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David Tameilau will not be joining Newcastle Falcons after all. The Aviva Premiership club has cancelled a contract that would have seen the US Eagles no8 join the team at the conclusion of his PRO Rugby obligations with the San Francisco Rush.
Rumors began circulating in August that Tameilau had shown up to camp out of shape, prompting the Falcons to sign giant Tongan international Opeti Fonua from Leicester Tigers. As it turns out, Tameilau simply hadn’t shown up at all. The club chose not to make a statement on the matter when originally queried, but have now confirmed that Tameilau will not be joining Newcastle this season.
It’s a heavy fall from grace for the 26-year-old who burst onto the international scene with an impressive display of power and athleticism during the Americas Rugby Championship. A slow start to the PRO Rugby season saw him dumped from the Eagles squad by John Mitchell, and with the arrival of Bill Fukofuka in San Francisco he was first bumped into the second row and then faded from the lineup completely, missing the last three games of the season.
Tameilau’s trajectory is a stark contrast to that of Langi Haupeakui, who yesterday confirmed a two-year contract with Glasgow Warriors after emerging as a star in the Sacramento Express ranks. While Haupeakui arrives in Scotland to test his power in the Guinness Pro 12, it seems Tameilau will now be forced to work his way back into the spotlight via the 2017 PRO Rugby season.
