Edinburgh sign Georgia No 8 Dimitri Basilaia The 26-year-old Basilaia, who has made 23 appearances for his country since 2008, comes into a side which already has two international No 8s in Fiji's Netani Talei and Scotland's Dave Denton. Stuart McInally is also widely expected to make the step up to international level before long. Against that backdrop, it seems likely that Edinburgh will make use of Basilaia's verstailty. The Georgian, who is currently on the books of lower-league French side Valence d'Agen, has made a number of appearances for his country on the flank, and has also covered at lock. Basilaia made three appearances for Georgia at last year's World Cup, where he scored a try against England. He also turned out against Scotland, although by then he was already on the radar screen of Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley, who had worked alongside former Scotland coach Richie Dixon in preparing the Georgia team for the tournament. "I believe that Dimitri will prove to be a very significant signing for Edinburgh Rugby," said Bradley. He's a fantastic fit for this club and will contribute a huge amount to an increasingly aggressive and combative forward unit at Edinburgh Rugby. His ball-handling skills are such that we can maintain and strengthen our fast-paced, offloading game. He has a tremendous work ethic and attitude to the sport. He's very excited about joining the club and I know he'll give everything to honour the black and red jersey. It is understood that Basilaia's arrival in Scotland is subject to him being granted the necessary work visa, but that is not expected to be an issue. His signing continues the club's recent policy of adding strength to the depth of their squad, coming as it does after confirmation that Free State Cheetahs" prop WP Nel and Northampton utility back Greig Tonks will also be joining Edinburgh. Basilaia said: "It's a great honour and opportunity for me to join such a high profile club and I'm really looking forward to being part of a very exciting future and playing alongside some very talented players. I'm in great shape, both physically and spiritually, and can't wait to pull on the black and red shirt of Edinburgh Rugby.