Wales and Lions No.8 Taulupe Faletau, who is out of contract at the end of the month, is in advanced talks about staying in the Welsh capital and spending next season with Cardiff.
Tongan-born Faletau, 34, has spent the last three years playing for Cardiff after a six-year stint in the Premiership with Bath. A clickbait website suggested a link with Bristol Bears, but that was never remotely close to happening.
Instead, Faletau, who has won over 100 caps for Wales, looks set to remain with Cardiff next season, with further talks planned to finalise the deal.
Taniela Tupou was being touted for a move abroad while the ink on his NSW Waratahs contract was barely dry, so it comes as no surprise that his talks with Rugby Australia appear to have stalled.
The Wallabies tighthead was the subject of bids from United Rugby Championship giants Leinster and Top 14 big spenders Montpellier before being held to the final year of his deal after the Melbourne Rebels went out of business.
Tupou, 28, who played for the Reds before moving to the Rebels and has won 59 Test caps, is understood to have offers from clubs in Europe, though it’s been suggested he would have to take a pay cut to move.
Leicester Tigers are ready to confirm they have increased their wing options for next season by signing Gabriel Hamer-Webb, whose departure from Cardiff was announced earlier in the week.
RugbyPass exclusively revealed in April that the Tigers had put Bath-born flyer Hamer-Webb, 24, on their shopping list, and a move to Welford Road will effectively end his hopes of winning Wales caps.
Hamer-Webb, a budding fashion entrepreneur, will replace Worcester Warriors-bound Josh Bassett and add competition for Ollie Hassell-Collins, Adam Radwan and Solomone Kata in Geoff Parling’s squad next season.
Premiership title chasers Leicester Tigers can add Alex Lozowski’s name to the list of players who have said they are not interested in moving to Welford Road next season, instead taking up an option to stay at Saracens.
Lozowski, a former England international who plays fly-half and outside centre, was seen as a solution to the Tigers’ issue at 10 next season when Handré Pollard joins the Bulls.
Instead, Lozowski, 31, who started his career at Leeds Carnegie and has scored 84 points in 14 appearances this season, will remain in North London, where he is closing in on 200 appearances.
Matt Everard is continuing to have fun with the chequebook, with Jake Garside and Tim Hoyt both set to join his Worcester Warriors revolution when they enter the Championship next season.
Garside, who switched from scrum-half to wing this season, made 15 appearances for Saints and featured for Bedford Blues in the Championship before his departure from Franklin’s Gardens was confirmed.
Leicester Tigers have also confirmed that former England U20 tighthead Hoyt, who played for Chinnor in the Championship this season, is leaving, and the Warriors have been quick to snap him up.
Northampton Saints scrum coach Matt Ferguson, who is leaving Franklin’s Gardens, will become a target for Harlequins if Adam Jones moves to Wales on a full-time basis later this summer.
The black, green and golds announced in January that Ferguson would depart when his contract expires at the end of June, and are set to hand the role to Jaco Pienaar, according to Fissler Confidential snitches.
Jones is on the WRU’s wanted list to work alongside Steve Tandy and Danny Wilson in a new-look Wales coaching team, which would leave Quins needing to replace him. Ferguson is highly regarded at the Twickenham Stoop.
Exeter Chiefs have had a calamitous season on and off the pitch, and changes to their coaching staff might not be finished yet, with whispers that Haydn Thomas could be next out the door.
The Chiefs have already seen defence coach Omar Mouneimne and head coach Rob Hunter—appointed in March—depart, along with Ali Hepher.
Thomas, who serves as attack and kick battle coach, is close friends with new Tigers boss Geoff Parling, and tongues have been wagging all week that he could be a target to become defence coach at Welford Road.
James O’Connor is still looking for a job next year and has attracted interest from clubs in Europe and Japan following some eye-catching performances for the Crusaders.
O’Connor, who turns 35 in July, has previously played in Europe for London Irish, Toulon and Sale Sharks, but surprisingly hasn’t attracted any offers from Australia’s Super Rugby franchises.
The 2011 World Cup bronze medallist could end up staying with the Crusaders, where he has started once in 12 appearances, and he has also been linked with Japanese clubs since leaving the Queensland Reds last September.
Oyonnax and former Scotland loosehead Oli Kebble have parted ways, but the Durban-born prop could remain in France next season—or head to Japan Rugby League One.
Kebble, 32, played 18 times for Oyonnax this season, but his last start came in a home defeat to Grenoble in early November. Since then, he has been limited to cameos off the bench.
He made over 100 appearances for Glasgow before leaving for France last year, and is understood to have Pro D2 suitors, while rumours of a move to Japan are gaining traction.
Provence may have taken a step closer to promotion to the Top 14, but they appear to be struggling to keep highly rated tighthead Paul Mallez at Stade Maurice David next season.
The Toulouse academy product was part of France’s 2019 U20 World Championship-winning squad and made 24 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir before stepping down to the Pro D2.
Mallez, 24, has spent the last two seasons at Aix, making 44 appearances, but is understood to have spoken to Toulon about a move to the Côte d’Azur—even if his current employer’s promotion bid is successful.
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