Fissler Confidential: Wallaby's early exit? England star sighted in Toulon

Former England back row Zach Mercer was in Toulon this week for a guided tour, with a possible 2025 move to the Cote D’Azur on the cards, according to The Daily Mail.

It is stated that Leeds-born Mercer, 28, who has been subbed by Steve Borthwick, will spend next season at Kingsholm before Toulon buy out the rest of his contract.

RugbyPass reported in February that a hefty fee had been placed on Mercer’s head when Racing 92, former club Montpellier and Toulon were all linked with a move, while his wife has also visited the latter separately.

Sydney Roosters are racing against the clock to recruit Mark Nawaqanitawase five months before his scheduled move to the NRL on a two-year deal following his Wallabies snub.

Wallaby winger Nawaqanitawase, 23, was left out of Joe Schmidt’s training squad for the two tests against Wales next month and the clash with Georgia, leading the Roosters to see if an early arrival was possible.

He is due to cross codes when his Rugby Australia contract runs out later this year, but a possible call-up for Australia’s Olympic sevens side could scupper a deal NRL’s June 30 transfer deadline.

Former Leinster academy product Karl Martin is one of a host of players that Montpellier have announced they are sending on loan to Aurillac next season.

The 22-year-old inside centre has only made three senior appearances in his two seasons with Montpellier but will hope to play more for Aurillac during his one-year loan spell.

Prop Valentin Welsch, lock Mael Perrin, and back row Mathéo Lhuillier are all spending next season with Aurillac, who finished ninth in the Pro D2 table last season.

Doncaster Knights have served further notice of their intentions for next season after adding Fijian under-20 lock Taniela Ramasobana to Joe Ford’s squad ahead of a bid for the Championship title next season.

Ramasobana, 23, is largely unknown but can also operate as a blindside flanker. He has scored two tries in eight appearances for Top 14 outfit Perpignan, where he is out of contract this summer.

Ford has been busy in the last few weeks assembling a squad to pile pressure on Ealing Trailfinders. The veteran former England winger Semesa Rokoduguni is also tipped to arrive at Castle Park this summer.

Agen winger Jefferson-Lee Joseph could be heading into the Top 14 next season after it emerged he is a target for Perpignan, who are looking to bolster their firepower out wide.

France sevens international Joseph, a former under-20’s international, scored one try in nine appearances for Agen this season and has been in talks with Perpignan to agree on a contract for next season.

Perpignan opened talks with Joseph after losing Eddie Sarailau to Oyonnax next season, while veteran former French Barbarian Mathieu Acebes has been released with his contract ending.

Bernard Laporte, the boss of relegation-threatened Montpellier, is still keen on signing Bordeaux’s Democratic Republic of the Congo-born winger Madosh Tambwe.

The 27-year-old, who played for the Bulls, Sharks and Lions in South Africa, has spent the last two seasons in France playing for Bordeaux where he has enjoyed a decent campaign with nine tries in 15 games.

Tambwe scored against his former club, the Bulls, in the Champions Cup. He followed it up with a brace against Harlequins in the quarter-finals, scoring nine in 17 appearances in his first season.

Former England winger Jonathan Joseph could be the next big name out of the exit door at Pro D2 outfit Biarritz after the Basque outfit decided to stop paying image rights fees next season.

Outside centre, Joseph, 33, scored once in 13 games for Biarritz this season, and sources in Basque Country have indicated that, after the change of policy, Joseph could be open to leaving the club this summer.

Biarritz have already let fly-half Billy Searle, who was due to be under contract next season, leave for Agen, while former Exeter Chiefs and Northampton Saints tight-head Alfie Petch has been released.

Scotland loosehead Oli Kebble is in talks with Oyonnax, who are building a squad to launch a bid for promotion back to the Top 14 at the first attempt after being relegated from the French top flight.

Durban-born Junior World Cup winner Kebble, 31, who has won 12 Scotland caps, has been released by Glasgow Warriors after making just over 100 appearances since moving to Scotstoun.

Kebble has been attracting interest from both tiers in France and is expected to complete the move to Oyonnax once the Warriors’ bid for United Rugby Championship glory is done and dusted.

Former Wallaby and Western Force fly-half Zach Holmes is on his way out of Bordeaux after it was announced his contract won’t be renewed when it runs out this summer.

Perth-born Holmes, 34, has scored 110 points in 38 games since his move to Bordeaux two years ago and has racked up nearly 1,000 points in French rugby after spells with La Rochelle and Toulouse.

Holmes, who also plays inside centre, outside centre and full-back, has struggled to force his way into the Bordeaux side this season, starting only four times in his 12 appearances.

The Sharks have spoken with veteran Benetton and former South Africa A scrum-half Dewaldt Duvenage about moving to Durban next season.

Duvenage, who celebrated his 36th birthday last month, joined Benetton six years ago and has made six appearances all off the bench in the United Rugby Championship this season.

He was appointed an assistant player-coach by Benetton and still has another year left to run on his contract with the Italians but is thought to be interested in returning back to South Africa.