Bristol's big name signings to be given European Cup green light
European rugby officials are set to allow Semi Radradra, Jonny Gray and Aled Davies to play in key quarter-final matches in the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup despite having appeared in the same competitions for other clubs this season.
The enforced ending of the Top14 league in France and the delayed conclusion to the Gallagher Premiership and Guinness Pro14 seasons has seen players move clubs in recent weeks, with new contracts coming into force on July 1.
That has created unique qualification situations and with the quarter-finals of both European competitions to be staged on the weekend of September 18, squads have been bolstered by new arrivals.
While no decision has been formally announced, RugbyPass understands Cup organisers are expecting to be lobbied by clubs like Bristol to allow Radradra to play even though he has appeared for Bordeaux in the same competition this season, while Exeter and Saracens will make the same case in the Heineken Champions Cup for Jonny Gray (Glasgow to Exeter) and Aled Davies (Scarlets to Saracens).
Kyle Sinckler would be free to play for Bristol as he played in a different competition for Harlequins.
Dean Ryan, the Dragons director of rugby, is hoping to add Wales lock Will Rowlands and centre Joe Tomane to the club’s squad for their quarter-final with big spending Bristol Bears.
Rowlands, who made his Wales debut against France in the Six Nations, is contracted to Wasps but would be the ideal replacement for Cory Hill who has joined the Blues, while Wallaby wing Tomane, who was confirmed to be leaving Leinster last week, would add firepower to a Dragons back line already bolstered by the arrival of two other Wales internationals, Jonah Holmes, from Leicester, and Nick Tompkins on a one-year loan from Saracens.
Ryan has been attempting to bolster a squad that is still lightweight in terms of experience compared to clubs like Bristol and with the Dragons certain to be involved in an expanded Heineken Champions Cup competition next season, strength in depth is a major concern.
Typically, Ryan is up for the challenge and believes the benefits of his players taking on the cream of European rugby will outweigh the negatives.
The former England No8 admits being included in the top flight of European rugby will be tough for his squad and that is why the addition of Rowlands and Tomane would be welcome.
However, neither deal is confirmed as the Dragons prepare for tomorrow’s first Stage One training day that will see them operate in carefully controlled groups of six players due to the continuing lockdown restrictions in Wales.
He told RugbyPass: “We are talking to lots of players and we are always hopeful of recruiting good players and we are keen to talk to them. Rowlands would fall into the same category as Tomane and we are interested in players who want to come to Wales.
“Rowlands has had his first introduction to test rugby and at the moment he is contracted to Wasps and we will wait to hear if there is any change.
Lowe becomes eligible to play for Ireland in November.https://t.co/Ef8rBeJ576
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 29, 2020
“Being in the Heineken Cup next season is a fantastic opportunity for us. Yes, it will hurt and there will be times when we will have to face the stark reality of some of the bigger clubs but we want the players to have that opportunity.
“It is part of their development and there will be times when our numbers in our squad will make it really challenging but what a great opportunity. We accept there may be some collateral damage as we develop.
“It will be interesting when we face Bristol because they will probably have more games going into the quarter-final than us. You have to be careful focusing on one game and it looks like we could be playing every weekend from October to February anyway.
“You have to look at development window as well, otherwise no one will improve and we are OK with the only disaster being if anyone got a set back in terms of illness. Everything I have heard is that the players who have joined squads during this period can play in European games but I haven’t seen anything official.
“Bristol have significant investment and clear strategy of where they are heading and will be one of the big clubs over the next five or ten years.”
Comments on RugbyPass
late hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
4 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
24 Go to comments