Premiership
Leicester Tigers raid Irish Provinces for double signing.
1 Munster, 1 Leinster.
Leicester Tigers have announced 3 new signings. 2 of which are coming from Irish Provinces, Leinster & Munster.
The first new signing sees Callum Green return to Leicester Tigers. Originally from Norwich, Green came through the Tigers academy, leading the team as captain in his final year before moving into senior rugby and made his senior debut for the club at the end of the 2008/09 season as a teenager.
After a spell with Yorkshire Carnegie, he joined Newcastle in 2014 and has made more than 100 first-team appearances for the Falcons.
Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy, welcoming Green’s signing, said: “Calum has played a lot of senior rugby with Carnegie and then the Falcons and has firmly established himself as a Premiership player.
“His stats have been particularly good at the lineout in the last couple of seasons and he is a real hard-worker in the forward pack.”
“We think he will add a lot to the group here when he returns and we look forward to welcoming him back to Tigers this summer.”
Ireland international Noel Reid has also agreed to a move to Leicester Tigers from Leinster for the start of the 2019/20 season.
Capped by Ireland in 2014, Reid began his rugby career with St Michael’s College and Clontarf before making his Leinster debut in 2011.
Reid, 28, has played at fly-half and centre in a century of appearances during seven seasons at Leinster.
Confirming the signing, Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy said: “I’ve been aware of Noel’s qualities for some time in a very successful Leinster set-up and I’m very happy to be able to bring him to Welford Road.
“He is a natural footballer and a versatile player who has worked with top-class players at Leinster and Ireland.
“That experience will be very important to us over a tough and competitive season, and we look forward to seeing his influence within the squad here.”
Reid said: “I’m very excited to be joining a club like Leicester, with its history and success in the game, and to become a Tigers player next season.”
“I’ve enjoyed my time at Leinster and it will be sad to leave the club, staff and players at the end of the season, this place will always be special to me.
Completing the trio of signings is South African international centre Jaco Taute who will arrive from Munster in time for the start of the 2019/20 season.
The 27-year-old Taute played Super Rugby with the Lions and Stormers before moving to Munster, initially on a short-term contract in 2016.
He scored two tries in a win over Tigers in the European Cup during December 2016 and was named in the Pro14 Dream Team at the end of that season.
Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy said:
“We’ve obviously seen Jaco close-up in European competition and he is a big, physical unit in the backline with extensive experience in the southern hemisphere and also at the top-end of European rugby.
“He is an option at centre or at full-back for us and we look forward to welcoming him in the pre-season period.”
Taute said: “I am looking forward to the challenge of the Premiership and excited to be joining a club like Leicester tigers.”
“Leicester has a rich history and I want to contribute to creating even more memories for the fans at Welford Road.
“I am excited about working alongside the quality players in the squad and under Geordan Murphy and his coaching team.”
The addition of Reid, Taute, Green and Crusaders star, Taufua sees the quartet commit to the club alongside England international Manu Tuilagi and fellow Tigers academy graduates Harry Wells, Ben White, Tommy Reffell, Jordan Olowofela, Harry Simmons, Tom Hardwick and Sam Lewis, who have all renewed their contracts with the club in 2019.
Geordan Murphy talks to LTTV about the signings:
Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
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Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
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Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
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