Transfer news, rumours, speculation, insinuations, and outright transfer slanders - Season 2025/26

[Puja]

Saracens after Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams for next year apparently. Both make sense for them.

Puja

[FKAS]

Saracens after Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams for next year apparently. Both make sense for them.

Puja

Both great players but will mean a change of emphasis in their backrow. Morgan for all his skills isn't going to be a like for like TWillis replacement. Morgan combining with Earl will make Sarries a menace, be reliant on the 6 to bring some serious physicality though.

When was the last time they spent relatively big at 9, Wigglesworth? Tomos Williams isn't what I'd call the archetypal 9. I'd have preferred to see them back young Bracken.

[Danno]

Saracens after Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams for next year apparently. Both make sense for them.

Puja

Both great players but will mean a change of emphasis in their backrow. Morgan for all his skills isn't going to be a like for like TWillis replacement. Morgan combining with Earl will make Sarries a menace, be reliant on the 6 to bring some serious physicality though.

When was the last time they spent relatively big at 9, Wigglesworth? Tomos Williams isn't what I'd call the archetypal 9. I'd have preferred to see them back young Bracken.

Christie fills that role pretty imo.

There, that's my one positive comment about a Saracen for the year. See you next season.

[FKAS]

Saracens after Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams for next year apparently. Both make sense for them.

Puja

Both great players but will mean a change of emphasis in their backrow. Morgan for all his skills isn't going to be a like for like TWillis replacement. Morgan combining with Earl will make Sarries a menace, be reliant on the 6 to bring some serious physicality though.

When was the last time they spent relatively big at 9, Wigglesworth? Tomos Williams isn't what I'd call the archetypal 9. I'd have preferred to see them back young Bracken.

Christie fills that role pretty imo.

There, that's my one positive comment about a Saracen for the year. See you next season.

Theo MacFarland or Gonzalez could also slot into 6 and offer physicality. None are a bruiser in the tight in the same way TWillis is so they might have to share the carrying around a bit more.

[Puja]

Hoskins Sotutu to the Premiership and switching to England rumours have started up again with Leicester, Gloucester, Sarries and Newcastle mentioned. Could very likely be agent talk - his New Zealand contract runs out in 2026 and, while the ABs might not want him themselves, the agent might be betting that they'd rather pay a bit extra to keep him in Super Rugby and see him go to his father's country in Fiji, rather than go to his mother's country and join more of a rival. That list of Prem clubs is fairly obvious and basic as well and the articles mentioning the rumour also say Shant Blockmove would be sweetening the deal by offering TWillis's EPS contract, which is clearly mince - would be very out of character for Blockmove to promise things to get someone to move and Sotutu's not really a like-for-like for TWillis.

Still, fun rumour to think about - I'd welcome him at Leicester in a heartbeat.

Puja

[FKAS]

He's not a TWillis like for like but he's closer than anyone else we have. He's somewhere between TWillis and Dombrandt in style. The issue I'd imagine is that his international ambitions might fade post the summer of 2027 and a big money to France or Japan would then follow.

[twitchy]

Sign him up.

[jimKRFC]

Fissler saying that Quins are after James Dun. Would be gutted to see him go! Hopefully we'll sign him up as he and Owen should be a part of our pack for the next few years.

Actually, still not forgiven them for pinching Kohner!

[FKAS]

Fissler saying that Quins are after James Dun. Would be gutted to see him go! Hopefully we'll sign him up as he and Owen should be a part of our pack for the next few years.

Actually, still not forgiven them for pinching Kohner!

He'd be a huge loss. Bristol have done really well to develop themselves three good locks that can do the basics and play their style in attack.

Has there been anything in the Freddie Burns as injury cover signing?

[jimKRFC]

No word on Freddie Burns, did see it said he was spotted at the training ground.

Ellis Bevan and Mat Protheroe have joined on short term deals though.

[FKAS]

Handy signings to have in the short term.

[FKAS]

The reason George Makepeace-Cubitt hasn't got a pro contract anymore. Worth noting he's pleading not guilty and the trial hasn't begun yet.

https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/ne ... pe-5381561

[Danno]

Article says not guilty

[Puja]

The reason George Makepeace-Cubitt hasn't got a pro contract anymore. Worth noting he's pleading guilty and the trial hasn't begun yet.

https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/ne ... pe-5381561

**not guilty. Important word missed out in your post.

Puja

[FKAS]

The reason George Makepeace-Cubitt hasn't got a pro contract anymore. Worth noting he's pleading guilty and the trial hasn't begun yet.

https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/ne ... pe-5381561

**not guilty. Important word missed out in your post.

Puja

Yep, sorry folks. Corrected.

[anders_limpar]

Angus Scott Young leaves saints with immediate effect to return to Australia

[Puja]

CCS signs a "multi-year" contract with Quins.

Puja

[FKAS]

Coles has signed a renewals at Saints.

[Captainhaircut]

CCS signs a "multi-year" contract with Quins.

Puja

I like him but this is so stupid. He can’t really believe that Quins is the best place for a tight forward to develop?

[Mikey Brown]

CCS signs a "multi-year" contract with Quins.

Puja

I like him but this is so stupid. He can’t really believe that Quins is the best place for a tight forward to develop?

A tight forward? Or a loose-forward who is one of his team’s few tight carriers?

I sort of get what you mean, but does he need to be in a pack of other monster carriers to continue developing? Or is being the star carrier in a team that play fast and loose, while needing to keep up the work-rate/fitness, not an option as well?

[FKAS]

CCS signs a "multi-year" contract with Quins.

Puja

I like him but this is so stupid. He can’t really believe that Quins is the best place for a tight forward to develop?

A tight forward? Or a loose-forward who is one of his team’s few tight carriers?

I sort of get what you mean, but does he need to be in a pack of other monster carriers to continue developing? Or is being the star carrier in a team that play fast and loose, while needing to keep up the work-rate/fitness, not an option as well?

I think what he needs is to be somewhere that's going to put an emphasis on him improving core elements of his game that make him useful as that utility forward. Sale with their focus on the set piece or Sarries with their focus on high work rate in defence were obvious moves that would have seen him work on areas that maybe aren't as strong as they could be (wouldn't go as far as weaknesses).

I think what's encouraging from an England point of view is to see how Quins are embracing him as that utility option as opposed to the back up 8 that can play a six if we want more carrying in the backrow. In a ideal world we'd see him double down on his lineout work and start to lead the Quins lineout and spend some time in the second row with Petti.

[Mikey Brown]

I like him but this is so stupid. He can’t really believe that Quins is the best place for a tight forward to develop?

A tight forward? Or a loose-forward who is one of his team’s few tight carriers?

I sort of get what you mean, but does he need to be in a pack of other monster carriers to continue developing? Or is being the star carrier in a team that play fast and loose, while needing to keep up the work-rate/fitness, not an option as well?

I think what he needs is to be somewhere that's going to put an emphasis on him improving core elements of his game that make him useful as that utility forward. Sale with their focus on the set piece or Sarries with their focus on high work rate in defence were obvious moves that would have seen him work on areas that maybe aren't as strong as they could be (wouldn't go as far as weaknesses).

I think what's encouraging from an England point of view is to see how Quins are embracing him as that utility option as opposed to the back up 8 that can play a six if we want more carrying in the backrow. In a ideal world we'd see him double down on his lineout work and start to lead the Quins lineout and spend some time in the second row with Petti.

I’m not saying it all hinges on how today goes, but I think Willis disappearing might have significantly altered his trajectory. I can’t see him playing lock much all that much if it’s suddenly looking like he can be developed as the super physical, aggressive carrying 8.

I could see him fitting in at either Sale or Sarries, like you say, but equally I think offering a club team a vital point of contrast is valuable too.

Intriguing either way though.

I feel like he’s been quite harshly criticised at times since he first burst on the scene for England. At the time I thought it was way too early, then he impressed, then he got written off as lazy and lacking nous despite being about 21.

[jimKRFC]

Fissler saying that Quins are after James Dun. Would be gutted to see him go! Hopefully we'll sign him up as he and Owen should be a part of our pack for the next few years.

Actually, still not forgiven them for pinching Kohner!

He'd be a huge loss. Bristol have done really well to develop themselves three good locks that can do the basics and play their style in attack.

Has there been anything in the Freddie Burns as injury cover signing?

Dun confirmed as leaving. The press release seems to indicate it's his choice, talking about a change of lifestyle and living in London. Looks like it's Quins.. gutted to see him leave but he's mid 20s and never nailed down the shirt so can't blame him for looking elsewhere.

[Scrumhead]

Good couple of days for Quins.

Locking down CCS was important on a number of levels. 1) We retain a very good player who has the potential to be excellent. 2) We lack hard carriers and he brings that skill set. 3) Optics. We’ve gone backwards since our title win and we need to be able to retain big names like CCS if we want to compete and attract players of a similar calibre.

Dun is a good signing. Not flashy but a very capable Prem player who has the kind of qualities we need.

This season is probably a write off already, but if the Argies settle in well and we add Dun and a couple more good signings, we’ll be on the up going into 26/27.

[fivepointer]

Think Dun is a very under rated player. Thats a loss for Bristol and a good signing by Quins.