Transfers 2014/2015 Continued

Well silly season is almost upon us so thought I would keep tabs on the comings and goings.  Will put the confirmed transfers, unconfirmed transfers (rumours) and out of contract players into various columns.  Please post any news or rumours and I will keep the original post updated.

Confirmed
Jon Davies (Scarlets) to Clermont
Regan King (Clermont) to Scarlets
Ian Evans (Ospreys) to Toulon
John Afoa (Ulster) to Gloucester
Rory Kockott (Castres) to Toulon (reportedly trying to cancel deal to stay at Castres)
Richard Hibbard (Ospreys) to Gloucester
Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier) to Toulon
Sebastien Vahaamahina (Perpignan) to Clermont
Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan) to Toulon
Robin Copeland (Blues) to Munster
Armitev (Northampton) to Russia (unconfirmed club)
Qera (Gloucester) to Toulouse
Casey Laulala (Munster to France (Club unconfirmed but thought to be Racing Metro)
Tom Court (Ulster) to London Irish
Andre Pretorius (Blues) to Worcester
Zac Guildford (New Zealand) to Clermont
Sivivatu (Clermont) to Castres
Aled Brew (Biarritz) to Dragons
Lee Byrne (Clermont) to Dragons
Dwayne Peel (Sale) to Bristol
Thomas Waldrom (Leicester) to Exeter
Dan Evans (Dragons) to Ospreys
Ieuan Jones (Dragons) to Blues
Jean-Philippe Genevois (Biarritz) to Perpignan
Benoit Cabello (Clermont) to Perpignan
Sakiusa Matadigo (Racing) to Perpignan
Jonathan Wisniewski (Racing) to Grenoble
Leigh Halfpenny (Blues) to Toulon
Josh Turnbull (Scarlets) to Blues
Nick Abendanon (Bath) to Clermont
Anthony Perenise (Bath) to Bristol
Craig Mitchell (Exeter) to Blues
Hoani Tui (Exeter) to Lyon
Tavis Knoyle (Gloucester) to Blues
Marland Yarde (London Irish) to Harlequins
Neil Cochrane (Wasps) to Edinburgh
Henry Thomas (Sale) to Bath
Josh Matavesi (Worcester) to Ospreys
Nick Auterac (Saracens) to Bath
Boris Stankovich (Leicester) to Dragons
Bradley Davies (Blues) to London Wasps
Moray Low (Glasgow) to Exeter
Chris Cussiter (Glasgow) to Sale
Matt Stevens (Saracens) to Sharks
Sam Smith (Harlequins) to Worcester
James Gaskell (Sale) to Wasps
Eoin Griffin (Connacht) to London Irish
Sam Burgess (Rugby League) to Bath
Adam Hughes (Dragons) to Bristol
Sam Parry (Dragons) to Ospreys
Joe Rees (Ospreys) to Worcester
Ian Nagle (Munster) to Newcastle
Tom Guest (Halrequins) to London Irish
Luke Narraway (Perpignan) to London Irish
Freddie Burns (Gloucester) to Leicester
Matthew Morgan (Ospreys) to Bristol
Jim Hamilton (Montpellier) to Saracens
Toby Flood (Leicester) to Toulouse
Lote Tuquiri (Leinster) to NPC
Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier) to Castres
Ryan Jones (Ospreys) to Bristol
Greg Laidlaw (Edinburgh) to Gloucester
Brice Dulin (Castres) to Racing Metro
Antonie Claassen (Castres) to Racing Metro
Gio Aplon (South Africa) to Grenoble
Leonardo Ghiraldini (Treviso) to Leicester
Robert Barbieri (Treviso) to Leicester
Loamanu (Treviso) to Leicester
Rob Hawkins (Leicester) to Newcastle
Ian Gough (London Irish) to Dragons



Unconfirmed
Michele Rizzo (Treviso) to Leicester



Out of Contract
Adam Jones (Ospreys) - Looks like he is signing for Ospreys/WRU as indicated in press
Keith Earls (Munster)
Daniel Bowden (Leicester)
Scott Hamilton (Leicester)



Retiring
Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)
Andrew Sheridan (Toulon - unconfirmed)
Steve Borthwick (Saracens)
Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon)
Sebastien Bruno (Toulon)
George Chuter (Leicester) moving to Worcester coaching
Johann Muller (Ulster)
Mike Tindall (Gloucester - unconfirmed)
Will James (Gloucester)

Updated the Griffin move as confirmed today.

Gio Aplon to Grenoble - strong rumour

Tom Guest to Irish is also confirmed mushroom.

Ozzy, is there any truth in the rumour of Luke Narraway joining you?

I believe we have been speaking to him. Not sure of where those talks have got to though. Numbers wise, we do need another back row forward, and I like Narraway as a player, but just not sure he is the right player given that we have got Guest coming in at 8. If we do sign him, then I am concerned that it means that Jon Fisher will be retiring as result of the concussion that has kept him out for the majority of the season so far!

I agree Ozzy - Guest and Narraway fulfil the same role for me - quite 'loose', carrying back row forwards. Able to run around the opposition in a broken game, but not quite as strong carrying through them in a tight encounter. Both are great players and ultimately if we do end up with Narraway I will be chuffed as chips, I just wonder whether there might be a more suitable alternative.

Having said that, without focusing too much on the numbers on the back of the shirts, our back row is starting to have most of the major skill-sets covered:

Line-out: Low, Guest, Sinclair, Fisher
Break-down: Cowan, Treviranus
Ball-carrying: Treviranus, Guest, Fisher, Cowan (to a lesser extent)

While all of the guys mentioned have very high tackle counts and Low and Sinclair always seem to be doing a fantastic job in disrupting the opposition maul. If we can add one more quality operator to the back row we will be in a great position there. We have some great players there now - even though I do think that it is probably an area where we are underrated by fans and coaches of other sides.

Apologies - realise that may have been better suited to the London Irish thread.

Be interesting to see who glous Fly Half will be, Can't see it being Goosen.

And Anscombe won't leave on a World Cup year, he starting for the top NZ team, and although he is behind the likes of dagg and Jane he won't be far off and a injury can always happen. So cant see that happening till after the WC.

Yea, Gloucester's fly half conundrum is interesting. Priestland has ruled himself out and I can't see it being Goosen either. They were meant to be in for Brett, but it looks like Irish are also after him now.

Santiago Fernandez has been mentioned as a 10/12 but Bayonne have reportedly offered him a new contract to stay.

Haydn Thomas and Kai Horstmann agree new one-year deals to stay at Sandy Park - meh

That leaves Jason Shoemark, Ceri Sweeney and James Phillips all out of contract at the end of the season

Academy players Lloyd Fairbrother and Will Carrick-Smith are expected to sign long-term full contracts soon

Still looking for a midfield player (Adam Hughes from N-GD?), a tighthead and a lock

Simon Cohen was on radio Leicester last night discussing news.

 Sounds like there will be a few Italians coming Leicester way, and a Fijian back from Castres (Bai)
 
 Also sounds like we are still in talks with  Ngwenya, Thomas, and Loamanu for one of them as goneva replacement.

 and Ghiraldini was mentioned and with Hawkins coming out of contract it may be a possibility.

 Imagine having OTY on for 50/55 mins then bringing on Ghiraldini prob wont happen but I can dream.

 Also sounds like De Marchi could well be on his way to us.

The week before they had the head of recruitment on Radio Leicester and he was saying that every Italian International playing in Italy has his agent doing the rounds in England and France trying to organise deals ahead of the RWC. Expect more than a couple Italian imports to the AP. De Marchi, Ghiraldini and Campagnaro all linked to Tigers already.

Sam Burgess to Bath   

If we could get De Marchi, Ghiraldini and Campagnaro. add in Bai as a back up experienced back.

 I would scream.


 Fonua looking less doubtful due to birattitz pretty much all but relegated. Him coming was a down to a get out relegation clause by the sounds of it. so he will be in contract next season.

The rumour running around Glaws is that Greg Laidlaw is on his way. We are losing two 9s, so in some way this makes sense, but I do want Robson to be our starter for next season.

Laid law been rumoured at bath and sale now.

Laidlaw to Sale would be an odd one given that Cusiter has already signed for them to replace Peel. Laidlaw to Glaws makes sense, as he plays 9 and 10 where Glaws need cover.

George Smith to Lyon

Duncan Bell has come out of retirement and signed for the Dragons until the end of the season...

http://www.espn.co.uk/rabodirect-pro12-2013-14/rugby/story/215549.html?CMP=OTC-RSS;utm_medium=twitter;utm_source=twitterfeed

Just read this! Amazing news, get in there Belly!

Newport looking to add some serious experience in and around that front row. If Bell is there next year then he'll be propping with Stankovitch and be offering plenty of skill in the tight as well as a combined age of over 70.

I'd reckon that Bell will only be a short term thing as he's had a release from his new job and was saying how he'd rather stick to coaching with Lyd, although never say never!

Yep only until end of season. Coaches Lyndey but there are something like 12 points clear of their league so they don't mind him missing a few games. He's got his own mortgage advisory business as well but is self employed so that's easy enough to manage. Fair play to him.

Yeah Bathite I know a few of the lydney boys having grown up there and played for them,they've said they are happy for the short term agreement andhe can still attend the training sessions for Lydney too

Oh yeah I forgot you're one of those Forest of Dean 4 fingered folk

Updated some more transfers

CAW has a currently very mild and unsubstantiated but still present rumour of Exeter looking to sign Marler, who still hasn't re-signed with us. Hopefully untrue and I don't think there's much in it but it is out there

Speaking of Italians, we would would love an Italian TH or lock over at Quins

A friend of mine knows Marler and I'd be very surprised if he swapped the capital for the West Country.

I hope so. He doesn't live in London though. Lives with his partner, so hope he wouldn't move

ChequeredJersey wrote:CAW has a currently very mild and unsubstantiated but still present rumour of Exeter looking to sign Marler, who still hasn't re-signed with us. Hopefully untrue and I don't think there's much in it but it is out there

I'd be very surprised at that tbh - Ben Moon has progressed massively this season (an uncharacteristically poor showing against Sarries aside) and he's starting to deliver on his potential - Brett Sturgess will drop to back-up, with Carl Rimmer expected to develop to eventually take that slot. We're after a tighthead too, rather than a loosehead

Updated Narraway rumour as the press are touting the possible move now.

Narraway confirmed

cheers - updated

You can stick Hala'ufia to the Scarlets and Tagicakibau to South Africa up as pretty strong rumours at this point.

Stephen Brett to Irish is also very near to being done I believe.

Brett was really highly rated when he started in S15, what happened?

Ozzy3213 wrote:You can stick Hala'ufia to the Scarlets and Tagicakibau to South Africa up as pretty strong rumours at this point.

Stephen Brett to Irish is also very near to being done I believe.

Hala'ufia, I haven't heard much of that rumor. Never seen much of him, whats he like?

Great player. Underrated because of his poor disciplinary problems. He is now 35 though and has struggled to play beyond the 50 minute mark. If you use him wisely he will be a great asset for a season or possibly two. He came to pro Rugby late at around 26/27 so could keep going for a while. On his day one of the best ball-carrying, destructive players in the league.

Thanks Sir Burger,
I have no problem with his fitness because our staff and nutritionists had proved we can fix that (Ben Morgan). He seems like the type of player we need and would do fine for a season or two, we just need an out and out 8 and he seems like that type of players that we need.
Hopefully we can pull it off, were kind of desperate.

With Adam Jones to decide this week whether to sign a central contract, does that mean he may be playing for the Cardiff Blues next season?

Seagultaf wrote:With Adam Jones to decide this week whether to sign a central contract, does that mean he may be playing for the Cardiff Blues next season?

Newport some have said haha, they are in line for a tight head soooooooooo

Jhamer25 wrote:

Seagultaf wrote:With Adam Jones to decide this week whether to sign a central contract, does that mean he may be playing for the Cardiff Blues next season?

Newport some have said haha, they are in line for a tight head soooooooooo

But I thought the WRU central contract rule was they have to play for the Blues?

George North, AWJ?

Seagultaf wrote:

Jhamer25 wrote:

Seagultaf wrote:With Adam Jones to decide this week whether to sign a central contract, does that mean he may be playing for the Cardiff Blues next season?

Newport some have said haha, they are in line for a tight head soooooooooo

But I thought the WRU central contract rule was they have to play for the Blues?

George North, AWJ?

well who knows aye

I don;t think Adam Jones would sign Wru contract unless he was guaranteed to play for the Ospreys. He seem like a very loyal person and would rather stay at the Ospreys than the Wru. Well we will find out this week hopefully.

Tagicakibau to the Stormers on a 6 month loan deal confirmed.

That's a bit of a weird one Ozzy? What's that all about?

Stormers are light on wingers, and we have a good relationship with them, with Jebb Sinclair having been there on loan previously. Losi has dropped down the pecking order on the wing for us, and I think Smiffy is looking to the future and wanting to give Lewington and Fowlie game time, so it's a good move for all really.

Sad to see Losi go, as he's been a favourite of mine, but I think it is probably a good decision by Smiffy.

Fair enough. Haven't watched Irish live much recently, so had assumed Taki still very much 1st choice. I guess sad to see him fall from grace a bit, a devastating player at his best, but the centre experiment didn't seem to work out last season and I guess it is great news for you that the youngsters are pushing so hard!

Narraway and Guest seem two solid, sensible signings as well. Congrats on the recent good form, great to see you guys back in the part of the table you belong!

If the loan is for 6 months, do you think Losi will be back Ozzy? He still has another season to run after this one?