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Fissler Confidential: Outlandish Maro Itoje rumour put to bed
You could have been forgiven for thinking April Fools Day is happening twice this year after far-fetched rumours reached Fissler Confidential Towers this week that Maro Itoje was going to be appearing at the Olympics this season.
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It was suggested that the Saracens, England and Lions lock could follow the France captain Antoine Dupont, who skipped the Six Nations to switch formats ahead of the games that are being hosted in Paris this July and August.
But we understand that there is absolutely no chance of Itoje, who earlier this year signed a hybrid RFU deal, pulling on a Great Britain shirt in Paris.
England centre Henry Slade is still putting the finishing touches to his new Exeter Chiefs contract almost a month after Rob Baxter all but confirmed that he was staying at Sandy Park next season.
Slade is out of contract at the end of the season and had spoken to Stade Francais about joining the exodus of England players leaving the Premiership to make a move across the channel.
Something that could be holding up the deal is that the RFU’s scheme of £150,000 enhanced deals to top up club salaries could be scaled back or even scrapped altogether after only two have been given out to Maro Itoje and Jamie George.
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Former Munster centre Alex McHenry is set to leave Pro D2 promotion hunters Dax at the end of the season after a one-year option on his contract wasn’t taken up.
Cork-born McHenry, 26, an All Ireland Cup winner with Cork Constitution, joined Dax in October after the demise of the Jersey Reds, whom he helped win the RFU Championship last season. He has scored one try in 10 games at inside centre.
The former Ireland under-20 and Ireland 7s, who had a spell on loan in the Premiership at Wasps, scored two tries in three Premiership Cup games at outside centre for Jersey before they were wound up a week before the new season started.
Gloucester have launched a late bid to sign an injury replacement lock after former England under-18 international Cam Jordan was ruled out of action for the next nine months with a damaged ACL.
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The 24-year-old from Leicester scored a try in the Premiership Final win over his home town club in March but was injured in the Cherry and Whites win over French outfit Castres in the Challenge Cup.
George Skivington, who has already recruited Tomas Williams, Gareth Anscombe and Christain Wade for next season, has been asking for CVs of potential recruits who can cover for the loss of Jordan.
Welsh-qualified tight-head former landscape builder Rhys Litterick could come onto Warren Gatland’s radar after signing a new long-term contract with Cardiff following a brilliant first campaign at the Cardiff Arms Park.
Litterick qualifies for Wales through his father, Kevin, who is from the Ogmore Vale and is also Scottish qualified but looks set to pin his colours to Gatland’s mast ahead of games against South Africa at Twickenham and then two tests in Australia.
He has made 12 appearances for Cardiff this season since his move from Harlequins, where he came under the tutorage of legendary Wales tight-head Adam Jones.
Pro D2 promotion hopefuls Provence are seeking a medical joker for Wales centre George North, who ruptured his Achilles in his final international appearance for Wales at the end of the Six Nations.
The Ospreys star, who has won 121 International caps, is due to join Provence, who are currently second in the Pro D2 table, next season on a two-year contract, but a debut will have to wait until he is fit again.
But in the meantime, Provence, who are a point behind league leaders Vannes, are looking around to see who is available to cover for North.
The Ospreys got a double boost this week when it was announced that lock James Fender is staying with the region next season and that Welsh international scrum-half Kieran Hardy is joining from the Scarlets.
The ex-Wales Under-20s lock who spent time on loan at Cornish Pirates last season was tipped for a place in Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad before picking up a season-ending arm injury in January.
Hardy will compete for the Ospreys nine shirt next season with cousin Luke Davies, who has made 16 appearances for the club this season after starting his career with the Scarlets before spending time with the Jersey Reds.
Clermont Auvergne are set to end their search to further strengthen at fly-half by raiding the Top 14’s basement dwellers Oyonnax for Argentina international Domingo Miotti.
Miotti, 27, who won one test cap, only arrived in Oyonnax last summer after ripping up his deal with Glasgow Warriors had a season with Western Force and has scored nearly 150 points in 18 games.
He is likely to replace another of his countrymen, Benjamin Urdapilleta and Jules Plisson in challenging Anthony Belleau for the starting role with La Yellow Army next season.
Dan Kelly has emerged as the favourite to replace Antoine Frisch if he swaps Munster for Toulon. Some sources believe the Leicester Tigers man is in advanced talks with the Irish Province.
England international Kelly, who qualifies for Ireland, is now Munster’s first-choice replacement, with talks over the future of Frenchman Frisch continuing again last week.
Comments on RugbyPass
looking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
16 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
49 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
16 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
49 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
6 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
221 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
221 Go to comments