Fissler Confidential: Saracens sniffing around Springboks newbie

Former Premiership and European champions Saracens have become the latest club to enquire about Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe, who is in the final year of his contract in South Wales.

Fissler Confidential reported last week that the Stormers are keen on Van der Merwe, 28, after losing their Springbok international Joseph Dweba to Exeter Chiefs earlier this summer, but competition has begun to intensify.

The Sharks and Lions have also been sniffing around, but Saracens, who have veteran England and Lions star Jamie George out of contract next summer, are having a look to see who might be available for a move.

Glasgow Warriors could turn to club legend Peter Horne if they lose Franco Smith, should Scotland coach Gregor Townsend move across the border to take over at Newcastle Red Bulls.

Townsend, who is out of contract after the Six Nations next year, was linked this week as a potential target for Newcastle, who are searching for a world-class head coach following their takeover by the energy drinks giant.

Smith, who is also in the final year of his contract with the Warriors, and there are whispers that Horne, who made 182 appearances for the Warriors and currently works for the SRU, could be in line for a promotion.

NRL legend Matty Johns has encouraged the Newcastle Knights to speak with former Wallabies boss Michael Cheika, who is now a free agent after leaving Leicester Tigers and has long harboured ambitions to switch codes.

The Knights and head coach Adam O’Brien will part ways at the end of the NRL season, and Johns says he would at least consider interviewing Cheika for the role.

“I would interview if I was the Newcastle Knights: Michael Cheika. He’s proven he’s a great man manager, and one thing he can do is handle pressure. I think he’d be worth a chat,” said Johns on his own TV show.

Lee Blackett is edging towards the Bath exit door to join Steve Borthwick’s England staff, with whispers coming out of the PREM Rugby champions camp that talks are moving in the right direction.

Borthwick, who has had more reshuffles than a Tory government, wants Blackett to take charge of the attack, with Richard Wigglesworth in charge of the defence and Joe El-Abd working with the forwards.

Bath, who will be compensated for the loss of Blackett, will have to launch an urgent search to find someone available to join Johann van Graan’s staff at short notice.

Jonny May, who is England’s second-highest try-scorer of all time and celebrates his 36th birthday next April, admits that this is likely to be his second and final season with the Pro D2 club Soyaux Angouleme.

May told FR-UK Rugby that he is uncertain about his next move, but the French chômage system, which pays 80 per cent of his salary for six months and then 60 per cent for a further 12 months, provides him with breathing space.

“My focus is very much on the rugby and just give everything that I have got to this last season. And beyond that is unclear. But I wouldn’t want to be a coach at a competitive level,” he said.

Former Exeter Chiefs lock Ruben van Heerden is poised to move to Top 14 big-spenders Montpellier when his contract with the United Rugby Championship side Stormers runs out next summer.

It has been reported in South Africa that Van Heerden, 27, has a verbal agreement to join Montpellier, replacing another South African, Janse van Rensburg, who recently signed with the Bulls.

Van Heerden, who began his career with the Bulls, then played for the Sharks and Exeter, has scored two tries in 53 appearances for John Dobson’s team since relocating to Cape Town two seasons ago.

Bath and Springbok tighthead Thomas du Toit is reported to have turned down a move next summer to Top 14 side Union Bordeaux-Bègles ahead of the 2026-2027 season.

Midi Olympique have reported that Bordeaux approached du Toit, who has won 23 international caps, about leaving the PREM Rugby champions, but he said that he wasn’t interested in signing for them.

World Cup winner Du Toit, who was in the 2024 Premiership team of the year, has made over 50 appearances for Bath, but wasn’t keen on returning to France, where he made an appearance for Toulouse in 2019.

French international full-back Max Spring, who is in the final year of his contract with Racing 92, could be on his way to reunite with Laurent Travers at Bayonne next season.

He could join his younger brother Tom in the Basque Country, who is also having talks with Bayonne about extending his deal with the club beyond the end of the season.

Spring, who has played on the wing and at scrum-half, is closing in on making 100 appearances for Racing, who are keen to keep him in the French capital on a long-term contract.

Former England rugby league boss Steve McNamara, who is looking for another coaching job, admits he would consider switching codes if an offer was presented.

The former Bradford Bulls coach has been looking for another job since leaving Super League Catalans Dragons earlier in the summer, and told Love Rugby League that he agreed to join Bath 12 years ago.

“Just as I agreed that, I got an opportunity to come to the Roosters and at the same time keep the England job on a part-time basis. I was torn, so I backflipped and ended up coming out here to Sydney to join the Roosters.”

In last week’s Fissler Confidential, I stated that Ardie Savea was a target for Racing 92, but that is not the case, and I’m happy to set the record straight.

The error occurred when a subbing issue outside of my control changed R360 to Racing 92, and unfortunately, it wasn’t detected before publication.