Press Releases

First topic message reminder :

Post all of your interviews and press releases on here

https://www.606v2.com/t3644-fantasy-aviva-premiership-season-4

Quins give squad a chance

Harlequins have rotated hugely this weekend, but Steven Sharks believes it will be well worth it in the long run. Quins have 21 players who are with there national squads this week and a further 11 who have been made unavailable by the Quins management team so as to be prepared for next weeks Aviva Premiership action.

' We face 2 games against Bath over the next fortnight and we know we have to focus on the one which will take place at the Rec. We have rested many of our heavy hitters who we expect to start the league game and are able to offer some of the brightest young talent in the world the opportunity to show what they can do in front of the Quins faithful'

'The likes of John Afoa, Steve Borthwick and Bakkies Botha needed a week off. They have done some hard yards this season and will benefit from being fully refreshed for what is a extremely intense period for Harlequins in the run up to Xmas'

Driver delighted to come off the bottom

Saracens today overtook Worcester Warriors and moved into 11th place in the Aviva Premiership thanks to a losing bonus point at home to Gloucester.

'It's a big point for us to take , not just in the sense that it takes us off the bottom of the table which is a massive confidence boost to everyone heading into a tough Hieno middle leg and into the Xmas run through'

'We know there is still a long distance from achiving our aim of a top 8 finish and we're going to keep working hard towards it'

Driver confirmed that the HC will contain a lot of Saracens youngsters against Trevisio.

Rumoured team for Trevisio

1.Max Lahiff
2.Hika Elliot
3.Phil Swainstone
4.Tim Swinson
5.Lionel Nallet
6.Phil Dowson (c)
7.Rhys Ruddock
8.Luke Narraway

9.Lloyd Williams
10.Paddy Jackson
11.Tim Visser
12.Chris Bell
13.Elliot Daley
14.Harry Robinson
15.Rory Lamount

16.Spurling 17.Roberts 18.Tui 19.Jubb 20.James 21.Chudley 22.Catterick 23.Nonu

Saints to ring the changes for Biarittz visit:

After two weeks of sub par performances Northampton Saints manager, Dammit Chris, is expected to ring the changes for the home game against Biarittz.

"of course the last two weeks haven't gone exactly to plan, we made too many errors against London Welsh the week before last and the Sale pack did a great job on us yesterday and we just couldnt get any quick ball. Again our finishing outwide wasn't up to our normal high standard and the players know that isn't acceptable if we are going to get into the playoffs at the end of the season"

Saints are expected to name the following side:

1. Sona Taumalolo
2. Dylan Hartley
3. Carl Hayman
4. Courtney Lawes
5. Patricio Albacete
6. Calum Clark
7. Julian Bonnaire
8. Sergio Parrise
9. Joe Simpson
10. George Ford
11. Julian Savea
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Chris Ashton
15. Ben Foden

SARACENS ADD WALLABY ROB SIMMONS TO LOCK DEPARTMENT



Saracens today confirmed the return of former Sarries lock Rob Simmons. Simmons has been a long term target of Sarries and joins the club on a 3 year deal from London Welsh is a deal which sees Craig Mitchell and Paul Hodgson join the Exiles.

Saracens forwards coach Toby Booth holds the Wallaby lock in high regard and thinks Simmons brings a extra dimension to the Saracens scrum with Saracens already possesing Lionel Nallet , Flip Van Der Merwe , Bryn Evans and Ali Williams along with young star Tim Swinson all ready comepeting for a starting berth at the club.

Christmas Comes Early for Tigers

Leciester Tigers have moved to hand their fans an early Christmas present by announcing the signings of Frederic Michalak from Toulon and Geoff Parling fron Newcastle. Despite sitting at the top of the Aviva Premiership, Tigers have moved to strengthen their squad, and clearly hope to send out a message to their rivals with this double swoop.

Manager LukeLovesLuka said "we're delighted to bring Freddie and Geoff in, particularly at this stage. Both have been star performers for their respective countries over the Autumn, and both bring a great deal of experience with them of the big games.

Geoff is someone I have had my eye on for a while - and his performances for England of late convinced me he would be a terrific signing. His abilites in the lineout are one of the main reasons for this capture, as this hasn't been our strongest area of late. And Freddie doesn't need much explanation really. His mercurial talents are known the world over, and his instictive abilities give us the option of something a bit different in attack."

Tom Croft has left Tigers to join Newcastle Falcons. LukeLovesLuka had this to say - "We wish Tom all the best in his time at Newcastle - his game time here has been limited this season with the arrival of the likes of Sean O'Brien and Franois Louw over the summer, and he wants to play rugby. I didn't want to stand in his way. I'm sure he'll be a hit at Falcons"

New Arrivals at Quins

Today Harlequins captured the signings of South African international Francois Houghard, who returns to the club after a period away with Saracens and most recently London Welsh. Francois adds versatility to the Quins squad as well as blistering pace and great ball skills, which Quins have been looking for. Matt Smith also joined the squad from Welsh providing Quins with more versatility in the back line.

Harlequins are also delighted to announce the arrival of one of the the most promising prospects to come out for Irish rugby for years. Dan Leavy has joined from Leinster and will join up with the Quins academy in the new year.

Saints delight as the Rosario Rocket signs on

Northampton Saints today announced the signing of Argentinian international Juan Jose Imhoff from Racing Metro. The twenty four year old has scored eleven tries in just fourteen appearances for the Pumas and is regarded as one of the most exciting finishers in world rugby.

"When I found out that Juan Imhoff was available I knew we had to pull out all the stops to bring him to Franklins Gardens" said Saints Manager Dammit Chris "he is a really powerful runner and an excellent finisher and will offer us that something different in the backthree.

His versatility is really important for the club and it will be good to get him linked up with his fellow countrymen Patricio (Albacete) and Juan Martin (Hernandez). With Wadey, Chris Ashton, Julian Savea, Ben Foden and Leigh Halfpenny as attacking options we know where our strengths lie and will continue to play attacking rugby and give the back three plenty of opportunities to score tries".

It is widely rumoured in the local press that Northampton Saints are now listening to offers on Sitiveni Siviatu who has fallen down the pecking order this season, especially with the arrival of Juan Jose Imhoff.

London Welsh head coach Ozzy3213 spoke to the press at the clubs training ground today ahead of this weekend's trip to Sixways to take on Worcester Warriors.

The first thing he was asked was about the comings and goings of players in the last fortnight.

"We are always looking to improve the squad and there were one or two areas that we have been keen to address since I arrived here, and when the right players became available we were always going to try to get them in. That has meant that one or two guys have also left, as the salary cap rules are strict and we just couldn't afford to keep them. It was a difficult decision to let Francois Hougaard go, but I knew that we were on the verge of signing Paul Hodgson and we definitely needed to add some depth at hooker, so Rob Hawkins coming in was a great fit for us. Losing Fran's salary also freed up some cash for us to bring Dave McSharry in from Connacht which I am really pleased about as he is a bright young talent who looks set to have a big future in the game.

I am happy with how the squad is starting to shape up now, but there are one or two other players we have an eye on, and we'll continue to develop and look to improve on what he have, all of the time."


Ozzy3213 then spoke about results, and aims for the rest of the season.

"Look, we had a tough start to the season, coming in very late here and having to get things together very quickly. In our first 6 games we lost 5 and only had the 1 win, but since then we've really kicked on. In our 10 games since then, we've only lost twice, once in the league to Bath, and once away at Kingsholm in the Anglo Welsh Cup. We are unbeaten in our last 4 since that defeat to Gloucester, and confidence is high within the squad right now. Defensively we have good systems in place, which is borne out by the stats, with us having conceded an average of just 20 points a game all season, and only Gloucester in the Anglo Welsh Cup managing to score 4 tries against us. We have players in our side who can score tries, so if we can get our defence conceding less than 20 points per game, then we will always have a chance of getting a win.

Going forward, we want to keep improving, and building towards success. We are a little bit off the pace in the league, but we've three big games coming up, and if we can pick up three wins, then that could catapult us up into contention for a top 6 finish. We are currently topping our Amlin pool with our final game a trip to Paris to take on Stade Francais, which is a game that has us all excited, and we'll keep plugging away in the Anglo Welsh Cup and see if we get out of our pool. If we were to manage to win something this season then that would be an incredible achievement given where we started from, but we will be going all guns blazing to try and make that happen."


He was then asked about this weeks game with Worcester, and the likelihood of seeing changes to the team which beat Grenoble so comprehensively last weekend.

"We've rested the likes of Alex (Corbisiero), Bismarck (du Plessis), Adam (Jones), Sitaleki (Timani), Thierry (Dusautoir), Morgan (Parra) and Foxy (Jonathan Davies) last week, and they will all be in contention to start against Worcester. I've no doubt that it will be a big physical battle, so it's good to have the ability to freshen up the pack with world class players who will be up for that challenge. If we can win that battle, then we know we have the backs to take our chances, and with the weather set to be fair, we will be looking to get the likes of Bryan Habana and Digby Ioane into the game as often as possible. We have back to back home games after this week, so if we can pick up the win on the road, then that will set us up nicely."

BACKROW SELECTION DILEMMA FOR EXILES

London Irish boss stnick says he has a selection dilemma on his hands for this weekends crunch game with Leicester Tigers at the Madejski. New signing Yannick Nyanga has proved an instant hit after impressive performances in both Heineken Cup wins over the Scarlets. Jerome Kaino has returned from a short loan spell at Worcester and is available for selection. Will Fraser has impressed recently at openside and provides competition for Steffon Armitage for the 7 shirt. Youngster Marcell Coetzee is also able to play at both 6 and 7 and will be vying for a start this weekend. At number 8, Irish have Pierre Spies, Netani Talei and Keegan Daniel to choose from, with the weather likely to have an affect on selection. The current forecast of dry and cloudy conditions may give Keegan Daniel the nod at 8.

Ruan Pienaar and Mathieu Bastereaud will definitely miss the fixture after being ruled out of action for a number of weeks. Springbok flyer Bjorn Basson has also been ruled out for up to 6 weeks with an ankle injury.

Tigers Continue to Roar

Leicester Tigers have now beaten every side in the league this season, after their 28-20 victory over Gloucester - the only side to have beaten Tigers when they won 25-24 on the 26th October at Kingsholm.

Tigers manager LukeLovesLuka is still keeping his feet on the ground though, and said "yes we've had a great first half of the season. To now be able to say we have beaten every side in the league is a fanatastic achievment, and I can't praise the boys enough.

But no-one here is resting on their laurels. We know how close the top of the league is, and a couple of slip ups could see us slip down the table a bit. Our target is a home semi final in the playoffs, and we'll be doing everything we can to achieve that.

We still have some very tough games, not least the likes of Newcastle, Saints, Quins and Bath away from home. And that starts with our trip to Worcester this week. We are by no means thinking we've done the job. We are 100% focused on continuing to win games."

SAINTS TARGET HC SUCCESS?

It is rumoured that Northampton Saints are targeting the Heineken Cup as their main priority this season and it is anticipated that they will make wholesale changes for the trip away to Newcastle Falcons in the league.

A source close to the club said "The message we are getting from the club is that Saints want a top six finish in the league this year and secure qualification for the HC again. They are going to make a raft of changes for the league game against the Falcons and then recall all of the big guns for the second game a week later where a win or draw would see them finish top of their group".

However, Assistant Head Coach, Jim Mallinder, was quick to state "We go out to win every game we play, but at the same time we've got two tough away games against a very good Newcastle outfit and we will be making the most of our squad over both games - we'll be giving Sergio Parisse his return and I expect that Juan Jose Imhoff will make his debut as he's been very impressive in training since he joined the club".

It is expected that Rob Webber, Mako Vunipola, Dan Lydiate, Loti Mulipola and Sergio Parisse will all return to the pack with Mike Phillips, Jean de Villiers and Juan Jose Imhoff returning to the backline.

Driver delighted to be 'home'

The world of rugby was turned upside down today when Pooly left his post at Newcastle to be replaced by fellow Hartlepool lad Driver who recently left his post at Saracens as he struggled to find any enthusiasm for the London based club and is said to be delighted to be 'home'

SAINTS END FALCONS IMPRESSIVE HOME RECORD

Northampton Saints pulled off one of the performances of the season as they ended Newcastle Falcons two year undefeated home record in the Heineken Cup.

The 24-22 away win ensured that Saints also maintained their 100% record in Europe and this looks set to be maintained throughout the group stages with a home game against Zebre next weekend.

Attack Coach, Alex King, stated after the game "that was arguably the most committed performance from the boys this season, bodies were put on the line and I am delighted for the club - we are certainly targeting Europe this season and to be in with a chance of making the knockout stages with dropping just two points so far is a real sign of intent"

It is expected that Saints will ring the changes for the visit of Zebre next weekend, with the return of Ben Foden from injury, who should supplement a completely new backthree with Juan Jose Imhoff and Christian Wade.

Driver on Falcons Heineken Cup exit.

Big woop , Compared to the Premiership the HC is a micky mouse cup. Obviously Pooly will be disappointed to leave on a loss but it gives me in my new club a chance to focus on the big fish which is the Aviva Premiership which in terms of quality across the board is much better than that of the HC which has some poor sides in it. It offers a chance for teams which arn't good enough to win the AP this season the chance to get a trophy and have a day out.

Falcons are expected to make changes for the trip to Biarittz with Toby Flood fit again expected to be given the chance to impress the England selectors.

Rumoured Falcons side

01.Soane Tonga'uhia	09.Ben Youngs
02.Lee Mears	10.Toby Flood
03.Paul Doran Jones
04.Yoaan Masteri	11.Alex Cuthbert
05.Paul O'Connell	12.Scott Williams
06.Tom Croft	13.George Lowe
07.Richie McCaw(c)	14.James O'Connor
08.Toby Falatau	15.Alex Goode

Newcastle 'A' 42
Blaydon 5

1.Luke Cowen Dickie
2.George McGuigan
3.Scott Wilson
4.Jonny Grey (c)
5.Will Carrick Smith
6.Joe Robinson
7.Hugh Blake
8.Josh Beaumont

9.Jimmy Cowen
10.Joel Hodgson
11.Raymond Rhule
12.Luke Marshall
13.Francis Saili
14.Zack Kilbridge
15.Henry Slade

Good centre combo.
Saili has some wheels and skills

All change at Warriors

Worcester manager Prop_Lyd has made some new additions to his Warriors squad as they look to fight off relegation and target Amlin success.

Prop has brought in internationals in the shape of Pat Lambie and Craig Mitchell along with the experienced Dean Schofield and the exciting Tom Casson who is looking forward to linking up with his ex centre partner Matt Hopper again.

'We have seen Pat (McCabe), Fraser (Balmain) and big Jim (Hamilton) go the other way however, we feel that in bringing in Pat and Tom we will have much more go-forward in the backs and it's always nice to add an exciting English talent to the squad. As soon as Craig's name was mentioned I knew I wanted to sign him and he'll link well with Paul James who he played alongside for a long time at the Ospreys. When it comes to talking about Pat (Lambie) I know he'll suit our game with an excellent platform and it allows us to give Morne some rest as he's been under immense pressure recently.'

All four players are going to attend a team building exercise tonight with the view of making their debut's in the Amlin cup match this weekend so they are up and running for the crucial match against Wasps.

Ashton spotted in Newcastle Centre with Kidney

Chris Ashton was reported to be seen in Newcastle city centre with Falcons director of rugby Declan Kidney. Falcons have been keen admires of Ashton ever since they where alerted to his availability in June 2012.

Ashton is thought to be keen on a move to the north east as he insists a premiership winners medal is something he is hoping to achieve and has told close freinds he may have to leave Northampton Saints to claim one.

Newcastle are set to make another bid for Chris Ashton in the coming days but Saints aren't keen on letting there flyer leave until the summer despite Ashton stating his desire to leave.

Driver delighted to add Aus wonderkid

Newcastle Falcons today finalised the deal to bring Australian youngster Dom Shipperly to Kingston Park from Leicester Tigers. Shipperly has impressed for Australia on the International side and has bags of pace along with a massive work rate.

The twist side of the deal is that with Drew Mitchell leaving it opens up a space in the senior side which Falcons are keen to fill with Chris Ashton.

Quins A side defeat Esher

A young Harlequins side took to the field against Esher tonight and came away with a 43 - 10 win. The side, captained by Rob Buchanan, was packed with under 20 internationals and played some excellent stuff, particularly in the 2nd half.

1. Edward Byrne
2. Rob Buchanan (c)
3. Tadgh Furlong
4. George Merrick
5. Charlie Matthews
6. Pieter Steph Du Toit
7. Dan Leavy
8. Jack Cliffor
9. Luke McGrath
10. Ihaia West
11. Ross Chisholm
12. Jan Serfontein
13. Jason Emery
14. Chris Feauai-Sautia
15. Santiago Cordero

16. Will Collier
17. Kyle Sinckler
18. Sam Jones
19. James Chisholm
20. Jordan Burns
21. Ope Peleseuma
22. Harry Sloan
23. Mitchell Tamaiau
23. Olly Lindsey-Hague

All Change for Prop

Prop_Lyd has left his position with Worcester and taken up an attractive offer from London Irish to lead their charge for top 6.

'I've had them approach me a couple of times now and I gave them the main stipulation that I will be able to bring some of my most influential players from Worcester to Irish. I have admired the Irish squad for a while now and can't wait to travel to Bath and play a much more expansive game than was available at Warriors. It was tough to leave Worcester having been with them for so long but joining a successful team such as Irish was too much to turn down.'

Irish also revealed a big Worcester influence following prop in the form of: Justin Tipuric, Ben Morgan, Scott Higginbotham, Mamuka Gorgodze and Mike McCarthy all who are chomping at the bit to play for the exiles.

Falcons 45 Tynedale 5

Newcastle Falcons claimed victory over Tynedale with a 6 converted trys and a Slade drop goal.

1.Luke Cowen Dickie
2.George McGuigan
3.Scott Wilson
4.James Grey (c)
5.Will Carrick - Smith
6.Joel Conlon
7.Hugh Blake
8.Joe Robinson

9.Joel Hodgson
10.Henry Slade
11.Dom Shipperly
12.Luke Marshall
13.Francis Salia
14.Charles Pitutau
15.Zack Kirbridge

16.Nathan Morris 17.James Halam 18.Joshs Beaumont 19.Grant Connan 20.Sam Jones 21.Andrew Forsyth 22.Raymond Rhule

T:Penalty (10) , Shipperly (2) , Marshall , Salia , Robinson

Saints confirm Academy Promotions

Northampton Saints are today delighted to announce that Joe Launchbury, Christian Wade, Mako Vunipola and Benvenutto have all signed long-term contracts with the club and will be promoted to the Senior Squad for the 2013/2014 season.

Backs coach Alex King stated "They are a really talented bunch of players and to have three of them capped at full international level before the age of twenty two and the other representing the Saxons speaks volumes for their progress since joining the club.

We are delighted that they will be staying with Saints for a minimum of the next three years and it will be my job to ensure that they add to their caps and give the club a great chance of collecting some silverware over the coming seasons".

Speculation has begun to mount as to which players will be leaving the Saints in the summer. It is widely expected that Siti Siviatu will be the biggest name departing the club after falling down the pecking order in recent weeks. It is believed that Mulipola and Morris will also be leaving in search of more regular first team rugby.

STNICK BEGINS WARRIORS RE-SHAPE

It hasn't taken long for new Worcester Warriors boss stnick to ring the changes at Sixways. First up, in came hard working and versatile flanker Phil Dowson, with exciting outside centre Matt Hopper departing for Saracens. After deals for Tom Varndell, Topsy Ojo and Mouritz Botha stalled, stnick has moved to secure the signings of French fly half Francois Trinh-Duc, Springbok prop Werner Kruger, All Black lock Ali Williams and French flanker Raphael Lakafia. Morne Steyn, Paul James, Ollie Kohn and Fergus McFadden have left the club in the deal.

'I left London Irish after 3 and a half good years and two trophies to my name, including one Premiership title. I felt I had taken the club as far as I could and wanted a break. After a couple of months out, the Worcester job was offered to me and I decided to accept the challenge. I have gone about re-shaping the squad and will continue to do so to get the right balance and give us the best chance of staying in the division. We have some great players here; Pat Lambie, Dwayne Peel, Pierre Spies, Ross Rennie, Delon Armitage, Beast are all top class players and youngsters like Kyle Godwin and Samson Lee are learning from them and will continue to develop. I am confident we can press on and get the results to stay up.'

Driver says Welsh game could make or break there season

Falcons chief Driver has said that this weekends fixture vs. London Welsh is a must win game and will field the strongest side he has available.

'We're in a rut and we have to get out of it and it's going to start this weekend against Welsh , Kingston Park is a fortress and will stay one with Welsh added to the list of teams who have tried and failed here. We've got to play to our strenghts of a high tempo , quick paced and clinical game plan'

Saints target LV Cup Success

Northampton Saints attack coach, Alex King, expressed disappointment at the home loss to a spirited London Irish team and sets the team's focus upon retaining the LV Cup.

"We do lose a lot of players during the Six Nations, but we wont be using that as an excuse. We had chances but for whatever reason we just couldn't finish them and the Irish backrow put in a phenomenal performance against us.

We've got a great game against Wasps next week in the semi finals of the LV Cup and we will be making a few changes to the side that lost. George Ford will most certainly start after a couple of impressive cameos from the bench in recent weeks along with Juan Jose Imhoff.

King did not dampen rumours that Saints would be recalling a number of their on loan players to support their end of season run. Currently the club have the likes of Jamie Elliot, Billy Vunipola and Liam Gill out on loan.

Saints are expected to name the following team for their clash with Wasps:

1. Sona Taumalolo 2. TFN 3. Henry Thomas 4. Samo Manoa 5. Patricio Albacete 6. Dan Lydiate 7. Julian Salvi 8. Liam Messam 9. Joe Simpson 10. George Ford 11. Christian Wade 12. Matt Giteau 13. Ashley Beck 14. Juan Jose Imhoff 15. Ben Foden

Tigers Pay Price for Bouncing Back to Winning Ways

Leicester Tigers have survived their blip to bounce back to form with two successive wins. Tigers have beaten Saracens and Sale Sharks in consecutive weeks, and seem to be over their mini-slump which saw them draw with London Welsh and lose away to Harlequins - only Tigers' second league defeat of the season.

But this return to winning ways has come at a price, with the club today announcing that eight players are on the treatment table. The biggest losses look to be Francois Louw (ankle), Kurtley Beale (hand) and Andrew Sheridan (knee) - who all look likely to miss at least the next six weeks, whilst consistent fly half Jonny Wilkinson (foot) may also miss Tigers upcoming trips to Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints.

With scrum-half Michael Claasens suffering a torn hamstring this week, and Dimitri Yachvili cited for a stamp, the club have moved immediately to bring in some fresh blood. Tigers have today announced the signing of Irish international Eion Reddan and Welsh international Craig Mitchell from Worcester Warriors, with Claasens and Brian Mujati going in the other direction. Tigers have thanked Michael and Brian for their efforts at Tigers, and have wished both all the best for the future.

WORCESTER WIN VITAL ENCOUNTER TO BOOST SURVIVAL HOPES

Worcester Warriors produced a superb performance to beat relegation rivals London Wasps 30-0 at Sixways. The bonus point victory moves them off the bottom of the table and puts them 3 points ahead of Wasps and 2 points behind Saracens. It was all Worcester from start to finish, with Wasps failing to really turn up all game. Pierre Spies grabbed a brace of tries with James Short and Tawera Kerr-Barlow scoring late on to secure the bonus point.

After the game, Warriors boss stnick announced the immediate signings of South African duo Brian Mujati and Michael Classens. Eoin Reddan and Craig Mitchell have left the club to join table topping Leicester Tigers.

'Brian and Michael will bring great experience to our team and I am looking forward to seeing them in action. We won't chuck them in straight away, both have knocks from recent games so will be rested up for a while. We have Dwayne (Peel) and Tawera (Kerr-Barlow) playing very well at the moment at scrum half so there is no need to rush Michael back and aggrevate his knock. Brian should be fit in a few weeks but we have two weeks off now anyway and Werner Kruger is a great player to be able to bring in at tighthead as BJ Botha is now injured.'

HARLEQUINS SACK MEDICAL TEAM

Following the injury of 8 first team players on Monday morning, Harelquins have announced that club's medical team has been sacked with immediate effect and replaced on an interim basis by the cast of popular American medical drama ER.

Quins head to Portugal

Harlequins this week have taken a squad to Portugal this week to take on the Portuguese national team in a friendly on Friday. The squad have a two week break from domestic action and have taken a squad which includes some of their young academy talent.

First half team

1. Wyatt Crockett
2. Matthew Rees
3. Kieran Brookes
4. Jerome Thion
5. Charlie Matthews
6. Will Welch
7. Jamie Gibson
8. Sam Jones
9. Karl Dickson
10. Ihaia West
11. Taku Ngwenya
12. Merab Sharikadze
13. Jonathan Joseph
14. Luke Morahan
15. Andre Taylor

2nd half team.

1. Will Collier
2. Schalk Brits
3. Kyle Sinckler
4. Pieter-Steph Du Toit
5. James Gaskell
6. George Kruis
7. Chris Henry
8. Jack Clifford
9. Luke McGrath
10. Quade Cooper
11. Ross Chisholm
12. Jan Serfontein
13. Anthony Faainga
14. Chris Feauai-Sautia
15. Olly Lindsay-Hague

Saints aim to retain LV Cup
Northampton Saints moved into this weekend's LV Cup Final after a hard fought win against London Wasps.

Saints attack coach, Alex King, stated "We are delighted to get the chance to try and retain the LV Cup and secure a place in next season's Heineken. It would certainly take some pressure off us on the league front, as a top6 finish is a bit of a lottery with so many good teams competing.

Over the last few seasons we've traditionally used this cup as a springboard to end the league strongly and we'll certainly be looking for a performance against Sale to achieve that.

I was very impressed with the way they played against Gloucester, especially Sexton at 10 - on that form he's going to be a danger and we've got to hope he has caught the eye of the Ireland coaches.

We got a few selection headaches ahead of the game, as I thought George Ford put in a very controlled performance and both Christian Wade and Jose Imhoff looked very threatening when they got their hands on the ball".

It has been reported that Danny Cipriani and Patricio Albacete could both be set to leave Saints this summer, and will join Niall Morris who has already agreed to sign for Leinster.

London Wasps left stung after defeat

Director of Rugby of London Wasps was left dejected after he saw his heroic Wasps side go down to Northampton Saints after a last drop-goal in the dying seconds saw their winning margin disappear into a defeat. Flux had this to say in an interview with ESPN after the game;

"It's bitterly disappointing to see those boys be so close to victory and then have it snatched away from them at the death. I have to say that all of the credit goes to those lads out there, they have been working like mad men to try and turn this poor run of form around, they know its up to them and they showed it today - and its a big wake up call for those that have to face us in the run-in.
We showed that despite being under pressure we can mix it with the big boys, and we can play some good rugby as shown with Varndell's try.
It will take a big effort to get the lads heads up on Monday, but the motivation to go and take on Saracens next week and put a big result on them. It will inspire the lads to take their games up another level and take our intensity up to near fever pitch. Next weekend will be a big one."

Quins win and plan for Gloucester

Harlequins pulled off a vital away win this weekend when they beat Saracens at the Allianz Park. Quins managed to outscore their opponents three tries to one with the boot of Freddie Burns getting the rest of Quins points.

'We didn't expect to win this one. We are still missing players and with injuries hitting any match points here would have been a bonus, so to come away with a win was vital with all the teams around us winning. Next week we have some top players coming back into the side and we hope to really give Gloucester a battle, as a win at Kingsholm would be huge for our season'

Quins extended squad to play Gloucester: Forwards: Wyatt Crockett, Tony Woodcock, Joe Marler, Kieran Brookes, Will Collier, Schalk Brits, Matthew Rees, Bakkies Botha, George Kruis, Charlie Matthews, Carl Fearns, Jamie Gibson, Tom Wood, David Denton, Michael Hooper, Sam Warburton, Nick Easter.

Backs: Karl Dickson, Greig Laidlaw, Freddie Burns, Quade Cooper, Jamie Roberts, Anthony Faainga, Florian Fritz, Jonathan Joseph, Luke Morahan, Yoann Huget, Ross Chisholm, Rob Kearney. Andre Taylor.

Saints

Northampton Saints backed up their LV Cup win with a narrow win over London Wasps at Adams Park. The boot of Juan Hernandez proved decisive as the Argentinian's kicking prowess was the difference between the two teams.

Early scores by Billy Vunipola and Elliot Daly looked to set Saints on the path to a straight forward win, but Wasps turned the match on its head with an incredible second half performance led by the return to form of flyhalf Rhys Priestland.

Saints manager, Dammit Chris said after the game, "We were very lucky to get away with the win there, I thought Wasps were brilliant in the second half and if it wasn't for Juan Martin's kicking then they would have won. I was pleased that our youngsters managed to turn the game round at the end, and guys like Thomas, Vunipola, Daly and Wade will learn a lot from that.

It is a big game against Tigers this weekend and we'll be making some changes to the match day 23 as beating the league leaders will be a great boost and at this stage it is all about getting the momentum."

Saints are expected to name the following side against Leicester Tigers this week at Franklins Gardens:

1. Mako Vunipola
2. TFN
3. Carl Hayman
4. Joe Launchbury
5. Patricio Albacete
6. Julian Bonnaire
7. Sam Cane
8. Sergio Parisse
9. Mike Phillips
10. Juan Martin Hernandez
11. Leigh Halfpenny
12. Wesley Fofana
13. Elliot Daly
14. Christian Wade
15. Ben Foden

16. Matu'u Moto 17. Thomas Domingo 18. Henry Thomas 19. Courtney Lawes 20. Billy Vunipola 21. Nick Phipps 22. Danny Cipriani 23. Manu Tuilagi

WARRIORS CONTINUE SQUAD SHAKE UP

Worcester Warriors have continued their revamp of the squad under new boss Stnick88 by signing international trio Dave Denton, Matthew Rees and Thomas Waldrom. These signings have signalled the departures of Pierre Spies, Gary Botha and Ryan Jones, with the latter joining table topping Leicester Tigers.

'I'm delighted to bring in these new lads. Dave Denton is someone I've been tracking for a long time. Back in my days at London Irish I tried to sign him but he chose to join Quins. So I am delighted to of now signed him for Worcester. He will fit in the backrow with Ross (Rennie) and Johnnie (Beattie) very well. Matthew Rees is a natural leader with vast amounts of experience. He has a good set piece and will have a great battle with Richardt (Strauss) to be our number one hooker. Thomas the Tank is another quality player with international experience who will bring great power to our pack.

Wasps Director Delighted with First League win

Director of Rugby Fluxy, left Adams park yesterday with a broad smile on his face, as his Wasps side completed their first league win since his appointment back before the turn of the year. Flux was delighted with the mentality that his team took after a bitter one point loss last week, as they turned around and managed overcome fellow league stragglers Saracens.

With this win under their belt Flux stated in a brief interview that evening that he would looking his team to continue in their new found belief and build some momentum for the remainder of the season. A break from the league next week, see's another chance for Wasps to record two wins on the bounce, if they manage to beat Bath away.

Saints look to Europe

After their 29-23 victory over Leicester Tigers at the weekend, Saints attack coach, Alex King, discussed how his sides attention was now set to focus on Europe.

"We've had a couple of form glitches during the season, particularly during both international windows, but it has given us the chance to test guys like Elliot Daly and Christian Wade and that has been a huge positive for us.

Unfortunately, I think given the run in and our Heineken Cup run in I don't think it is possible to compete on both fronts and we've taken the decision to go all guns blazing for our first Heineken Cup win in ten years.

We've got a tricky home tie against Leinster this Friday evening, but the performances from the guys at the weekend has really given us confidence ahead of the clash and keep our undefeated European run going."

Expected Saints team versus Leinster:

1. Mako Vunipola
2. TFN
3. Henry Thomas
4. Joe Launchbury
5. Courtney Lawes
6. Liam Messam
7. Sam Cane
8. Sergio Parisse
9. Mike Phillips
10. Juan Martin Hernandez
11. Leigh Halfpenny
12. Weslie Fofana
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Christian Wade
15. Ben Foden

16. Moto Mata'u 17. Thomas Domingo 18. Carl Hayman 19. Calum Clark 20. Billy Vunipola 21. Nick Phipps 22. Matt Giteau 23. Elliot Daly

Ryan Jones - a Fresh Face at Crucial Time for Tigers

Ryan Jones starts his first game for Leicester Tigers this week. Jones signed from Worcester, and is selected at blindside flanker in the backrow, where he lines up alongside Sean O'Brien and Ernst Joubert. Tigers travel to France to play Clermont Auvergne, and manager LukeLovesLuka is well aware of the challange that that brings.

He said "To bring in a player of Ryan's ability and experience at this stage of the season is a real bonus for the run-in. He brings a real presence, and comes off the back of a fantastic Six Nations tournament for Wales. He is well versed at 4, 6 and 8, which is invaluable with the squad limits that are enforced.

We travel to Clermont confident we can beat them. They are a great side, who are very tough to beat, but we sit top of the Aviva Premiership, and believe we are the side to go there and get the victory. We've gone with a huge pack, with so much experience in there - I think the average caps is around 40 per player - and we will look to beat Clermont physically. It's tough to do, but we are backing ourselves to go and do it.

This season has been very successful, but it means nothing in April - we want to accomplish our targets of being in the Aviva Premiership Final, and getting as far as we can in the Heineken Cup. We need to keep bettering ourselves and keep getting the wins, and the squad and I are very confident we can do that."

Saints lay down European Marker

Northampton Saints recorded their seventh straight European victory after knocking out Irish heavyweights Leinster from the Heineken Cup in a pulsating game at Franklins Gardens.

Christian Wade was the star of the show and his pace caused the Leinster defence problems from his very first touch of the ball. He was involved in all four of Saints tries and must surely now be in Warren Gatland's plans for the Lions tour in the summer.

Saints attack coach, Alex King, stated "Christian has been a star this season, he has come on leaps and bounds. The last few games he has gone up a couple of levels and looks like he can score a try every time he gets the ball. The harder grounds are really suiting his game and he'll certainly be playing a key part in the run in".

Saints are expecting to make a number of changes for the trip to London Welsh with important games at home to Sale and the semi-final against Clermont.

1. Thomas Domingo
2. Moto Matu'a
3. Carl Hayman
4. Courtney Lawes
5. Patricio Albacete
6. Joe Launchbury
7. Julian Salvi
8. Sergio Parisse (c)
9. Nick Phipps
10. Tyler Bleyendaal (k)
11. Julian Savea
12. Weslie Fofana
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Chris Ashton
15. Elliot Daly

16. TFN 17. Mako Vunipola 18. Henry Thomas 19. Calum Clark 20. Billy Vunipola 21. Mike Phillips 22. Matt Giteau 23. Christian Wade

QUINS BRING IN YOUNG DUO AND SAY GOODBYE TO TWO VETERANS

Harlequins today have announced the signing of Saints youngsters Ben Nutley and Exeter and England Under 18 scrum half Stuart Townsend. Sam Jones has joined Northampton in the deal which brings Nutley to the Stoop.

Also leaving the club today were veterans Felipe Contepomi and Jerome Thion who have been released from their contracts early. Both the players have been magnificent servants to the club and Felipe Contepomi is expected to join the clubs coaching staff in the summer after a break in his native Argentina.

'We have gained 2 great prospects and lost one whilst also losing two hugely experienced players. Our squad is a young and we are proud of this that we are able to compete on two front well into April whilst maintaining a squad packed with youth. In Ben we have a fine young openside who will learn his trade under Sam (Warburton) and Michael (Hooper) and be a better player for it. Stuart is one of the best under 18 prospects I have ever seen and am delighted to bring him to Quins. Scrum half is a key position and in our academy we have the Irish Under 20s Scrum half and captain in Luke McGrath, the England under 19's scrum half in Jordan Burns and now we have added the England under 18 scrum half. I am not a million miles away for compiling a squad which I believe will be very competitive not just next year but for years after that.'

SAINTS BRING IN EXPERIENCE

Northampton Saints have today announced the signings of two experienced players, in former Scotland captain Mike Blair and Macro Wentzel from London Wasps.

It is Mike Blair's second stint at Franklin's Gardens and he bolsters the Saints scrum half options with Nick Phipps leaving the club for London Welsh at the end of the season. Marco Wentzel, was signed for his lineout expertise and the leadership qualities he can bring to the team.

Northampton Saints also confirmed that young backrow forward Sam Jones has also joined the club from Harlequins.

"We felt we needed to bring in some additional leadership to the squad environment", confirmed Saints defence coach Paul Gustard, who continued "at times this season, and particularly during the international windows, we've been putting out a very young team who could really have done with the likes of Mike Blair and Marco Wentzel getting them through the games.

Saints also confirmed that they had given senior contracts to Mako Vunipola, Joe Launchbury, Tommasi Benvenuti and Christian Wade for 2013/2014 season.

The club declined to comment on links to a number of players, but it is widely expected that they are in the market for a new inside centre after Ashley Beck left the club to join London Wasps.

Tigers Pack Back to Strength, and it's Lions and Tigers

Leicester Tigers duo Francois Louw and Andrew Sheridan returned to the Tigers line-up this week after injury layoffs. Both players' return to fitness is a huge boost to manager LukeLovesLuka, and they join the likes of James Horwill and Jacques Burger to have bolsted the Tigers pack in recent weeks.

LukeLovesLuka said "these are the sort of players that you want for the big games. We knew they'd be back for the run-in, and we are delighted to welcome them back into the fold. James (Horwill) in particular, as our captain and leader, has been a massive boost for us. He is a huge player with how we like to play, and his leadership is crucial.

In other news, Leicester Tigers boast 6 players in the Lions squad named today by Warren Gatland. Their front row of Gethin Jenkins, Tom Youngs and Dan Cole are all selected, alongside lock Geoff Parling and flanker Sean O'Brien. Tigers vice-captain Brian O'Driscoll is selected at centre.

Tigers Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, who was asked to be part of the Lions squad, told Gatland he was not available, as he looks to focus his attention on his club side's push for honors. Wilkinson has recently signed a year extension to his deal at Tigers, and Gatland said today "I rang Jonny on Monday to sound him out. I asked him if he could tour and he said he wasn’t available."

The Tigers manager LukeLovesLuka added "Jonny is looking at giving us one more year, and is aware, at his age, three huge tests for the Lions could leave him short next season. We're delighted with his response, in all honesty. He's a top professional, and a key component of our side."

Driver Delighted for Falcon's Lions

Newcastle Falcons had 6 players named in Warren Gatland's 2013 Lions squad and Director of Rugby Driver could not be happier for the players who have been called into the side.

Paul O'Connell , Tom Croft , Toby Falatau , Ben Youngs , Alex Cuthbert and Tommy Bowe names where all confirmed at Heathrow today by Gatland.

'I'm delighted for everyone of the lads who where picked , They contribution to Falcons recent turn around of form played a big role in there selection and they all deserve this high honor in the rugby world. For me Alex Cuthbert has been the best wing in the league this season and since he's return from 6Ns he's been fantastic for us'

'At the same time i was surprised by Gats decision to leave Rory Best , Chris Robshaw and Kelly Brown out of the squad as i had them nailed down to travel'

Flux's Rally Cry for his Wasps

Director of Rugby Flux has come and asked his players to give their all in what could be there last game for the outfit in its current guise. Flux stated in an interview with SkySports that his side are more than capable of pulling off a big result and upsetting the odds against a strong Sale side fighting for the play-offs.
"Yes they (Sale) and some outstanding players and we are underdogs for the game. But look at what each team is fighting for. Sale are fighting for a play-off spot and are safe. We are fighting for our lives to stay in the league and I would back players who have been cornered like ours to come out swinging and to bridge the ability gap with effort and endeavour. There will be limits to the lengths these players go on Saturday afternoon"
"I would like to offer good luck to the other managers in the current situation as us, but the lads are all concentrated on getting the result against the Sharks and securing our safety for next season, and building the foundations for some big progression."

SAINTS FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT

Northampton Saints feature strongly in the mix for the end of season awards voted for by all Aviva Premiership Players as five Saints players make the six player shortlist for the Young Player of the Year Award (Daly, Wade, Launchbury and Billy and Mako Vunipola), whilst Wade and Launchbury are also nominated for the Players Player of the Year award.

http://www.wasps.co.uk/news/wasps33839.ink