MUNSTER TODAY CONFIRMED that Canterbury and Crusaders player Tyler Bleyendaal will join the province on a 3-year contract from November 1 this year.
Playing at out-half or centre, the 23-year-old has made 19 Super Rugby appearances for the Crusaders and represented Canterbury in the ITM Cup nearly 40 times.
A former New Zealand U20s player, the Christchurch-born Bleyendaal captained the side to victory in the 2010 Junior World Championship in Argentina.
โI am really excited to be heading to a new challenge of playing in a great competition in a new part of the world, for a world renowned team,โ said Bleyendaal.
โThe decision was not an easy one as my time with Canterbury and the Crusaders has been amazing, being involved with quality people every day has made the place special.
โFrom the research I have done I am sure that Munster will be very similar, a proud team with a great record.โ
Commenting on the latest signing Munster Rugby CEO Garrett Fitzgerald said
โWe are very fortunate to recruit the services of a talented young player such as Tyler Bleyendaal. We believe Tyler can play an important role in the future of Munster Rugby, and will further strengthen our squad.
โIn his roles at 10 and 12 he has been a key decision maker with an intelligent understanding of the game, and will provide us with an exciting option in midfield.โ
http://youtu.be/ijLE0dE6jpw
I think Murray should keep up the place-kicking practise in warm-ups!!
Seriously though, a good young signing, probably to cover Downeys departure at inside-centre
Given the amount of ball Downey got at 12 it felt like he left yearโs ago
Where is Downey going
Being released it seemsโฆ Contract is out at the end of season
France or England. He has options it appears.
Great young player, but Iโm not sure another 10 who can play 12 if needed is what Munster need. Iโve only seen him play 10, surely more of a specialist centre is more required. Good attacking 10 though, poor goal kicker
Imagine what Munster could have done with Darren Cave
Ulster will keep him thank you very much
Definitely more of a 10 than a 12 in fairness.
Just donโt let him kick! Absolutely useless!!!
He might be a better long term prospect at 12. The way that modern rugby is going at the moment the likes of Downey arenโt as prominent as a few years ago. Weโve tried to replicate the old Hendo / Halsted type center over the last few years with De Villers and Downey being the most recent poorer examples. Especially given his performance against Ulster last night. I think with more of a playmaking center partnership and having JJ and Keats concentrating only on 10 it could be a great signing. It would have been nice to see Lualala and this lad in the center but hopefully weโll sign another player to complement this new lad.
We signed andrew smith already to replace lualala. Hopefully these two can gel and get sum good creativity going in the backs
Peter wouldnโt say you tried the old โhalsteadโ thing with Downey, he is hardly ever for crash ball and that is why he was so effective at the Saints. Munster have used him primarily as a decoy runner whilst trying to release Lualala in the wider channels were he can offload or pick a pass to Zebo and Earls, and this hasnโt worked, so overall I think Munster need to go back to the โHalsteadโ thing.
So thatโs both centre spots blocked for Leinster. Interesting to see who they can sign now to replace BOD.
Gives the impression that perhaps Leinster have a deal for Robbie henshaw sewn up
YAAAAWWWWNNNNNNNโฆโฆ
Robbie Henshaw has been told he is staying in Galway
This guy hasnโt impressed so far this season. Everyone was complaining about signing a centre who isnโt 1st choice in the Brumbies even though heโs behind Australiaโs starting 13.
This guy is the crusaders 3rd choice number 10 and the other two 10โฒs are only on the verge of getting into the All Blacks camp, plus his goal kicking is poor.
Fourth choice when DC is back!
No doubt will put pressure on JJ. Iโm a big fan of JJs but he hasnโt even close to delivered on his potential. Yet.
If nothing else, Tyler will add to the squad. At times itโs looked a little thin this season.
Seems a nonsense signing by Munster. Why do we want a 10/12 who is unwanted by his current club when we already have two players fighting for those roles? Munster need a 13!! Jacque Fourie is a top class 13 who had been on holidays in Japan for the last two years with buckets of experience and a few years in the tank. He is the kinda player we should be after.
We cant afford him or any player of that calibre. End of. These kind of signings are what we can do. We need to start understanding that.
Who knows, perhaps this guy and Smith will become a stand out partnership.
Iโd have more time for Smith. He is a late bloomer and any time I saw him with the Brumbies he did well, itโs no shame to be behind Kouridrani. I havenโt seen him play in over a year though.
Unfortunately youโre probably right in that Munster just can no longer afford to sign players with multiple caps for tier one nations.
So have munster nabbed the two NIQ center positions then? selfish
Tyler will be a project player Iโd say
Donโt think he can be a project player until stander has become qualified.
Only allowed one at a time
The rules seem to be very flexible this year. There has to be talent in other provinces that could move or younger guys that could be developed to fill the gaps. I guess thatโs what David Nicufora will be looking at.
This guy was disastrous for the Crusaders and Canterbury.
Disastrous ? Explain please
McFadden & Fitzgerald options for 13 for Leinster by the looks of it.
Nice one lads great signing
Good signing but more importantly a progressive signing. Munster have been playing catch up for a few years now regarding the style they play but they may have taken a leap forward in signing Bleyendaal. If he is played at 12 which is what youโd imagine will be the case Munster may be able to unlock the expansive brand theyโve been toying with in the past few years. If you look at some of the top teams in England, France and the Super 15 i.e. Saracens, Toulon and Waratahs they play a creative 12 in the form of Farrell (to a lesser extent), Giteau and Beale. These teams do real damage in full swing, hopefully Munster will be able to emulate this.
I agree 100% pj.. A creative 12 to unleash zeebs is exactly what Munster needs.. If its a success Munster will be a serious attacking force next season and combine that with foleys traditional Munster type game we will be unstoppableโฆ Great signing methinks. Roll on September
Iโd imagine Munster have cut a deal with Leinster here. Leinster releasing Goodman allows Munster to recruit two centers(gopperth is the NIQ 10 so Tyler must be a NIQ 12) However Andrew Smith, the NIQ 13, is only on a 1 year deal. MOC has already stated that thereโd be no top quality NIQ 13s available until after the World Cup. SO Iโd say Smith is only here until Leinster want their new 13โฆ.I suppose Iโm ok with that.
Am I the only one who is reading this as we will be playing JJ & Keats at 10 & 12 with this guy as cover?
Considering how long it has taken other young foreign players to bed into the Munster way (CJ just now fitting in, VDH still has a long way to go) it will probably be the following year at least before he makes a serious impact. Also extra cover in these positions means no more talk of Murray as emergency out halfโฆ.
Despite what ppl seem to think heโs gotta be a promising player, definitely more 10 then 12 from what Iโve seen thoโฆ. baby blacks captain and yes heโs not first choice at crusaders but thereโs 3 all blacks heโs competing with whereas neither munster 10s are breaking into the Irish set up. Gotta wonder if finding a more established 12 would be a better move putting some faith in academy 10s like jonny Holland. McKinney is a fine young 10, Irish u20 and MoM against munster last week but leaving for the Championship next season, could have been considered at munster?โฆ..
I know he is a young player in rugby terms but Bleyendaal has not been impressive from what I have seen of him. Maybe a change of scenery will give him a shot of confidence but I donโt think he will drastically improve Munster like previous successful NZ signings.
4th choice at the crusaders not exactly the high caliber signing Munster fans would have been hoping for!
Please! Please! Please! No further signings of second level/untried Southern Hemisphere players to Munster! What are we paying for
these fellows and to whom! Any
โAgentsโ whose names might be
familiar to us?. Stop now! We have
plenty of talent in Munster! Dineen
& Bohane to name a few! CEO
Fitzgerald has brought Munster
to the financial/on field abyss with
his coaching/sh player hires over
the past 4 years! Buy Local and
play traditional!