop has impressed for the Lions but his form is yet to result in a call-up to the Springboks team, but many believe that it is just a matter of time for the 25-year-old with Frans Malherbe (33) and Vincent Koch (34) in the twilight stages of their career.
Toulouse’s recruitment
While Toulouse are actively recruiting tighthead props ahead of next season, the only other position they look to be targetting is in the centres having spoken to Bordeaux centre Yoram Moefana who ultimately decided to stay put.
However, according to Midi Olympique, the club is focused on retaining many of their star players beyond next season and are working to extend Jack Willis, Paul Graou, Ange Capuozzo and Santiago Chocobares’ contracts. Capuozzo is proving to be tricky according to the report with Toulon and Lyon keen to prize him away from Toulouse.
