This is Leicestershire --Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has high hopes for new French scrum-half David Mele.
The 27-year-old arrived from Perpignan in the summer and could prove to be a crucial signing as he can also play fly-half and had a goal-kicking record of over 80 per cent in last season's Top 14.
Cockerill thinks the 5ft 7in half-back has a great set of skills and says he reminds him of effervescent former Tigers scrum-half Julien Dupuy, who made such a big impact at the club in 2008-09.
"Mele is a cracking little footballer," said Cockerill. "He's like Julien Dupuy without the madness!
"He is a very good player and is very fiesty. He is small and aggressive and he is a fantastic footballer who understands the game very well and speaks English well.
"He is also keen to learn and is the first in the office to read the play sheets so he gets to know what he needs to do.
"He will be good for us and he will keep Ben Youngs on his toes, as will Sam Harrison, who has come on in leaps and bounds."
As well as being a fiesty operator around the scrum, Mele's goal-kicking abilities have strengthened an area where Tigers were noticeably short last season.
With Ryan Lamb arriving from Northampton and Owen Williams from the Scarlets, Leicester will not be short of options next season, even if Toby Flood is away with England for a third of the campaign.
"You can never have too many goal kickers," said Cockerill. "Floody was our front-line kicker last year and then George Ford didn't kick as well as he or us would have liked.
"Dan Bowden is not a recognised kicker but, if we hadn't brought anybody in that could kick, Dan would be our second-choice this season.
"Instead, Mele is a good kicker and so are Lamb and Williams, so to go from two kickers to four is good for the club.
"Mele can genuinely play both scrum-half and fly-half and that gives you options in the winter, which is crucial.
"Kicking makes a massive difference in the months either side of Christmas and, with Mele over 80 per cent in the French league, and Williams and Lamb also having good boots on them, that is vital." Reported by This is 1 hour ago.