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Fissler Confidential: England star opens talks; Boks hooker digs in

England's Tom Curry has opened talks with Sale (Photo by Sanka Vidanagama/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

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Philip Snyman on how BlitzBoks restore pride in the SVNS jersey

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Philip Snyman on how BlitzBoks restore pride in the SVNS jersey

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.

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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.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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