Henson nearing a switch to high spending Bristol

Allowing for a slight exaggeration on our behalf, Gavin Henson will soon join the 9805th club of his professional career with the former Welsh international near to joining high spending Championship outfit Bristol.

Initially, Henson had to agree to join Bristol-who are coached by his former Ospreys coach, Sean Holley- next season but talks to see Henson join this season are believed to be at an advanced stage.

“We’ve signed Gavin for next season – but the whole aim was to try to get him to play a part in this season,” Holley confirmed at Bristol’s weekly media briefing.

“It would be absolutely fantastic if we could secure his services at this time of year – what an acquisition he would be.

“He’d certainly light up the Championship and Ashton Gate – he’s a tremendous player and one I have a lot of time for: huge talent, presence, skill, aura”, said Holley.

Source: WesternDailyExpress

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Regular watchers of the Pro 12 will know that, on song, Glasgow Warriors can produce Rugby of the highest calibre. Akin to a Super Rugby team, Gregor Townsend’s charges can go through the gears ruthlessly and quickly.

Last Sunday in their match away to Bath, the Scots impressively showed their wears to the wider European audience.

Even though they would eventually succumb to defeat, 20-15, the moment of the match had to belong to Glasgow’s Richie Vernon.

The number eight found himself on the end of an incisive eight pass move that filleted Bath’s defensive resistance.

Absolute class

Youtube Credit: Ruddy Darter

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Ever since the announcement that Sam Burgess would leave the NRL and South Sydney Rabbitohs to cross codes and join Aviva Premiership side Bath, debate has raged as to what position the 25 year old will play in Union, with centre and back-row being the most frequently mentioned berths.

Jonathan Davies, however, one of the most famous code switchers of yesteryear, believes that Burgess would be better off play in the centres, as the back-row would be too technical for the former Bradford Bull to adapt to.

Instead, given the time restraints before the 2015 World Cup, Davies believes that Burgess should focus his energies on playing centre.

Youtube Credit: Kicca.

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Alesana Tuilagi lived up to his reputation this past weekend when he smashed Bath’s Ollie Devoto with a huge tackle.

The Samoan, who is well known for his time at Leicester Tigers, has built a career on ballast and power, both on and off the ball.

Youtube Credit: Premiership Rugby

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This is something you don’t see very often, a lock with the requisite dexterity to execute offloads with the authority of a back.

But, in Leone Nakarawa, Glasgow Warriors have a lock exactly capable of that.

The former Fijian 7’s player was in typically abrasive form last weekend in the Warriors comprehensive rout of Bath in the European Champions Cup, providing two sumptuous offloads.

Youtube Credit: Ruddy Darter.

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According to the French show, 2o Minutes, Toulouse pair Thierry Dusautoir and Patricio Albacete have expressed their desire to move to the Aviva Premiership, with Bath, Leicester and London Irish all reputed suitors.

Dusautoir, born in the Ivory Coast, has earned over seventy caps for France and, should he even half replicate his form from previous years his signing would represent a major coup for the aforementioned triumvirate of clubs.

Similarly, Albacete, the six foot seven Argentinian lock, would add nous and experience to any engine room and his signing could prove to be inspired.

These signings, as well as Steffon Armitage’s rumoured move to high spending Bath, would be facilitated by the Aviva Premiership extending each teams salary cap by half a million pounds.

Source of Article: Planet Rugby

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In terms of physicality, you don’t get many mismatches bigger than Gavin Henson and Billy Vunipola.

That’s why we had to check if our tea was spiked with some class of hallucinogen when we first saw this clip of Gavin Henson handing off Saracens gargantuan number eight Billy Vunipola.

So far, Vunipola has built a career on massive carries and being an all round tank; as for Henson-apart from one brilliant Six Nations campaigns for Wales, he has, errm, nice hair, which is why this came as such a surprise.

Youtube Credit: Habi Aftabi

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Fijian by birth, but a former member of the British Army, Bath winger Semesa Rokoduguni has been earmarked for a potential England squad berth in the upcoming Autumn Series; and, judging from his early season displays-including this powerful break against Saracens- he would wholly deserve a cap.

Picking up the ball in his own 22, Rokoduguni turned on the after burners and left several players in his wake before, eventually, being stopped by a late shoulder charge from Saracens’ Alex Goode.

Continue this form, and Rokoduguni could yet represent his adopted nation in his next years World Cup.

Youtube Credit: Premiership Rugby

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Despite being previously linked with a lucrative move to Stade Francais, Australian scrum half Will Genia looks set to join Bath, as per today’s Daily Telegraph. 

After the Premiership loosened their stance on foreign ‘marquee’ signings, allowing their clubs to sign an additional player who is excluded from the clubs’ salary cap to be signed on the proviso that they haven’t played in the Premiership in the twelve months previous to their signing, Bath-who have already paid a pretty penny to acquire South Sydney Rabbitoh’s Rugby League star, Sam Burgess- made their move for the fifty five time capped Wallaby Genia.

As well as voting to change their laws on an additional marquee position for each club to sign, the Premiership Owners & Shareholders meeting on Wednesday also saw the ratification of an increase of each clubs salary allowance, which will rise next season by £500,000 from £5 million to £5.5 million.

The rationale behind the increase in each teams salary cap is according, to the Premiership CEO, Mark McCafferty, to stop the flow of indigenous players seeking more lucrative deals in League’s such as France and Japan.

Also, McCafferty says there is a correlation between the advent of BT Sports’ new broadcasting deal with the Premiership, as well as the revenue yielded from the Rugby Champions Cup, and the increase in each teams financial parameters.

Ultimately, though, it is McCafferty’s assertion that new regulations are aimed at producing even more talent for the English National pool, claming that clubs are  “100 per cent” behind the Rugby Football Union’s policy of only selecting players from the Premiership and insisted the rise of the cap was also key in helping the strength of Stuart Lancaster’s England team.

Article Source: The Telegraph

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Vote for your favourite try from the twenty first round of the 2013/14 Aviva Premiership. Vote here: http://bit.ly/15QWjke

1. George Ford – Bath Rugby vs Northampton Saints
2. Jamie Elliott – Bath Rugby vs Northampton Saints
3. Marland Yarde – Gloucester Rugby vs London Irish
4. Viliami Helu – London Wasps vs Newcastle Falcons
5. Johnny Leota – Sale Sharks vs Leicester Tigers
6. Matt Jess – Exeter Chiefs vs Harlequins

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