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Leicester Tigers release Jonah Holmes, immediately confirm signing of Scottish International centre Matt Scott
Leicester Tigers have released Jonah Holmes from the final year of his contract with the club, and just minutes later announced the signing of international centre Matt Scott.
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27-year-old Holmes has made 45 appearances during his three seasons in Leicester since his club debut in November 2017.
Holmes joined Tigers from Championship club Yorkshire Carnegie ahead of the 2017/18 season after stints with London Wasps and London Welsh.
During his second season at Tigers, Holmes was called up to the Wales squad by Warren Gatland and has made three Test appearances since his debut against Tonga in the 2018 autumn internationals.
Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy thanked Holmes for his contribution to the club over the past three seasons.
“We thank Jonah for what he has given to Tigers, on and off the pitch, during his three seasons with us in Leicester and we wish him all the best ahead of his next chapter,” said Murphy.
“His progression in Leicester, since arriving from the Championship, to international has been well earned and, at his request, we have chosen not to stand in the way of Jonah’s move to Wales to further his Test career.”
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The Director of Rugby in-waiting added that the departure of Holmes presented an opportunity for young outside-backs to put their hands up for selection.
“We are confident in the exciting crop of youngsters making their way up the ranks at the club to kick on and stake their claim in the senior group, alongside the current outside-backs we have as well as the additions we will be making in that area,” added Murphy.
“The make-up of a squad is a balancing act and we are focused on ensuring we have a well-rounded squad, across all positions, of players committed to the journey we are on at Tigers.”
Holmes added: “I want to thank the club and supporters for everything during my time at Tigers, I have enjoyed the opportunity to represent Leicester.
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“The decision was not one I took lightly and, while I will miss representing Leicester Tigers, I am excited for what is ahead for me in my next chapter.”
Meanwhile Tigers have agreed terms with Scotland international Matt Scott, who will join the club ahead of the 2020/21 season.
The centre made his professional rugby debut in 2011 as an Elite Development Player at Edinburgh, after a decorated age-grade career including appearances for Scotland at Under-19 and Under-20 levels.
At just 21, Scott was included in the Scotland ‘A’ squad before – only a month later – he was called up to the national squad and made his Test debut against Ireland in Dublin.
During the next five seasons, the Dunfermline-born Scott made 39 appearances for the national side including four at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
In his first stint at Edinburgh, Scott made more than 60 appearances before linking up with Gloucester in 2016 for two seasons and then, in 2018, returning to Edinburgh.
Speaking about the addition of the international midfielder, Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy said: “Matt is an experienced international who will add vital depth to our squad from next season.
“His knowledge of the Premiership and English game is another positive element, as well as what we know he is capable of on the pitch and compliments the talented group we have at the club.
“Matt is the type of player we feel will fit in well in Leicester on the pitch with his tough, hard-working style and a strong, good character who will add to our club off the pitch as well, which is in important to what we are building at Tigers.”
The 29-year-old, Scott, added: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Tigers. It is one of the biggest club’s in Europe and an institution of English rugby.
“It’s a team I watched growing up, winning a lot, and if someone told me as a teenager that I would play for Tigers, I wouldn’t have believed them.”
Scott also pointed towards the faith he had in the club improving on recent seasons with the right people in place at Tigers.
“I think looking at the quality of the team and the guys who have committed to staying and those who are arriving next season was a big draw for me,” he said.
“It will take hard work and tough people to get back up, but I have no doubt the right players and staff are at Tigers to do it.”
Scott is the second international to join Leicester’s backline stocks ahead of the 2020/21 season after it was confirmed that Nemani Nadolo will move from France to Welford Road in the summer.
And Murphy said there would be more to come, specifically in the outside backs following the release of Jonah Holmes.
“We are not done just yet in the recruitment space and still have additions to announce ahead of next season,” added Murphy.
“Jonah’s departure not only offers opportunities for members of our squad we are confident can make the step up now but also spaces in the outside backs to fill with exciting, new additions to Tigers.”
Tigers will also welcome Steve Borthwick to the club in the role of head coach from July 1, with Murphy becoming director of rugby.
Comments on RugbyPass
After their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
2 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
29 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to comments