The transfer market for rugby’s top No8s is hotting up with Alfie Barbeary, Arthur Green, Bill Mata and Callum Chick all weighing up their next moves.
Barbeary, who only joined Saracens from Bath this summer, has a break clause in his contract in north London and is understood to be on Bristol’s radar.
Pat Lam’s Bears are considering their options as Fijian back-rower Mata reaches the end of his contract. The former Edinburgh man is currently sidelined until the new year with a serious knee injury.
Bath youngster Arthur Green is another back-row forward being courted by clubs throughout the PREM. The 22-year-old’s stock has risen this season and Bristol, Saracens and Northampton are among the clubs interested in signing him. Green, whose father Will was a prop for Wasps, Leinster and England, has been capped at Under-18 and Under-20 level by his country.
Meanwhile, Northampton could lose Chick to France due to budgetary pressures, having already agreed improved contract terms with the likes of England trio Henry Pollock, Tommy Freeman and Archie McParland.
The 29-year-old, who won two England caps in 2021, lifted the PREM Rugby title with Saints last season in his debut campaign in the East Midlands, having left his boyhood club Newcastle the previous summer.
Alfie Barbeary could leave Saracens after just one season, due to a break clause in his contract
Fiji back-rower Bill Mata is approaching the end of his Bristol contract and is currently sidelined until the new year
Callum Chick won two England caps in 2021 but he could be forced to move to France next summer due to budgetary pressures at Northampton Saints
Sale in for Cherries’ scrum-half
Sale are exploring a move for Gloucester scrum-half Caolan Englefield to boost their quota of English-qualified players.
Englefield represented England A in a 59-24 win over an Argentina XV last week and Sale coach Alex Sanderson is known to be a keen admirer.
The Manchester club were keen to recruit South African Embrose Papier, but he turned down a move to the PREM and signed a new deal with the Pretoria-based Bulls.
Sale already have New Zealander Xavier Roe signed up for next season, but team-mate Gus Warr is considering a move to Edinburgh that would boost his Test prospects with Scotland. Edinburgh are also in talks with Leicester prop Will Hurd.
Englefield is not the only player reaching the end of his contract at Gloucester. Centre Will Joseph, who could win his second England cap this weekend against Japan, is drawing interest from Saracens, Bath and Newcastle.
Lock Arthur Clark is in negotiations about a new deal but has attracted interest from Harlequins, who need to beef up their front five.
Sale are exploring a move for Gloucester and England A scrum-half Caolan Englefield to boost their quota of English-qualified players
Chiefs lock down three superstars
Exeter Chiefs are closing in on a triple contract extension for star trio Henry Slade, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Dafydd Jenkins.
The Chiefs have new financial investment from Black Knight, who also own Premier League club Bournemouth, and are keen to lock down their top assets.
England wing Feyi-Waboso and Wales lock Jenkins, both 23, are understood to have already committed their futures to the club – while a new contract has been offered to 24-year-old winger Paul Brown-Bampoe.
Slade has stated his desire to activate an extension clause in his contract, telling Daily Mail Sport: ‘I would have no problem spending my whole career at Exeter. That would be very cool. You never know but I’ve got a plus one that I’m sure we’re going to be talking about fairly soon. I’m in year 16 now and I’ve loved all of it. My family are here, my wife’s family is here, we’ve got babysitters on the doorstep.’
Heavyweight Chiefs centre Zack Wimbush has also been offered a new contract, but the 6ft 6in youngster is weighing up interest from PREM leaders Leicester.
Exeter are looking to tie down England stars Henry Slade (left) and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (right)
Wales lock Dafydd Jenkins, 23, is also close to committing his future to the Chiefs
Pumas to leave north London
Argentina duo Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti are likely to leave Saracens this summer.
Clashes with Los Pumas‘ fixture schedule are understood to be a major stalling point in negotiations around new contracts.
Bath back-row Josh Bayliss has been proposed as a replacement for Gonzalez – although the Scotland international is keen to remain at The Rec.
Taine Basham is also eyeing up a move to the PREM but that would likely make the 27-year-old ineligible to represent Wales – he still needs to play eight more times for his country to hit the 25-cap threshold to qualify as an overseas-based player.
Argentina back-rower Juan Martin Gonzalez (right) is likely to leave Saracens
Lucio Cinti (centre) is also set to depart the StoneX Stadium
Eddie eyes NRL
Eddie Jones has revealed his ambitions to coach rugby league in the NRL.
The 66-year-old former England, Australia and Saracens head coach is contracted to Japan until the end of next year’s World Cup but has no intentions to step into retirement.
He told Daily Mail Sport he has no desire to take up an advisory role with a PREM club but would love to challenge himself in the alternative code.
‘I’ve done my time in England,’ said Jones. ‘I’ve done Saracens, I’ve done England and that’s it for me. French rugby used to be dominated by foreigners but that’s changed now.
‘What I’d love to coach is NRL. That’s my dream. I was brought up in rugby league, and rugby league in Australia has gone through the roof. It’s on a different dimension to union now. It’s by far the most glamorous, entertaining game.
‘The risk for rugby is that all the Tongan and Samoan kids could go to rugby league. We could lose two great countries in rugby and that’s a challenge. We need to make our game more entertaining. We don’t want to become an old people’s game.’
Meanwhile, Japanese hooker Kenji Sato, who could face England at Twickenham on Saturday, is understood to be on the radar of several PREM clubs.
Eddie Jones has revealed his ambitions to coach rugby league in the NRL
Will Sarries swoop for Sinckler?
The future of exiled England prop Kyle Sinckler remains unresolved.
The 33-year-old has flourished at Toulon since moving to France in 2024 but he is desperate to be in contention for the World Cup.
His services have been offered around the PREM but clubs are struggling to find the budget for his salary demands.
Saracens are understood to be one potential destination for the tighthead, who grew up in south London.
Tier Two talents on PREM radars
Scouts have been casting a curious eye over Nations Cup fixtures in a bid to unearth the next gem.
Tier Two rugby often provides rich pickings for talent, with former Saracens forward Theo McFarland a prime example of a player signed straight from Samoa.
Back-rower Niko Jones, the son of legendary former All Black Michael, and scrum-half AJ Lam, the nephew of Bristol head coach Pat, have both received positive references from the Samoan management.
Samoa scrum-half AJ Lam is tackled against Zimbabwe last week in Wakefield. He has received a positive reference from the Samoan management
Uruguay flanker Manuel Ardao (pictured making a tackle against Spain) is also highly rated
Portuguese full-back Simao Bento, whose team host Samoa in Lisbon this weekend, is on the radar of clubs around Europe and Uruguay flanker Manuel Ardao, who once won five turnovers against Scotland, is also highly regarded. From Tonga, back-rower Sam Tuitupou Jr has been backed to land a major contract.
Zimbabwe forwards Victor Mupunga and Godfrey Muzanargwo and teenage Georgian back Luka Tabatadze are also names that clubs have been told to keep an eye on.
Zimbabwe face Uruguay on Saturday at Ealing Trailfinders’ ground, while Tonga travel to Tbilisi to take on Georgia. The Nations Cup regional groups are led by the USA and Georgia, who both have four wins from four.
