Transfers for next season (including transfer rumours!)

thomond2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/13033917.stm

Alun Wyn Jones re-signs for the Ospreys on a 3 year contract.

thomond2006

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_6865771,00.html

Wasps have bolstered their second row stocks with the signature for former All Blacks lock Ross Filipo from French club Bayonne.

The 31-year-old former Crusader has agreed a two-year deal from next season.

Filipo, who has five caps for the All Blacks, won three Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders before moving to France.

Filipo is the fifth player to be signed by the club in recent weeks following announcements that Jeremy Castex (Narbonne), Nicky Robinson (from Gloucester), Ryan Davis (from Exeter) and Chris Bell (from Sale) will also join London Wasps next season

thomond2006

http://www.sports.fr/cmc//scanner/rugby/201114/toulouse-burgess-et-mcalister-ca-avance-dit-bouscatel_343449.html?popup

Toulouse have signed Lionel Beauxis, Gary Botha and Guthro Steenkamp and are in "advanced negotiations" to sign Luke Burgess and Luke McAlister.

GerM

thomond2006 wrote: »

http://www.sports.fr/cmc//scanner/rugby/201114/toulouse-burgess-et-mcalister-ca-avance-dit-bouscatel_343449.html?popup

Toulouse have signed Lionel Beauxis, Gary Botha and Guthro Steenkamp and are in "advanced negotiations" to sign Luke Burgess and Luke McAlister.

They're becoming no better than the other clubs that have money men behind them with these supposed signings. The 9 foreign players they already have on their books are all pretty high quality player (admittedly I'm sure they're losing some of them) and these will all be on silly money also. In another 3 or 4 years, the make up of their first 15 will be no different from that of Racing or Toulon. Bouilhou, Jauzion, Poux, Heymans and Servat will all be gone and the likes of Poiternaud, Michalak, Clerc, Lamboley and Dusautoir will be close to retirement.

It's a far cry from the days like the epic final against Wasps when they had 13 Frenchmen starting with only Brennan and Maka being foreign. I suppose they have to act accordingly in the transfer market to keep up with their rivals.

Gracelessly Tom

Mike Phillips is on his way out of the Ospreys. Good signing for whomever gets him.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/phillips-to-leave-ospreys-501102.html

thomond2006

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Mike Phillips is on his way out of the Ospreys. Good signing for whomever gets him.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/phillips-to-leave-ospreys-501102.html

Rumoured that Toulouse are looking at him, nothing has been agreed with Burgess yet.

jolley123

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Mike Phillips is on his way out of the Ospreys. Good signing for whomever gets him.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/phillips-to-leave-ospreys-501102.html

"I have a contract with the Ospreys that has three more years after this one and that is that really," Phillips told the Western Mail.

"I am happy to be there. Talk of me leaving is nonsense.


Nonsense: Subject matter, behavior, or language that is foolish or absurd.


Nonsense: Subject matter, behavior, or language that is totally correct.

David900

Possibly the two Armitages to Toulon:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-1376606/Steffon-Armitage-targets-French-club-Toulon.html

And although this isn't a player, but Johnson a possible candidate for the Lions job?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/8451787/Martin-Johnson-in-the-spotlight-as-British-and-Irish-Lions-budget-for-long-term-coach.html

wixfjord

Jamie Smith to Dragons :eek:
Weird one, I thought he could have been good, and to go to Dragons is a huge step down.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2011/04/14/dragons-sign-young-ulster-star-jamie-smith-91466-28521304/

Kiwi_knock

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12334_6870352,00.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/rebels-sign-kurtley-beale-from-nsw-20110413-1ddv3.html

Kurtley Beale has signed for the Melbourne Rebels for the next Super Rugby campaign. It has to be one of the biggest surprises this year, really thought he would play a major part in the star studded back line of the Tahs next year. Will be a fantastic signing for the Rebels who are starting to look very promising. Always rumours that the Rebels are looking at James O'Connor as well, would be another top signing. I do think that with Beale and possibly O'Connor signing it will lead to Cipriani heading back to the NH most likely to France.

Great piece of business by the Rebels to get Beale.

conf101

David900 wrote: »

Possibly the two Armitages to Toulon:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-1376606/Steffon-Armitage-targets-French-club-Toulon.html

And although this isn't a player, but Johnson a possible candidate for the Lions job?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/britishandirishlionsrugby/8451787/Martin-Johnson-in-the-spotlight-as-British-and-Irish-Lions-budget-for-long-term-coach.html

Jesus, how big is their squad going to be next year? It's getting ridiculous at this stage. I know this sounds horrible but I hope they have a terrible season next year, rugby shouldn't be about building a star-studded team completely from scratch and then going on to win major trophies.

I know Steffon Armitage isn't exactly 'star-studded' but you get what I mean.

Toulon will be able to have 3 XVs next year at this rate...

porterbelly

Deleted User wrote: »

Toulon will be able to have 3 XVs next year at this rate...

Salary Cap my arse

thomond2006

The Armitages are prime examples of the Sky Sports Premiership hype machine. I don't rate either of them. With their money Toulon could do so much better.

Jemo

thomond2006 wrote: »

The Armitages are prime examples of the Sky Sports Premiership hype machine. I don't rate either of them. With their money Toulon could do so much better.

I thought Steffan was good under the old interpretations, really got over the ball at ruck time and was pretty powerful in the loose. I haven't seen much of him since but I suppose that tells its own story.

bamboozle

thomond2006 wrote: »

The Armitages are prime examples of the Sky Sports Premiership hype machine. I don't rate either of them. With their money Toulon could do so much better.

throw is Tom Croft & Courtney Lawes good players elevated to world class status by sky sports (also Hape & Banahan who are sh1t but sky big up all the time), got great enjoyment out of Ulster match seeing Dan Touhy absolutely nailing Lawes not to mention seeing the pummeling Croft took at the hands of the Leinster back row.

The squad Toulon are assembling is going to be comical next season, trying to keep all the players & squad morale happy will be the main issue.

Gracelessly Tom

Benson Stanley off to Connacht! Great signing for them, good work from Elwood and the rest.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/connacht-poised-to-sign-all-black-501363.html

JustinDee

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Benson Stanley off to Connacht! Great signing for them, good work from Elwood and the rest.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/connacht-poised-to-sign-all-black-501363.html

Hold on. There is nothing signed.

wixfjord

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Benson Stanley off to Connacht! Great signing for them, good work from Elwood and the rest.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/connacht-poised-to-sign-all-black-501363.html

That would be an epic signing. He would tear up the ML.

wixfjord

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Benson Stanley off to Connacht! Great signing for them, good work from Elwood and the rest.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/connacht-poised-to-sign-all-black-501363.html

That would be an epic signing. He would tear up the ML.

GerM

bamboozle wrote: »

throw is Tom Croft & Courtney Lawes good players elevated to world class status by sky sports (who are sh1t but sky big up all the time), got great enjoyment out of Ulster match seeing Dan Touhy absolutely nailing Lawes not to mention seeing the pummeling Croft took at the hands of the Leinster back row.

Cannot agree with you on Lawes at all. Lawes is a million miles from being sh*t in my opinion. The guy is the modern lock and has it all. He's athletic, quick, good in the air and decent on the deck which he has no right to be given his size. If he adds a little more cleverness to his game he will be close to being a complete player. Sky like to build up the hype around players but he is one guy that is justifying it. He was fairly deserving of the man of the match award at the weekend his turnover late on and one or two covering tackles were superb as well as being excellent in the nuts and bolts of the game. He's a lock that can play like a good flanker which there are very few of. I would not be surprised to see himself and Richie Gray combining in Australia in 2 years. Reckon if injury doesn't rob him, he'll see the guts of 100 international caps.

The likes of Croft and Haskell are far more deserving of criticism although Croft has improved steadily to be thereabouts in terms of justifying his reputation. He was nowhere near as good as Sky made out a couple of years ago though and was correcly omitted from the original Lions touring party.

bamboozle

GerM wrote: »

Cannot agree with you on Lawes at all. Lawes is a million miles from being sh*t in my opinion. The guy is the modern lock and has it all. He's athletic, quick, good in the air and decent on the deck which he has no right to be given his size. If he adds a little more cleverness to his game he will be close to being a complete player. Sky like to build up the hype around players but he is one guy that is justifying it. He was fairly deserving of the man of the match award at the weekend his turnover late on and one or two covering tackles were superb as well as being excellent in the nuts and bolts of the game. He's a lock that can play like a good flanker which there are very few of. I would not be surprised to see himself and Richie Gray combining in Australia in 2 years. Reckon if injury doesn't rob him, he'll see the guts of 100 international caps.

The likes of Croft and Haskell are far more deserving of criticism although Croft has improved steadily to be thereabouts in terms of justifying his reputation. He was nowhere near as good as Sky made out a couple of years ago though and was correcly omitted from the original Lions touring party.

where did i say Lawes was sh1t? i said he was a good player elevated to world class by Sky sports hype.

edit, i see now where i said it, meant to have Hape and Banahan in the brackets as the sh1t players while Croft and Lawes are good players hyped up to world class by SS.

GerM

bamboozle wrote: »

edit, i see now where i said it, meant to have Hape and Banahan in the brackets as the sh1t players while Croft and Lawes are good players hyped up to world class by SS.

You're right. Hape is sh*t!

Sky Sports must be getting some commission from players' gents in fairness. The amount of times we've heard that Tom Croft (the most ordinary back rower to have ever gotten a Lions Jersey) is World Class, Haskell (A poor man's Dennis Leamy) being a potent attacking threat, Banahan (A headless and overly aggressive Shane Horgan) being a dangerman is comical at this stage.

In fact, it's players like Lawes that prove it so ridiculous, because when Sky actually finally get it right (even a blind squirrel can find a nut), nobody believes them!

JustinDee

Deleted User wrote: »

Sky Sports must be getting some commission from players' gents in fairness

They're players in a league heavily promoted by Sky Sports (Aviva Premiership), thats why. Look at the criticisms on Leinster from last weekend. All they moaned about was 'cheating'. Graeme Simmons' piece beforehand was hilariously cycloptic.

little173

bamboozle wrote: »

throw is Tom Croft & Courtney Lawes good players elevated to world class status by sky sports (also Hape & Banahan who are sh1t but sky big up all the time), got great enjoyment out of Ulster match seeing Dan Touhy absolutely nailing Lawes not to mention seeing the pummeling Croft took at the hands of the Leinster back row.

The squad Toulon are assembling is going to be comical next season, trying to keep all the players & squad morale happy will be the main issue.

Take the general point but Lawes completely outplayed Touhy in fairness.

sock puppet

Kiwi_knock wrote: »

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12334_6870352,00.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/rebels-sign-kurtley-beale-from-nsw-20110413-1ddv3.html

Kurtley Beale has signed for the Melbourne Rebels for the next Super Rugby campaign. It has to be one of the biggest surprises this year, really thought he would play a major part in the star studded back line of the Tahs next year. Will be a fantastic signing for the Rebels who are starting to look very promising. Always rumours that the Rebels are looking at James O'Connor as well, would be another top signing. I do think that with Beale and possibly O'Connor signing it will lead to Cipriani heading back to the NH most likely to France.

Great piece of business by the Rebels to get Beale.

James O'Connor's almost certainly going there too now according to the Super Rugby website.

Cpt_Blackbeard

Just as we're talking about England and I haven't seen this pop up here, so..

The RFU handed Cueto a 9week ban for the eye gouge below. Any coincidence that a starting England international got off so leniently? In time for the warm up matches too :mad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QYJII6Fh9s

wixfjord

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Just as we're talking about England and I haven't seen this pop up here, so..

The RFU handed Cueto a 9week ban for the eye gouge below. Any coincidence that a starting England international got off so leniently? In time for the warm up mathes too :mad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QYJII6Fh9s

That ain't a gouge imo.
Think the sentence is a little on the harsh side.

wixfjord

little173 wrote: »

Take the general point but Lawes completely outplayed Touhy in fairness.

Aye was epic. Great talent. He's one that Sky are right to hype tbf.