Fissler Confidential: Ardie Savea's Super choice, Bielle-Biarrey to sign for Nice

The Sharks have competition to sign veteran Wallabies fly-half James O’Connor when his one-year contract with Gallagher PREM outfit Leicester Tigers runs out at the end of the season.

The Sharks made a move for O’Connor after missing out on Italian international Tommaso Allan, who is moving home to play for Zebre when his Perpignan contract expires, but they face a battle to sign O’Connor.

Both the Queensland Reds and NSW Waratahs have spoken to O’Connor, but haven’t yet offered a contract, which still throws a spanner in JP Pietersen’s bid to take him to Durban this summer.

Former Tonga and Wallabies lock Adam Coleman has told RugbyPass that he is ready to finish his career in Bordeaux, where he has another year left to run on his contract.

6ft 8in lock Coleman, 35, who moved to the Top 14 big guns when London Irish went out of business three years ago after thinking that his career was over, says it has given him a new lease of life.

“If the opportunity came to finish my career here, I’d love that. Who knows what the future holds, but I’d love to finish here. My family is really settled, my kids are in school, and it’s just been a great move for me,” he told Fissler Confidential.

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter admits that he is in the dark about reports that former England under-20 back row Kane James could play Test rugby for Wales in the Nations Championship that launches this summer.

James is currently recovering from an ankle injury that he suffered against Cardiff in January, which cost him a place in the Six Nations, and the Western Mail claims he will play for Steve Tandy’s side if he is fit.

“I haven’t been told that. So that’s kind of news to me. I’m aware that Wales are interested in him, but I hadn’t had that conversation with Kane or his agent or Wales or England,” Baxter told RugbyPass this week.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Zac Lomax have both put distance between themselves and a move to the new NRL franchise, PNG Chiefs, despite both of their contracts ending in 2027.

The Chiefs enter the NRL in 2028, and neither appears ready to commit themselves, but Waratahs star Suaalii could become the next rugby star to sign with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency.

“We’re not really looking to create a rugby agency, if I’m honest. Yeah, listen, pass on my number, and when I’m there (in Australia). I’ll have a little coffee with him, you never know,” Hearn told the Australian media last week.

Racing 92 are once again poised to dip into the Australian transfer market for Wallabies Fiji-born flanker Seru Uru when his contract with the Queensland Reds ends later this year.

The Paris giants have held talks with Uru, 29, who has won two Test caps and has been playing second row for the Super Rugby Pacific outfit this season, and is in advanced discussions about a move to the French capital.

He is wanted to replace England under-20 international Junior Kpoku, who is set to stay in Toulon next season and would join up with former NRL superstar Joey Manu, whom the club are insisting is staying despite interest from rugby league.

Portugal tighthead Cody Thomas, who in March helped his adopted country win the Rugby Europe Championship, is set to stay in Grenoble for another season in the Pro D2.

Durban-born Thomas, 30, who can also play loosehead, was in the Sharks academy and has played his entire professional career in France, with Montpellier, Brive, Rouen and Grenoble for the last two seasons.

Thomas was a target for big-spending Nice-based Nissa Rugby, formerly Stade Niçois Rugby, who are bidding for promotion back to the Pro D2, but he has decided to stay in Grenoble for next season.

Northampton Saints are understood to have launched a late-season bid to sign a tighthead for next season after losing Elliot Millar-Mills to Newcastle Red Bulls and Trevor Davidson undergoing a knee operation.

Saints boss Phil Dowson has been quiet in the transfer market, with only loosehead Lefty Zigiriadis and lock Josh Taylor arriving from the Champ Rugby big guns, Ealing Trailfinders, and winger Malik Faissa on his way from Zebre.

Fissler Confidential understands that Saints have got a back-three player coming into the club this summer after signing someone within the last couple of weeks.

The Hurricanes and Blues are set to go head-to-head in the race to sign up former All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea when his sabbatical with Kobelco Kobe Steelers ends later this month.

The back row has scored six tries in 15 games in Japan’s Rugby League One, and could find himself without a club if Moana Pasifika are forced to close their doors at the end of this Super Rugby campaign.

His hometown club, the Hurricanes, where he played over 120 games, are believed to be interested in signing him, while the Blues have also been sniffing.

Exeter Chiefs have sent tighthead Ehren Painter to Cornish Pirates for a short-term loan in a bid to get him match practice ahead of the Gallagher PREM end-of-season run-in.

Painter, who has been out of action for 15 months, recently came back to action for a friendly with the Royal Navy, but Chiefs boss Rob Baxter says that he needs more minutes in his legs.

“Coming back from a long-term injury without some solid game-time to then go into a Gallagher PREM game or a European one, that would be tough,” he said.

The latest rounds of cuts at the publicly funded BBC are affecting the broadcaster’s coverage of the two major European games involving PREM clubs this weekend.

Sources tell Fissler Confidential that BBC Radio Bristol, who’ve covered every PREM/Euro game live this season, won’t be flying anyone out to Bordeaux for their clash with Bath but will take the 5 Live feed instead.

Meanhile, BBC Devon will be covering the Challenge Cup semi-final between Exeter Chiefs and Ulster with commentary off the tube from their base in Plymouth, 537 miles away from Belfast.

While talks continue over Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s future at Union Bordeaux-Bègles, his younger brother Samuel looks set for a move of his own.

The 21-year-old FC Grenoble centre, who can also cover wing and full-back, is expected to join Nissa Rugby next season, according to Le Dauphiné Libéré.

Samuel has made just three substitute appearances for Grenoble this season, last featuring on January 30, as Nice prepare to host a Nationale semi-final on May 9.