Fissler Confidential: Harlequins' Italian stallion bolting to exit

Italian international lock Dino Lamb was spotted at the Stade Amédée-Domenech on Friday evening, putting the finishing touches on his switch to Brive from Harlequins when his contract ends later this summer.

Lamb, 27, hasn’t played for the Premiership side since injuring his shoulder in Italy’s Six Nations defeat against Ireland in March but saw Brive beat Pro D2 promotion rivals Grenoble 38–13 to move to the top of the table.

French newspaper La Montagne reports that Brive made a move for Lamb – who has played over 100 times for Quins – after plans to sign South African Irne Herbst fell through due to an ankle injury that required surgery.

Ulster have signed Leinster’s former Ireland under-20 international tighthead Rory McGuire, whose departure from the United Rugby Championship leaders was confirmed at the end of last week.

McGuire, 22, who grew up in Winnetka, north of Chicago, before attending Blackrock College, has seen playing time highly restricted over the last two seasons, featuring for just 51 minutes in five appearances this season.

Another player who could be joining him in Belfast is former Ireland under-20 Aitzol King, who is also leaving the Leinster academy. He has played twice this season and scored a try in the win over the Dragons in September.

Veteran Leicester Tigers tighthead Dan Cole, who celebrated his 38th birthday last week and is out of contract at the end of the season, is still deciding whether to continue playing next season.

Cole, who won his last England cap against South Africa in November, has played 17 times for the Premiership title-chasing Tigers this season but has been limited to appearances from the bench.

Having made over 300 appearances for Leicester since debuting in 2007, Cole appears in no rush to make a decision despite having only two months left on his current deal.

Northampton Saints inside centre Burger Odendaal, who is leaving the Champions Cup finalists when his contract runs out at the end of the season, is set to move to Japan to play for the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.

Odendaal, 32, has only played six times for Saints this season and had been linked with a move to the Championship, but is instead taking up an offer to continue his career in the Far East.

It is not the first time the former Bulls and Wasps centre has played in Japan, having previously spent a season with Kubota Spears before joining the Lions.

Former England and Lions prop Graham Rowntree is the latest name to be linked with becoming the next Wales head coach, despite Steve Tandy being the favourite to land the role.

Rowntree has been linked with a return to his former club Leicester Tigers, is keen to resume coaching after leaving Munster earlier this season, and is understood to have spoken to the WRU about the job.

Meanwhile, Alex King – who left Warren Gatland’s coaching staff after the autumn internationals – and Mike Forshaw look set to move on when their contracts expire later this summer.

Agustín Creevy, the Peter Pan of the rugby world, is leaving Benetton—but does this mean he is finally ready to hang up his boots?

The former Pumas hooker, who turned 40 earlier this year, scored two tries on his debut for Benetton against Edinburgh and has made seven appearances in the URC this season.

Creevy, who has previously played for Worcester Warriors, Jaguares, London Irish and Sale Sharks, was still representing his country until their defeat to Australia in last summer’s Rugby Championship.

Former Western Force and NSW Waratahs back row Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco is set to leave Brive when his contract runs out at the end of the season and is sounding out potential Premiership interest.

Warren-Vosayaco, 29, who also played Super Rugby for the Sunwolves, has experience in Japanese club rugby with the Shining Arcs and the now-disbanded Munakata Sanix Blues.

Since joining Brive at the start of last season, he has made 36 appearances for the Pro D2 leaders but now looks set to move on.

Australia’s top sevens star, Hayden Sargeant, wants to switch codes and move to the NRL when his contract with Rugby Australia expires later this year and has already begun exploring opportunities.

Sargeant, who featured at the Paris Olympics with the Melbourne Rebels before joining the sevens circuit full-time, has been offered a new three-year deal but is expected to turn it down.

According to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, his timing couldn’t be better, with NRL expansion outfits in Perth and Papua New Guinea looking to recruit union players.

Leicester Tigers tighthead Tom Hoyt, who has been playing for Chinnor in the Championship this season, is being offered around for a move to another Premiership club this summer.

The former England under-20 international, 22, has been restricted to Premiership Cup games this season but was on the bench for Leicester’s Premiership win over Harlequins last year.

His CV has been circulated, and Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter – still busy bolstering his squad – is among the coaches interested in the young tighthead.

Worcester Warriors are continuing to build a squad for a tilt at the Championship title next season and have landed Uruguayan star Juan González to help them do so.

Americas Rugby News reports that González, 22, who has won both full and sevens caps for his country, will join the Warriors on a one-year deal in October.

He has featured prominently in the SVNS, World Rugby’s Sevens Series, and is expected to cover all three back-three positions in the newly built squad.