England lock Ollie Chessum will return to Leicester Tigers' starting XV on Sunday as his side host Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership.
Last week’s post-Christmas block of fixtures took us beyond the halfway point in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and a number of the round nine results have certainly whetted the appetite as English ruby welcomes in the new year.
It was the French who caught the eye in round one with six of their eight teams winning, including Stade Rochelais and Toulon away from home.
This weekend’s return of the Gallagher Premiership following a five-week hibernation was given its banner headline on Wednesday when Joe Marler confirmed he will retire from playing with immediate effect following Friday night’s Harlequins match at home to Bristol.
There are just four weeks to go before the All Blacks arrive at Allianz Stadium on November 2, so players will be vying to impress.
The Highlanders are stocking up on even more promising young players, with five signings announced ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Coventry taught England U20s a valuable lesson as the club marked their 150th anniversary in style at Butts Park Arena.
The Highlanders had by far the most turbulent offseason out of the New Zealand Super Rugby Pacific clubs, losing 16 players in 2023.
The diagnosis is a ruptured ACL, an unfortunately common injury in the sporting world and one that often takes around nine months to make a full recovery from.
