Edinburgh are expected to announce the signing of another African, the Natal Sharks lock Anton Bresler, soon.
The Namibian-born 26-year-old second row is a daunting figure at 6ft 6in and 17st 9lb.
He has had to have an operation to correct damage to his shoulder but is expected to have recovered by the time he arrives in Edinburgh at the end of June. He follows another lock, Ross Skeate, out of Sharks, Skeate having signed for the French Top 14 club, Agen.
Edinburgh's lack of depth at second row showed in their defeat by Zebre last Saturday and they have to strengthen their squad in this position with the impending departures of regular starter Izak van der Westhuizen, who is returning to his native South Africa to play for Eastern Province Kings, and Sean Cox, who has signed for London Irish next season.
Bresler could form a partnership in the second row with the Scotland cap, Grant Gilchrist, who signed a new contract that will keep him with Edinburgh until 2016.
Two Scots will play for the Barbarians against Clontarf in Dublin tonight. Bryan Rennie, the Bristol centre who was born in South Africa but has earned Scotland 'A' caps, is joined in the squad by the Selkirk full-back Fraser Harkness, who has previously earned Scotland Sevens caps and is one of the best players on the club scene.
Captained by the Welsh prop Ben Evans, the Barbarians squad includes Ceri Sweeney, the multi-capped Wales internationalist, alongside the England back-row Dean Schofield, Namibia's scrum-half Ryan De La Harpe and the German international prop Rob Ellaway.
The RBS Premiership champions, Melrose, and runners-up Gala meet at Scremerston Park, Berwick, tonight in the final of the Border League, the oldest league in world rugby.
Both clubs have delayed announcing their teams but Gala have confirmed that their captain George Graham has not recovered sufficiently from the injury he sustained playing for the Scotland Club XV to take his place in tonight's game. Missing from the Melrose side are scrum-half Bruce Colvine and flanker Grant Runciman, who have flown to New Zealand to gain experience of rugby Down Under.
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