Transfer news, rumours, suggestions, frenzied speculation, and outright lies - Season 2023-24

[twitchy]

Not that exciting but baxter has said that exe are way off the salary cap and can bring in player(s). Who are the obvious 9/10's available?



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union ... yg3dv37qeo

[FKAS]

Just read that Toulon are targeting Bundee Aki, whose contract expires next June. He’s 34 so a couple of seasons down there would be a fine way to end his career.

Would make sense, finish his international career with a Lions tour and then his club career with a couple of well paid seasons in the south of France.

Might finally tip Faz Snr's hand into selecting younger centres. Osborne aside the Ireland squad has Aki at 34, Henshaw at 31, McCloskey at 32 and Ringrose at 29. Not the most youthful group. Hume, Gavin or Postlethwaite could be options to look at sooner rather than later.

“Postlethwaite”?

You’re sure he’s not playing Lancashire league cricket?

Despite the name he's a big centre at Ulster. Possibly their long term successor to McCloskey.

Jude Postlethwaite, some of the Ulster fans seem to be quite excited about their centres going forward with Hume and Carson coming through as well. Hume already capped by Ireland I think.

[jimKRFC]

Bristol on the look for some lock cover after Josh Caulfield's 4 month injury...

[francoisfou]

Graham Rowntree is to leave Munster with immediate effect.

https://www.planetrugby.com/news/munste ... art-to-urc

I wonder if he fancies going back to Welford Road to assist Cheika until the end of Cheika's contract?

[FKAS]

Graham Rowntree is to leave Munster with immediate effect.

https://www.planetrugby.com/news/munste ... art-to-urc

I wonder if he fancies going back to Welford Road to assist Cheika until the end of Cheika's contract?

That would be some coaching team. Somewhat expensive but would allow some nice succession planning if Cheika is only going to do the one year to steady the ship. I'd assumed he would have handed over to Hewatt in time, possibly after a season more than just this one.

Does free him up for a possible Lions jaunt next summer.

[FKAS]

Chiefs defence coach Omar Mouneimne to leave immediately with Haydn Thomas to be promoted to the role. Some rumours around other senior coaches being put on performance review though Baxter isn't one of them.

[Puja]

Chiefs defence coach Omar Mouneimne to leave immediately with Haydn Thomas to be promoted to the role. Some rumours around other senior coaches being put on performance review though Baxter isn't one of them.

Suspect you'd have to have a lot more than 6 defeats to even countenance sacking Baxter, given all that he's done for the club.

Puja

[FKAS]

Chiefs defence coach Omar Mouneimne to leave immediately with Haydn Thomas to be promoted to the role. Some rumours around other senior coaches being put on performance review though Baxter isn't one of them.

Suspect you'd have to have a lot more than 6 defeats to even countenance sacking Baxter, given all that he's done for the club.

Puja

Yeah, especially a few days after allowing him to go on record saying there's funds for one or two more players to come in if the right players are available.

[Mellsblue]

Ollie Devoto signs for Chicago Hounds.

[Puja]

Ollie Devoto signs for Chicago Hounds.

I'm glad he's found a pro contract - too good a player and too young to be dropping all the way down to NL2. Never quite made his full potential with all the injuries holding him back, so hopefully he has a few good seasons in MLR to extend out his career.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Good luck to Devoto. Who knows had he had better luck with injuries he might have won a lot more England caps.

[Timbo]

So many injuries prevented Devoto from being even better than he was. Happy he has found a new club.

[Beasties]

Big fan here and endlessly frustrated at his list of injuries. Was the 12 we never had. Good luck Ollie and enjoy.

[Which Tyler]

Echo most of the above.
As it is, I felt he should have had more caps, and yes, injuries stopped him from being as appreciated as he deserved.
He's the one player we lost, that I really wished we'd kept hold of.

[FKAS]

Nathan Jibulu off to Sale Sharks is the next rumour. He turned down Exeter who are very keen to add a hooker and a scrum half before next season.

[Which Tyler]

https://www.bathrugby.com/content/winte ... bath-rugby

[Puja]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... lier-sale/

From the England A thread about Anyanwu to Montpellier (£300k?!), but I thought the other rumours deserved attention too - Quins potentially getting raked with Jibulu and WEvans rumoured to be off as well (to Sale and Pro D2 respectively).

Jibulu to Sale doesn't seem like the most natural transfer to me. LCD will still be hanging around for another couple of seasons at least, whereas at Quins his only competition is Walker, who he should be ousting before the end of this season. From a Quins perspective, he looks like an absolute diamond - if it's a question of money or squad balance, you'd surely prefer to lose Walker than Jibulu?

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Yep. Pretty gutted about those.

I don't know how much substance there is to Evans being off. He is such a fan favourite here, but maybe too much to hope we can keep all of CCS, Kenningham, Evans and Dombrandt happy at once.

Agreed that Jibulu off seems strange given his career trajectory. Another academy player that we couldn't keep hold of is painful.

[fivepointer]

Jibulu does look a good 'un. Surprised Quins cant keep him and even more surprised that he's off to Sale.

[FKAS]

Jibulu does look a good 'un. Surprised Quins cant keep him and even more surprised that he's off to Sale.

Sale's hookers are LCD, Tommy Taylor and Ethan Caine. Taylor is now 33, Caine has never started a Prem game at 23 and LCD is 31 now and doesn't have the best previous with injuries. Sanderson has probably sold the dream of being part of a physical, mobile, carrying front with Rodd and AOF for the long term.

Quins have got Walker, Riley and Musk who are all under 30 and unlikely to go anywhere.

Getting past LCD to the starting shirt at Sale should be harder than ousting Walker but LCD isn't likely to be playing up North for many more years. He's already looked at going abroad for a pay day once and it would be a surprise to see him try it again.

[FKAS]

Blamire said to be a done deal to Tigers as a replacement for Montoya, presumably at a significant cost saving (it better be).

Ross Byrne the latest flyhalf linked as rumours still circulate that Pollard is weighing offers from Japanese clubs.

[Puja]

Blamire said to be a done deal to Tigers as a replacement for Montoya, presumably at a significant cost saving (it better be).

Ross Byrne the latest flyhalf linked as rumours still circulate that Pollard is weighing offers from Japanese clubs.

Blamire is an excellent pickup - he's a very good player as things stand and I think there's more potential to come as well. Good move for the player as well - if he can kick on, he'll be in a much better position for international recognition at Leicester than losing at Newcastle.

Gotta feel for Falcons though. Incredibly hard for them to build anything when their academy products inevitably get tired of waiting for the tide to turn and seek success elsewhere.

Puja

[FKAS]

Falcons have got Fletcher coming through who's a decent hooker in the making. Certainly has the edge over Blamire at lineout time, though that is still Blamire's biggest weakness. Blamire is a huge loss for Falcons round the park, they lack carriers in the pack and he adds to that for them.

[jimKRFC]

Bristol alledged to have made an offer to Tom Jordan (FH for Glasgow but played FB for Scotland yesterday), with a one year extension for AJ as well.

[Puja]

The post-Suaalii frenzy of league players' agents suggesting their clients could be the next union superstar has begun: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... i-england/

Hardly think that an imposing lump of muscle and speed with no union nous whatsoever is the solution to England's problems. Raw materials of athletes are things that we already have - it's the brains that are missing.

Puja