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Worcester hooker Singleton nearing London return and potential England calll
By Alex Shaw
In the final year of his contract, Worcester Warriors hooker Jack Singleton looks set to move on from Sixways at the end of the season, with interest having intensified in the front rower over the last month.
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Wasps had been one of the teams chasing the talented 22-year-old, but RugbyPass understood his preference to have been to remain at Worcester, rather than making the short trip north to the Ricoh Arena.
The West Midlands outfit were not the only team chasing the hooker, however, and RugbyPass understand that a move to reigning Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens is all but confirmed, with the Londoners keen to find an able replacement for Christopher Tolofua, who will be joining Toulon in the summer.
Singleton will know those north London environs well, having come through the club’s academy before signing professional terms with Worcester, where he played alongside the likes of Maro Itoje, Nathan Earle and Nick Tompkins in the club’s U18s.
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With Tolofua departing and the absence of Schalk Brits still felt, Saracens have been keen to bolster their hooker stocks, especially with Jamie George missing large chunks of the season due to the England commitments, which leave the club’s resources in the senior squad at Joe Gray, Tom Woolstencroft and Scott Spurling, as well as the talented Tadgh McElroy in the senior academy.
One potential concern for Saracens could be that England come calling for Singleton after the Rugby World Cup, with the front rower having yet to make his England debut, but featuring in an uncapped game against the Barbarians and multiple training camps and extended squads. Given the proclivity of the Saracens system to develop players into senior internationals, it would not be surprising if they did end up losing both players to England, with Singleton arguably the leading contender among young hookers in the country to make that step up should Dylan Hartley retire from international rugby after the RWC.
The move has not been signed off just yet, so there is still time for Singleton to make a u-turn, but it seems unlikely, with the player keen to push on with his career and Saracens happy at having nailed their top target early in the season.
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