Puma centre joins Falcons
Newcastle Falcons have signed Argentina international centre Gonzalo Tiesi until the end of the season.
Tiesi, 28, who has 37 caps for the Pumas, has featured in both the 2007 and Rugby World Cups, and is on the bench for this weekend's Test with England at Twickenham.
Tiesi brings strong go-forward to the Falcons' ranks as Dean Richards' men look to build on their solid start to the campaign.
The Buenos Aires-born centre began his career with San Isidro in his native Argentina before making the switch to London Irish. After three seasons with the Exiles, Tiesi joined Harlequins under the watchful eye of current Falcons boss Richards.
Establishing himself as a first team regular at the Twickenham Stoop, Tiesi then made the switch to Top 14 powerhouses Stade Francais in 2010. Spells at San Isidro and London Welsh ensued, and now the Argentine is excited at the prospect of joining the Falcons.
"Newcastle Falcons is a big club and this is a massive challenge for me,” said Tiesi.
"I'm extremely pleased to be returning to the Premiership, a league I believe is the most competitive in Europe.
"Dean [Richards] was a big draw for me and I worked with him whilst at Quins. I trust him, he's a competitor and he's a winner, and there is a great coaching set-up in place at the club who want to achieve great things,” added Tiesi.
Falcons Director of Rugby Richards said: "Gonzalo Tiesi adds real quality to our squad, and I'm delighted to welcome him to Newcastle.
"The fact that Gonzalo already has Premiership experience under his belt is a major plus for us, and his international experience is invaluable as we go into a series of big games in the coming months.”
