FRINGE Waratah Ben Volavola is set to leave Australian rugby and step into the biggest shoes in world rugby: the Crusaders want him to replace Dan Carter.

The Daily Telegraph understands Volavola is the final stages of negotiation to join the powerhouse New Zealand club next season after the Crusaders looked to Australia for a left-field option to wear the soon-to-be vacated no. 10 jersey of a France-bound Carter.

The news emerged, however, as the Waratahs balanced the ledger by pinching Kiwi prop Angus Ta’avao to replace Sekope Kepu. NSW announced they’d signed the 125kg Blues tight-head, who is eligible for the Wallabies via his Aussie mum, for the next two years.

Volavola’s shock switch to the Crusaders will come after the versatile Waratah back recently elected to switch his eligibility from Australia to the country of his birth, Fiji.

The 25-year-old’s Super Rugby career had stalled in the past two years after bursting onto the scene in 2013 as a goalkicking no. 15 or no. 10.

He played eight games for the Waratahs in his first season but Volavola has been ignored by Michael Cheika since, and not played a minute in the past two seasons despite being a full-time squad member.

He was unlikely to be re-signed by NSW for next season and it was assumed Volavola was headed for Europe under a Fijian passport, but the seven-time champion Crusaders have a different perspective on his potential.

media_camera Crusaders and All Blacks great Dan Carter.

They see enough in Volavola to not only continue his Super Rugby career, but hand him the steering wheel to the Crusaders’ machine; a job held by Carter for over a decade.

Australians in Kiwi Super Rugby sides are rare, but Volavola is set to link up at the Crusaders with another Fijian-Aussie former NSW player who got away, Nemani Nadolo. Nadolo yesterday appeared to confirm Volavola’s move on Twitter, when a follower asked about Volavola “joining you in the red and black next year”.

“Vacava that brus,” Nadolo replied, along a winking emoticon. Vacava translates from Fijian roughly as “hopefully”.

The Crusaders are scrambling to fill the impending void left by the departures of Carter and a handful of star playmakers, who are all heading to Europe next year.

Carter is joining Racing Metro on a record $2.8 million per year contract, and Colin Slade and Tom Taylor also moving to France. Tyler Bleyendal left the Kiwi side last year to join Munster.

Meanwhile, the Tahs have done exactly the same thing — looked across the Tasman — to shore up their area of concern, tight-head prop.

Ta’avao, 25, is well credentialed, having played 48 Super Rugby caps for the Auckland Super Rugby side over three seasons and as a former captain of the New Zealand under 20s side.

Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said today in a Waratahs press release: “We are delighted to secure the services of a quality player like Angus, who is highly-regarded by our players as a very capable tight-head and a determined competitor.”

Waratahs Rugby CEO Greg Harris added: “Our interest in him really developed following a meeting which he had with Daryl Gibson earlier this year. Daryl was as impressed with the quality of the character of the man as much as his rugby ability. He is a great fit for the Waratah culture and his recruitment has already attracted interest from the ARU,” Harris said.

In 2014, Ta’avao was part of the Sir John Kirwan coached Barbarian side that took on the Wallabies at Twickenham.