Fissler Confidential: French club's failed coup for England star

Montpellier have failed with a cheeky attempt to lure England winger Joe Cokanasiga to the GGL Stadium after Premiership champions Bath put a £200,000 transfer fee on his head.

Fiji-born Cokanasiga, 27, who started his career with a season at London Irish, moved to Bath in 2018 and has just helped them claim a Premiership, Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup treble.

Montpellier, who have signed former French Under-20 international Donovan Taofifenua from Racing 92, were keen on Cokanasiga but not on Bath’s asking price, so they won’t be pursuing a deal and could now look elsewhere.

Champions Cup finalists Northampton Saints’ bid to sign Stade Français lock JJ van der Mescht has stalled after it emerged that he would have to take a massive pay cut to move to Franklin’s Gardens next season.

Saints wanted the 25-year-old former South African Under-20 international to replace Temo Mayanavanua, who is bound for the Fijian Drua, but even though Stade are happy for him to leave, a deal is proving to be problematic.

As it stands, Stade Français could have to subsidise a deal if they want Van der Mescht, who is believed to earn over €450,000 a season, off their wage bill this summer.

Former England attack guru Rory Teague has been given a three-year deal by Pro D2 outfit Béziers to plot a return to the Top 14 by the owners, former internationals Bobby Skinstad and Andrew Mehrtens.

Béziers, who start next season on minus three points, turned to Teague — a former Gloucester coach who has coached in France for Bordeaux and Racing 92 — after parting company with former head coach Pierre Caillet.

They will have a heavy English influence next season after naming former Northampton Saints scrum-half Johnny Howard, who ended his playing career at the club, as their new director of rugby.

Former England international Nathan Hughes could be heading to France in a shock move to Racing 92 after his contract with Japanese outfit Black Rams Tokyo ran out.

Ex-Wasps and Bristol ace Hughes, who won 22 Test caps, ended last season on loan with Urayasu D-Rocks and is a target for Racing, according to leading French publication Midi Olympique.

They are looking to add an experienced physical presence to their pack, and Hughes — who started his career with Auckland in New Zealand — is in their sights for a surprise move.

Former Leeds Tykes and Edinburgh lock Pierce Phillips is having talks about swapping Grenoble for either Top 14 outfit Stade Français or Vannes, who have just been relegated back to the Pro D2 after one season in the top flight.

Middlesbrough-born Phillips, 32, who has also played for Darlington Mowden Park, Jersey Reds, Worcester Warriors and Agen, made 23 appearances for Grenoble last season, including the Pro D2 final defeat to Montauban.

He has been offered two-year deals by both Stade and Vannes, the only slight difference being that the second season in Paris is an option for an extension.

Championship big guns Ealing Trailfinders have ended their search for a new playmaker after turning to former Scotland Under-20 international Richie Simpson to move to London next summer.

Former Glasgow Warriors academy product Simpson, 22, who has also played for the Ayrshire Bulls, has been persuaded to make the move from Scotstoun with the lure of regular first-team action next season.

Ealing have been looking for another fly-half after Craig Willis decided to swap West London for Agen, who have signed him to replace Billy Searle — who is heading to Leicester Tigers this summer.

Former New Zealand Under-20 and Bristol Bears flanker Adrian Choat is being lined up for a return to the Premiership from the Blues later this year.

There has been some chat that Choat, 27 — who joined the Bears in 2019 and made 19 appearances for the Blues in Super Rugby, including 39 minutes in their semi-final defeat to the Crusaders — could return to England.

Choat, who had a brief spell in the West Country with the Bears as injury cover, was mentioned as a possible target for Gloucester, but they could now have moved on to someone else.

Exeter Chiefs have now completed a deal that will see them bring Black Lion and Georgia tighthead Bachuki Tchumbadze to Sandy Park on a two-year deal until 2027.

FreeRugby.ge reports that a deal has been done for Tchumbadze, 23, who made his Rugby Europe Championship debut in a 40–7 win over the Netherlands in February.

The first Georgian to play for the Chiefs was loosehead Nika Abuladze, who made 13 appearances before jumping ship and moving to Montpellier.

Louis Hillman-Cooper is swapping Gloucester to join Rennes Étudiants, who have just been crowned champions of the French third tier, the Nationale 2.

Outside centre Hillman-Cooper, 23, who can also play on the wing, is a former England Under-20 international who made 28 appearances for the Cherry & Whites.

The former Hartpury player — who was an unused replacement when Gloucester won the Premiership Rugby Cup in 2024 — has committed himself to a one-season stint in Pro D2 with Rennes.