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Northampton Saints turn to giant lock Will Spencer

Will Spencer of Bath during the Pool B Challenge Cup match between Bath Rugby and RC Toulon at Kingsholm Stadium on January 15, 2023 in Gloucester, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Northampton Saints are set to turn to former Leicester Tigers and Bath lock Will Spencer as an injury replacement with the new season just around the corner.

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The Premiership champions start the defence of their crown with a tough visit to the West Country, where they will face Bath at the Rec on Friday, the team they beat 25-21 at Twickenham in early June.

Oxford-born Spencer, 32, has played over 100 games in the Premiership and European competition for Bath, Worcester Warriors and Leicester Tigers and spent time last season in the Pro D2 with Soyaux-Angouleme.

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Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth on the Bok Test cap record

Stalwart Eben Etzebeth is trying his best to stay away from all the talk that is surrounding the Springbok Test cap record.

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Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth on the Bok Test cap record

Stalwart Eben Etzebeth is trying his best to stay away from all the talk that is surrounding the Springbok Test cap record.

He made four appearances in the French second tier for Jonny May’s new employers as an injury joker but is now set to be handed a chance to revive his career in the Premiership and could feature at his former club.

Spencer (6’7, 125kg) – who made 42 appearances for Bath in two spells – is set to be handed a short-term deal by Saints boss Phil Dowson to add cover for knocks that his side have picked up in pre-season.

Fixture
Gallagher Premiership
Bath
14:45
20 Sep 24
Northampton
All Stats and Data

Saints, whose first home game since becoming champions will be when Exeter Chiefs visit Franklins Gardens on Saturday week, have had a mixed pre-season campaign.

They scored six tries to beat Championship side Bedford Blues 36-17 in the Mobbs Memorial Match at Franklins Gardens last Friday after getting beaten 54-26 by Irish giants Leinster a week earlier.

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Dowson has been looking to improve his squad all summer after signing seven players, including Wallaby flanker Josh Kemeny, from the now-defunct Super Rugby outfit Melbourne Rebels.

Spencer might not be the only new arrival at the Saints before the start of the new season after Fissler Confidential reported on Saturday they are one of several clubs looking for a new tighthead prop.

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G
GS 15 minutes ago
Bundee Aki sends new reminder to All Blacks he's the one that got away

Interestingly, your dishonesty in not being truthful reflects on you. As explained to you and probably by many other people in the past, NZ is a multi-cultural country with a large percentage of the population being of Polynesian heritage.


Let me share a personal story that illustrates this. My cousin, a good Kiwi girl, fell in love and married a Samoan over 40 years ago. They started a family, and now their daughter is about to start her own.


Now, when the child is older, he/she can choose to play for ABs or Samoa—ABs via birth and Samoa via Grandparents. It is probably very likely, as the husband is a former AB, so a professional rugby career is a distinct possibility.


If he plays for ABs - given your state of mind, NZ has stolen him from Samoa...


There is natural immigration between NZ and the Islands. They are part of our community, and kids do come down on rugby scholarships to learn rugby and get an education.


On the other hand, Ireland specifically targeted adult professional rugby players, who they termed "project players," to cap them for Ireland. Among those numbers are people like Jarrod Payne, Aki, Lowe, CJ Stander, etc.


This "project "was run and funded by the IRFU to directly assist the Irish rugby team in addressing depth issues.


20% of the Irish run on team vs NZ at the WC, were in effect "project players" - maybe Jamieson GP is little different as don't think he was deliberately targeted unlike Aki/Lowe.


That you can honestly compare natural immigration between Islands and the Pacific, where the cultural makeup is similar vs. a targeted project set up by the IRFU, shows just how inherently dishonest you are.


The foolish thing about it is it embarrasses the Irish team when it's not necessary. As shown by the last test against the Boks, Ireland didn't need these project players to win, as they are a quality side without those players.


Instead, all they have done is give people the ability to detract from any achievements by pointing out the Irish brought their way to success.

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