Tuilagi welcomes Van Niekerk to the Top 14

Henry Tuilagi introduced Toulon’s new recruit Joe Van Niekerk to the Top 14 recently in a way that we’ve become accustomed to seeing from the huge Samoan number eight.

Van Niekerk has only just started playing for Toulon since arriving from the Lions in South Africa, but got to feel the warm, friendly welcome of human wrecking ball Tuilagi in full flight.

Unfortunately the Perpignan backrower went on to break his arm about ten minutes after this big run, and will miss the first four rounds of the Heineken Cup. The recovery from surgery on the fractured right arm will put him out of action for the next two months.

The unfortunate injury also means that the influential Tuilagi will miss the upcoming Pacific Islanders European tour in November.

Perpignan meet Treviso on Friday in their opening Heineken Cup match.