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Fissler Confidential: England coach contenders and D-Mac Top 14-bound
By Neil Fissler
Nick Easter has emerged as a strong contender to be England’s new defence coach after continuing to impress working with the US Eagles Test side and Chinnor, the new English Championship club. The former Harlequins and England No8, who worked for Newcastle Falcons and then Worcester Warriors until they went out of business, is one of the most respected young coaches in the game and is a name being considered by Steve Borthwick.
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The England head coach needs to replace Felix Jones, who last month handed in his resignation, and Easter faces competition from Joe El-Abd, the head coach of Oyonnax, the French Pro D2 side.
All Blacks fly-half Damian McKenzie is in advanced talks over a deal that will see him play for Top 14 outfit La Rochelle for the rest of the season, according to rugbyprime.com, the French rugby website.
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Rugby World Cup finalist McKenzie has been in South Africa in recent weeks, where the All Blacks have suffered back-to-back Rugby Championship defeats. He is due to put pen to paper on the deal in the near future. McKenzie was a member of the Chiefs side that suffered a 2024 Super Rugby Pacific final defeat to the Blues.
Lloyd Fairbrother’s retirement because of a back injury has caused the Dragons to scramble around looking for another tighthead with the new United Rugby Championship just around the corner. Cornwall-born Fairbrother made 172 appearances for the Welsh region, leaving him joint fifth in their all-time list of appearances.
He recently announced he was quitting to avoid long-term damage to his health. Dragons boss Dai Flanagan, who has seen his side lose both pre-season games to Hartpury and Bristol Bears, hopes to have someone in by the time they kick off their URC campaign against the Ospreys on September 21.
Sale Sharks, who this weekend celebrate their 25th anniversary as the Sharks, will continue to be the main tenants at the Salford Community Stadium despite the local council buying the Peel Group’s 50 per cent stake. The multi-million-pound deal gives the city council full control over the 12,000-seat stadium, which the Sharks share with Super League outfit Salford Red Devils, nearby community pitches, a car park, and 27 acres of development land.
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The club first used the Sharks name at the start of the 1999/2000 season, marking the occasion with a 16-8 win against Wasps at Heywood Road with a side that contained Steve Diamond and current boss Alex Sanderson.
NSW Waratahs scrum-half Teddy Wilson has admitted that he would be open to taking part in a cross-code fight with an NRL opponent after committing his immediate future to the Sydney-based franchise for next season. The former Australian schoolboy 44kg boxing champion has an immediate fight on his hands to dislodge Wallabies scrum-half and Waratahs captain Jake Gordon as the first-choice No9 in Dan McKellar’s plans.
Wilson, who was in Easts’ Shute Shield-winning side, is keen on stepping into the ring. “No Limit (the Australian boxing promoters) want to do something with a league-union crossover. I’d definitely be open to it.”
Whispers that Samoan rugby league international and Hull FC centre Carlos Tuimavave was a cross-code target for Doncaster Knights could have been wide of the mark. The Auckland-born 32-year-old, who was once voted one of the best young players in the world, is coming to the end of his contract with Hull where he won the Challenge Cup in his first two seasons at the club.
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According to his agent Craig Harrison, who was speaking on the Rugby Football League’s official podcast House of League, Tuimavave’s first preference would be to find another Super League club to play for next season.
Despite having another three years left to run on his contract with Japanese club Saitama Wild Knights, Damian de Allende wants to finish his career with the Stormers. The 32-year-old left the Stormers in 2019 and has since played in Japan and Ireland for Munster, but says he would now like to play for his hometown club once more before he hangs up his boots.
The Springboks midfielder, who has won back-to-back World Cup crowns, is closing in on a century of Test caps. He made 77 appearances for the Stormers before starting his overseas club service.
Former France winger Teddy Thomas could be heading home to Biarritz next season when his contract runs out at La Rochelle. Bayonne are also battling to secure his signature. The soon-to-be 31-year-old started his career with Biarritz before moving to Racing 92 10 years ago. He has played for La Rochelle for the last three seasons.
Rugbyprime.com have reported that Thomas, who won his last France cap against Australia in July 2021, is weighing up his next move as French clubs look to get their transfer business for the 2025/26 season done early.
Somehow the way Dmacs playing I don't think he will be missed...RICHIE will be back soon hopefully
yikes - really not convinced either nick easter or joe el-abd are up to standard.
there have got to be better coaches available, surely?
By "for rest of season" I presume they mean post NH tour???
Will be great personal development for Mckenzie to have a season in the top 14 and Jordie Barrett to have a season with Leinster. It looks like NZ could find a halfway solution to expose their players to more competitive competitions through sabbaticals in Europe without needing to amend their overseas policy
Wow re Dmac, huge if true....hardly going to win his critics over if he chooses that contract over a NH tour
It won't matter what they think while he's over their, and he can quickly change their mind once he's back.
But the real question is, who should they actually be critizing?
He won't win his critics over no matter what he does so he should do what suits him best! Some people, probably including Robertson, think that Mo' will solve the current AB problems despite previous evidence to the contrary. Straw + clutch.
Will miss him in Super if he goes - he's entertainment plus.
He could score 50 points a match and never win over the pre determined opinions of his critics so Id make a decision that suits him and not a pathetic bunch of haters with no actual rugby nous.
He is signed with NZR thru to end of 2027 WC so just doing a JB and looking to earn some $$ to compensate for his loyalty to NZR.
Will be after the tour.