Falcons confirm Mermoz signing
Centre Maxime Mermoz has agreed a move to Newcastle Falcons at the end of the season, despite making his Leicester Tigers debut just last week.
The 30-year-old joined Leicester at the start of February from Toulon, after a highly successful career in France.
Mermoz won two European Champions Cups and a Top 14 title with Toulon, plus a further two French domestic championships with Toulouse and Perpignan.
Signed as short-term injury cover for the Tigers' Matt Toomua and Manu Tuilagi, the France international scored a try within half an hour of his debut against Gloucester last weekend.
Mermoz has been capped 35 times for his country and boasts 167 appearances in the French top flight.
Newcastle Falcons' director of rugby Dean Richards told their official website: "Maxime's signing is a major statement of intent for Newcastle Falcons.
"We have been working hard over a long period of time to make this move happen.
"The fact that he will spend the back half of this season with Leicester Tigers is ideal in the sense that he will already be accustomed to Aviva Premiership rugby by the time he arrives with us in the summer, and we are excited by what he will bring to the group."
Mermoz added: "I am really happy to join the Falcons and I have been attracted by the ambitious plans of this historic club, which was the starting point of my former team-mate and legend Jonny Wilkinson.
"I expect to share my experience and bring my contribution to achieve the ambitious goals of the team. But I also come to learn and experience something new.
"This is a big challenge, but really exciting and motivating. I love it, I feel grateful and want to pay back the trust shown in me by Newcastle Falcons."
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i think Argentina v France could be a good game too, depending on which Argentina turns up. The most difficult to call is Scotland Australia.
Go to commentsSmith is playing a different game with the rest of the backs struggling to understand. That's the problem with so called playmakers, if nobody gets what they're doing then it often just leads to a turnover. It gets worse when Borthwick changes one of them, which is why they don't score points at the end. Sometimes having a brilliant playmaker can be problematic if a team cannot be built around them. Once again Borthwick seems lacking in either coaching or selection. I can't help but think it's the latter coupled with pressure to select the big name players.
Lastly, his forward replacements are poor and exposed either lack of depth or selection pressure. Cole hemorrhages scrum penalties whenever he comes on, opponents take advantage of the England scrum and close out the game. Is that the best England can offer?
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