MUNSTER FANS ARE understandably excited to welcome twice-capped New Zealand centre Francis Saili to the province next season, and may be even more so after watching him in action for the Blues this morning.

While Sir John Kirwan’s side continued their appalling season with a 42-22 defeat to former Munster coach Tony McGahan’s Rebels, Saili had a good game featuring a few moments of class.

None more so than the sublime pass he threw to assist Melani Nanai’s first-half try.

Nanai had to reach high to gather in Saili’s pass, but it’s still extremely impressive over that distance and moving at that pace. The initial bust of the line after patiently holding his starting position behind the ruck for the dummy loop move is also superb.

For Blues fans, it’s simply a shame that Kirwan’s men cannot consistently match attacks of this quality to a dogged defensive and set-piece effort. With just two wins in 12 games so far, it’s been a miserable season for a talented squad.

‘It brings you down to earth and makes you feel quite real’

The Melbourne Rebels Twitter account really enjoyed a former Leinster hooker’s big break earlier