Fissler Confidential: Blood in the water following club's demise

Harlequins are one of the clubs looking to take advantage of the demise of the New Zealand-based Super Rugby franchise Moana Pasifika by taking a close look at former Coventry fly-half Pat Pellegrini.

Pellegrini, 27, who has scored five tries in 17 Tests for Tonga and also plays for North Harbour, spent two years playing for Coventry before, in 2024, joining Moana Pasifika, who are set to fold at the end of this Super Rugby campaign.

Quins, who have lost Jamie Benson to Ulster next season, are interested in Sydney-born Pellegrini, who has played nine games this season but face competition from the Ospreys, the Scarlets, Perpignan and a couple of teams in Japan.

Saracens have gone back out into the transfer market, with a planned move for former Wallaby tighthead Jermaine Ainsley falling through after he was released from the final months of his Lyon contract.

Ainsley, 30, who played for the All Blacks XV last autumn, has been hit by back problems and family issues and has returned to New Zealand, where he played for the Highlanders and Otago after stints in Australia with the Rebels and the Western Force.

He was due to replace Italy international Marco Riccioni, who is heading to Perpignan next season, but the deal is now off, which will be a blow to the former PREM and Champions Cup winners this late in the transfer market.

Ospreys fly-half Jack Walsh looks set to become the fifth player to leave the United Rugby Championship outfit when his contract runs out at the end of the season and is appearing on the shopping lists of Stade Français and Montauban.

American-born Walsh, who qualifies for Wales before the World Cup next year, has also been linked with the Scarlets, has played 18 times for the Ospreys this season, but is set to join Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan, Phil Cokanasiga and James Fender in leaving.

Stade, who have allowed Zack Henry to join Newcastle Red Bulls, are reported to be deciding between Walsh and Ihaia West, who is leaving Top 14 rivals La Rochelle, while Montauban, who are returning to Pro D2, are undertaking a massive rebuilding programme.

Former England international Jack Maunder is set to swap the French second division for England’s second tier this summer and join Worcester Warriors ahead of next season.

Maunder, 29, who came through the ranks of his hometown club Exeter Chiefs like his dad Andy and brother Sam, started their Champions Cup Final win over Racing 92 in October 2020 and then the Premiership Final victory against Wasps a week later.

He won his only England cap against Argentina in 2017, left the Chiefs in July 2023 for a season with the Melbourne Rebels, and has spent the last couple of years playing for Pro D2 outfit Agen, making 16 appearances this season.

Gloucester are still looking to sign another tighthead for next season after a move for a player fell through at the last minute, according to head coach George Skivington.

The Cherry and Whites, who lost out to Bath for Scotland international Jamie Bhatti, thought they had found a replacement, but he has decided to stay with his current club rather than move to the Gallagher PREM strugglers.

“If I’m being absolutely honest, the guy that we had lined up hasn’t come through, which is frustrating, but there’s a couple of other good options. The guy we had lined up and thought we were pretty much there with isn’t going to leave the club he’s at now,” he said.

Newcastle Red Bulls have made 19 new signings for next season, and interim head coach Stephen Jones says that nobody is playing for a contract in the final six games of this season.

Jones says that everybody who is out of contract at the end of this season and who hasn’t been offered an extension has been told where they stand over the last few weeks.

“There is clarity with the players on where they are next season. So that’s been dealt with, and yes, there’s clarity there, and the reality is everybody’s been informed,” Jones told RugbyPass.

Canadian international lock Tyler Ardron, who is leaving Castres Olympique this summer, looks set for a move to Provence Rugby ahead of Pro D2 rivals Biarritz Olympique, who had been linked with him.

Ardron, 34, who helped Canada qualify for the 2015 and 2019 World Cup finals, has enjoyed an outstanding season for Castres, which has helped him attract plenty of interest from Pro D2 clubs.

He has spent the last six seasons at Castres after spells with the Ospreys, Bay of Plenty and the Chiefs and is now in advanced negotiations with Provence over a move there next season, according to Midi Olympique.

Harlequins lead rugby transition coach Matt Ferguson is being touted for a move to Gallagher PREM rivals Gloucester and United Rugby Championship outfit Munster next season.

Quins are currently reviewing the futures of all of their coaches, and Gloucester are looking to replace Trevor Woodman, while Munster are in the market after Alex Codling decided to move on to Toulon next season.

Former All Black fly-half Nick Evans looks set to leave, which could open the door for Connacht, while former Lions star Adam Jones could return home and link up with Wales on a permanent basis.

Racing 92 appear to have closed the door on a potential return to the NRL for Joey Manu, and he will see out the remaining year of his contract with the Top 14 giants next season.

Manu, who moved to Racing from Toyota Verblitz at the start of the season, has made 16 appearances for the club and was reported in Australia to have been lined up for a sensational return to the NRL later this year.

The unnamed club were keen on the former Sydney Roosters superstar, but Racing are reported in France to not be keen on losing him after he became a key part of their backline this season.

Exeter Chiefs chief executive Tony Rowe is keeping the identity of the club’s potential new owner top secret ahead of a vote from their 700 members at the start of next season.

A cloak-and-dagger operation has been launched, and Fissler Confidential understands that even long-serving members of staff don’t know the identity, which is being restricted to a small circle of individuals at Sandy Park.

A few clues have slipped out, but it’s been restricted to a wealthy American multi-sport investor, and they will be the fourth PREM club to receive new investment after Newcastle Red Bulls, Northampton Saints and Bath.