Fissler Confidential: Stuart Hogg tied, Conor Murray's cold shoulder

Shamed former Scotland and Lions star Stuart Hogg looks set to extend his stay with Montpellier after helping them climb towards the middle of the Top 14 table this season.

Scotland’s one-time all-time leading try-scorer, who last year admitted the domestic abuse of his estranged wife Gillian, signed a two-year deal worth around £350,000 a year when he came out of retirement last summer.

Hogg, the Six Nations Player of the Tournament in 2016 and 2017, was capped 100 times by Scotland and twice by the Lions, has made 13 appearances and scored two tries for Montpellier, who are keen to give him a longer deal.

Ollie Lawrence reflects on his England career so far | RPTV

Ollie Lawrence reflects on his England career so far | RPTV

Speaking on O2 Inside Line: This Rose, England’s Ollie Lawrence speaks about performing for his country. Watch the full episode on RugbyPass TV now.

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Former England lock Joe Launchbury is set to extend his contract with Harlequins for another year as he looks to scratch the itch of winning the Premiership.

Exeter-born Launchbury, who will be 34 next month, had been linked with a move to Japan, where he played for Toyota Verblitz after ending his 12-year association with Wasps, where he made over 130 appearances before they went bust.

He had also been linked with a move to France but admits there is only one driving force in his career: “The only itch I feel in terms of my career which I’ve not scratched is the Premiership,” he told TNT Sport.

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter says that he might need to dip into the transfer market for another tighthead to cover the loss of Ehren Painter, who he says will miss the start of next season.
Painter suffered a serious knee injury in training ahead of a game against West Country rivals Gloucester at the end of last year and is now recovering from an operation to repair damaged ligaments.

“Ehren will have a successful comeback from injury. It will be a fair bit into next season, and we may need to recruit someone else with Paints being injured for a period of time next season,” said Baxter.

Worcester Warriors could have dropped their biggest hint yet that they are about to return to play after appearing to put out feelers for potential players for next season.

The Warriors were kicked out of the Premiership in October 2022 after going into administration, and then, in another blow, the Rugby Football Union rejected a bid for them to join the Championship this season.

However, the RFU plans to expand the second-tier Championship from 12 to 14 teams next season, and the Warriors, currently managed by Wasps owner Christopher Holland, may be one of the new clubs, which is why they need a squad.

Conor Murray could be heading to Japan’s Rugby League One after it was announced that he will be leaving Munster and Ireland when his contract runs out at the end of the season.

Fissler Confidential reported last week that scrum-half Murray, who turns 36 in April, doesn’t currently have any offers on the table for next season from clubs Premiership, URC and France.

The whispers around the game this week are that he could be off to Japan, but again, there are no definite offers on the table for him to continue his playing career for at least another season.

Wallaby inside centre Len Ikitau has been offered a deal to return to Australia after his £400,000 nine-month stint in the Premiership with Exeter Chiefs later this year.

Ikitau does have the option of a lucrative second year at Sandy Park but is also believed to have offers on the table from French clubs who have missed out on signing him next season, and clubs in Japan have him on their shopping lists.

He has been offered a deal to return to the Brumbies in July 2026, which will take him through until 2028 and would cover the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which is being hosted by Australia, who are keen to keep hold of their best talent.

Italian international tighthead Simone Ferrari has signed a four-year deal to remain with Benetton after turning down the chance of moving to Harlequins in the Premiership next season.

Ferrari, 30, who has won 62 test caps for his country, is out-of-contract at the end of the season and had been talking to Quins about a move to the Premiership but has now extended his ten-year stay at Benetton until 2029.

Ferrari was one of a host of Italian internationals who were linked with moves to the Premiership and France, and sources have suggested that Azzuri brothers Niccolo and Lornezo Cannone could also sign new deals.

Wallaby lock Nick Frost is understood to be close to signing a new contract with Rugby Australia that will tie him down until after the 2027 World Cup.

Three years ago, the Wallabies held off a bid from their former boss, Robbie Deans, to take him to the then Panasonic Wild Knight in Japan, but it is believed that they have again seen off foreign competition for his services.

Another player who is reported to be close to signing a new contract is Frost’s Brumbies team mate hooker Billy Pollard who was made an offer to move to the Premiership with Exeter Chiefs.

French giants La Rochelle have signed highly-rated Queensland lock Visesio Kite, whom Rugby Australia has released to move overseas despite him not yet celebrating his 17th birthday.

The Australia under-16 international will join Wallaby lock Will Skelton at the club, but only after his father James caused a social media storm after claiming that his son was being held back.

Kite, who weighs in at 147kg and stands at 6ft 7ins, could represent France in the future if he spends five years across the channel to meet the eligibility criteria for changing nations.

Lyon are locked in talks that will see them keep Karim Ghezal, one of the hottest coaching prospects in France, at the club for the next two or three years.

Ghezal, 43, returned to his former club in December on a deal until the end of the season after being sacked by Stade Francais in September just four games into the new Top 14 campaign.

He has helped Lyon climb away from the foot of the table to sixth place, and the club are keen to agree a long-term deal to keep out of the clutches of Racing 92, who had been linked with a move.