Munster closing in on Jaco Taute deal

Munster appear to be moving closer to tying down Springbok centre Jaco Taute for the rest of the season with director of rugby Rassie Erasmus suggesting an extension to his loan deal was a matter of “crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s”.

Following on from a 29-17 bonus-point Guinness PRO12 victory over Leinster, which stretched his side’s lead at the top of the table to five points, Erasmus added to the festive Munster cheer by suggesting the province’s efforts to tie down South African Taute beyond his four-month loan deal, which ends on December 31 may yield dividends.

Munster need the assent of IRFU performance director David Nucifora to make Taute’s signing to the end of the season an exception to the governing body’s player succession policy which does not sanction more than one non-Irish qualified player in any position across the Leinster, Munster and Ulster panels.

“It’s not signed off but obviously as David mentioned last week we’re discussing it with both David and Western Province, or the Stormers, and on our side at Munster,” Erasmus said last night.

“We’ve officially requested that and everybody knows we’ve lost Alex Wootton long-term, we’ve lost Bill Johnston long-term and now Sweets (Darren Sweetnam) tonight is a little bit of a doubt so, you know, Jaco played more than 90 games at full-back at first-class level and he’s covering places for us there.

"It’s not signed and sealed but we have to make sure, how do you say it, we cross the Ts and dot the Is before we can officially say he’s with us but, yes, we’re discussing that with David.”

Taute, due to play the final game of his current loan deal against Connacht in Galway on New Year’s Eve, has been a major asset since joining from the Stormers as injury cover for Francis Saili and Sam Arnold in September.

Taute made way for a returning Saili after 63 minutes at Thomond Park last night as the All Black-capped centre made his first appearance of the season from the bench following shoulder surgery at the end of last season. Erasmus welcomed his return at an important stage of the season.

“It’s great,” Erasmus said. “He came through it, he doesn’t look full of injury, so it will be another spring into the step and we must now just get him gradually match-fit and confident.”