Peceli Yato

A genuine Top 14 marquee man in the back row, Peceli Yato brings world-class physicality and hard-won experience to US Arlequins Perpignanais. The Fiji international, born on 17 January 1993, made his name during a long and decorated spell with Clermont, where his explosive tackling, breakdown menace and surprising pace in the loose marked him as one of the most destructive loose forwards in France. Those same qualities now anchor the Perpignan back row: Yato is a defensive leader and a constant turnover threat, the kind of forward whose impact at the contact area can swing the momentum of a match. His carrying brings genuine power, his work over the ball is a weapon, and his international pedigree with Fiji lends his game an edge few can match. For USAP he is both a performer and a standard-setter, offering the younger forwards around him a model of how the position can be played at the highest level. Even into the latter stages of his career, his blend of athleticism and physical presence keeps him a focal point of his side's forward effort.