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Fissler Confidential: England star opens talks; Boks hooker digs in
By Neil Fissler
Sale Sharks have opened talks with England flanker Tom Curry about extending his contract with the club and are also expected to reach an agreement with his twin brother Ben. The Sharks are looking to tie down one of the biggest names, who was a 2019 Rugby World Cup runner-up and a 2021 British and Irish Lions tourist, before the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership season kicks off next month after he recently returned from a career-saving hip operation.
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Curry only made one appearance for the Sharks last season, against Bath in their Premiership semi-final defeat, but he went on to play off the bench on three occasions on England’s tour against Japan and New Zealand (twice).
Former England coaches Scott Wisemantel and Jason Ryles could be reunited later this year, but it will involve a cross-code switch for them to start working together again at NRL outfit Parramatta Eels. Eddie Jones’ former right-hand man, Wisemantel, was recently in the running for the NSW Waratahs gig before being overlooked in favour of former Leicester Tigers boss Dan McKellar and is still looking for a new job.
The pair, who worked under Jones in England and Australia, could now work together next season at the Eels where Ryles has been appointed head coach and has sounded out Wisemantel about joining him.
Former Bristol Bears winger Luke Morahan has announced that he is ending his 16-year career having played his last game for French outfit Bayonne in February 2023. The 34-year-old made three Top 14 appearances for Bayonne after a spell with Bristol Bears, which saw him score 30 tries in 89 appearances as well as start their 2020 Challenge Cup final success over Toulon.
The ex-Western Force star, who won three Wallabies caps between 2012 and 2016, is becoming a father for the third time in October. He made his player retirement announcement on Instagram.
The Bulls have emerged as the most likely destination for scrum-half Paul de Wet next season if he can secure an early release from his Stormers contract. The 28-year-old is due to be under contract with the Cape Town outfit until the end of next season but is negotiating an early exit after making 72 appearances and scoring 12 tries in his six seasons at the club.
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RugbyPass understands that de Wet had been looking at potential moves to the UK or even France but he has also had an offer from the Bulls, who are now the favourites to secure his signature.
A summer move that slipped under the radar was that of former Saracens fly-half Manu Vunipola, who left the former Premiership and European champions at the end of last season.
The 24-year-old ex-England U20s international made 56 appearances for the North London outfit before leaving when his contract ran out. Billy and Mako Vunipola’s cousin, who have both left Saracens to sign for French clubs, has signed for Honda Heat, the Japanese club who will be coached next season by former Italy boss Kieran Crowley.
The Stormers still want to offload dumped Springboks hooker Joseph Dweba, who has another year left on his contract with the Cape Town side and who had been attracting the attention of Sale earlier this summer. RugbyPass understands that the 28-year-old, who was being offered more money to move to Manchester, will win his battle of wills with the Stormers and will see out the rest of his contract in South Africa.
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The Premiership club, who could still sign Dweba at the end of next season, won’t now be bringing anyone else into the club as they are likely to stick with the hookers they have already got.
US Eagles bosses, who have been looking to bolster their options, have approached San Diego Legion flanker Christian Poidevin about joining their ranks next season. The Randwick product, who is at the top of the USA’s wanted list, is the son of former Wallaby star Simon. He has dual American citizenship thanks to his Chicago-born mother and has played for four seasons in the MLR.
The 25-year-old played two seasons with the LA Giltinis before moving to the Legion, where his contract still has a couple of seasons left to run. He has also been playing for Randwick in the Shute Shield this season.
Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray is approaching the veteran stage of his career and will celebrate his 36th birthday before the end of next season, but he says that he isn’t planning to retire anytime soon. Murray has played for Munster 150 times as well as winning over a century of international caps for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.
He survived a serious neck injury eight years ago and wants to continue playing for as long as possible. “Being involved with Ireland is a huge buzz, so I’ll stick around as long as they want me here,” he told the Marie Keating Foundation annual golf day last week.
Wallaby star Mark Nawaqanitawase is set for talks about making an early switch to the NRL after returning home from the Olympic Games men’s sevens in Paris where Australia failed to win a medal. Nawaqanitawase, who is joining the Sydney Roosters on a two-year deal later this year, appears ready to forgo a break to get stuck into the next stage of his career in the NRL.
The Roosters wanted him to join them before the NRL’s transfer deadline last month, but Rugby Australia bosses dug in their heels and insisted that they wanted him for the Olympics where he caught the eye.
