Leicester The Tigers are mulling a move to bring in the former Exeter Chiefs outside center Sean O’Brien returned to Gallagher PREM from Munster when his contract expires next summer.
O’Brien, 28, who also plays inside center and on either wing, is close to 50 appearances for Munster since returning to Ireland, where he began his career Connacht from Sandy Park four years ago.
The Tigers are in the market for a center and are looking at several players, including O’Brien, who extended his original two-year deal in February 2025, which expires at the end of the season.
Ex Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg appears to be on the lookout for a new club under his contract Top 14 outfit Montpellier expires at the end of the season.
Former Lion Hogg, 34, has 100 caps for Scotland and has made four appearances for Montpellier this season and 31 in total since joining them three years ago after coming out of retirement.
He could look for another club in the Top 14 or Pro D2, with a move to Gallagher PREM or United Rugby Championship seems extremely unlikely after much publicized litigation.
Northampton Saints boss Phil Dowson says he is considering sending Italian wonderkid Edoardo Todaro on loan to bottom of the Rugby Championship table Bedford Blues in a bid to speed up his return to full fitness.
Todaro, 20, scored ten tries for Saints in 13 games last season and is closing in on a return to action after being sidelined since February with a serious knee injury picked up in preparation for the Six Nations.
“We’re conservative when we bring him back into training and make sure we manage his workload, and then it’s very different to go from full training to games. How do we try to play that out. Do we get minutes with a loan club or do we put him straight off the bench?” Dowson told Fissler Confidential.
Scotland and Lions star Sione Tuipulotu sparked a flurry of activity at Fissler Confidential Towers earlier this week when a scout spotted him sitting in a Burger King in Bristol Airport.
Tuipulotu, 29, has 18 months left on his contract Glasgow Warriors, which runs until at least the summer of 2028, and he will make his second URC appearance of the season against Connacht on Friday night.
Love appears unlikely to move to Gallagher PREM with more than a year left on his contract, so the purpose of his visit to the West Country, which ended with a tea flight back to Glasgow, remains a mystery.
Tom Staniforth won his first caps in France last summer when he played in the Nations Championship, but could be in his sixth and final season with Castres, with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
Former NSW Waratah Staniforth, 32, has made over 100 appearances for Castres and became one of the most valued players in the Top 14, but did not agree to a contract to stay at the club next season.
According to Midi Olympique, that opened the door to interest from Clermont, Toulon, Lyon and Bayonne, while a Japanese Rugby League One club has also made an enquiry.
Bristol Bears fly-half AJ MacGinty admits he draws inspiration from Jimmy Gopperth but is likely to stop extending his playing career into his forties as former Wasps legend.
MacGinty will celebrate his 37th birthday before the end of the season and is aiming to go to the World Cup in 12 months’ time, but he is not thinking much further than that, unlike Gopperth, who was still playing for Provence after his 40th birthday.
“I probably draw inspiration from Jimmy Gopperth. He played until he was 42. I didn’t have that ambition or that vision to play in my forties,” he recently told Fissler Confidential.
Tom Willis admits he is at peace with his decision to return France in the summer to rejoin Bordeaux, although that ends his England career until he decided to take up the trade again at Gallagher PREM.
Brother Jack, who just retained his top 14 player of the year crown, is reportedly considering a move to Ireland, but the younger brother says he has no problem with RFU rules.
“I understand both sides. I understand the benefits for PREM, and I knew the rules before I decided. I have no problem with that,” Willis told French media this week.
Bayonne are looking to see what inside centers are available, with former England center Manu Tuilagi now in the final year of his contract, three years after crossing the Channel.
Tuilagi, who will turn 36 early next year, has made 44 appearances for Bayonne, just two less than he managed during his time with Sale Sharks after leaving Leicester Tigers.
It remains to be seen whether Tuilagi will call time on his career or look for another year elsewhere, whether in PREM, France or Japan, where he has long been touted for a move.
