Fissler Confidential: Club secure England star as battle commences for giant teammate

Exeter Chiefs are going all out to agree on a new contract with England outside centre Henry Slade, who was recently one of 17 players to have been awarded a hybrid contract by the RFU.

The Plymouth-born 31-year-old, a former pupil of Plymouth College, started his career on a dual registration between Plymouth Albion and the Chiefs and was linked with a move to Stade Francais before signing a new deal.

A Premiership and Champions Cup double winner in 2020, who has played 227 games for the club, he signed a one-year extension with the option for another year, but the club now want him to sign a fresh long-term contract.

The Scarlets are keen on a move for Italian international scrum-half Stephen Varney, who recently left Premiership outfit Gloucester to make a move to Top 14 strugglers Vannes.

Varney made his first appearance of the season when debuting for the Brittany outfit, coming off the bench in the defeat to Perpignan last weekend, and is under contract until the end of the season.

But his stay in France could be a short one, with the Scarlets very keen on signing the 23-year-old West Walian, who qualifies for the Azzurri through his Italian mother, Valeria. He has never played club rugby in his homeland.

Sale have completed a deal that will see Harlequins hooker Nathan Jibulu move to the North-West when his contract runs out at the end of the season. RugbyPass reported last Sunday that the Sharks were close to pipping Exeter, who also failed to lure Seb Blake from Gloucester, in the race to sign the Wimbledon College-educated former England U20.

Now 21, Nathan Jibulu will move to the Sharks where he is likely to replace ex-Saracens, Leinster and Connacht ace Tadgh McElroy. The switch is also set to end any hopes Jack Walker had of leaving the Twickenham Stoop for the Top 14.

Toulon are now looking at other inside-centre options after failing with an ambitious bid to lure Ireland and British and Lions centre Robbie Henshaw to the Cote d’Azur when his contract runs out at the end of the season.

Henshaw’s CV has been doing the rounds of several Top 14 sides, but it appears that he will be staying with Leinster, his home since leaving Connacht eight years ago.

The 31-year-old, who has won 74 Test caps, is closing in on 100 appearances for Leo Cullen’s outfit. He made his first appearance of the season in the recent win over the Lions after recovering from an injury suffered in the summer.

Toulouse are ready to take advantage of a clause in the contract of highly rated Mathis Ferte, who can play almost anywhere across the back line. Rugby Prime are reporting that Ferte, who only hasn’t played at fly-half and inside-centre for Pro D2 promotion chasers Brive, was recently given a guided tour of Toulouse’s facilities.

The French U20 international is under contract until 2028 but has got a clause that will allow him to leave if Brive, who are currently fifth in the Pro D2 table, fail to win promotion to the Top 14 at the end of the season.

Joe Hawkins might not be the only departure from Exeter across the Severn Bridge, with Welsh regions stepping up their attempts to sign Welsh-qualified centre Zack Wimbush. Warren Gatland wants to pick Hong Kong-born Wimbush, who is also a target for England coach Steve Borthwick, but he needs him to be playing for one of the Welsh regions to get him into his squad.

Rob Baxter is keen on keeping the 6ft 6in, 112kg 21-year-old at Sandy Park beyond the end of the season but knows that it depends on where the player sees his international future which could be settled in the very near future.

Leicester have secured a deal that will see Newcastle Falcons and England hooker Jamie Blamire make a move to Welford Road at the end of the season to replace Pau-bound Puma star Julian Montoya.

The 26-year-old Blamire, who hails from Seaton in Cumbria, has made 99 appearances for Falcons and won the last of his seven England caps in the summer series defeat at the hands of Wales before the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Tigers boss Michael Cheika is also looking for a fly-half and we reported on Friday that he is interested in Leinster and Ireland ace Ross Byrne. He has also got a big name No8 on his shopping list for next season.

Out-of-favour England scrum-half Raffi Quirke is putting off making a decision about his future until the New Year, when he hopes to have made a return to action. The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a move to Harlequins.

He hasn’t played this season after having an operation on a wrist injury, but he is now back passing a ball in training and is looking to be back on the pitch next month which is when he will start to think about where he will be playing next season.

Gloucester are believed to have failed in a bid to lure twice-capped England winger Ollie Hassell-Collins, who is in the final year of his contract at Leicester Tigers. Fissler Confidential sources tell us that the former London Irish star, who won the last of his caps against Italy in the 2023 Six Nations, was made an offer by the Cherry and Whites.

But they failed to match the offer on the table from the Tigers, who signed Reading-born 25-year-old from the Exiles before the start of the 2023/2024 campaign. It looks like he will be staying on in the East Midlands.

Former cross-code legend Wendell Sailor has got himself into legal hot water after an alleged row in Sydney bar Pappy’s saw him pick up five charges from New South Wales Police.

The 50-year-old, who played 37 times for the Wallabies, faces court at the end of the month to answer two charges of common assault, offensive behaviour, intimidating a person with intent to cause fear and failing to leave a licensed venue.

The Daily Telegraph in Sydney reports that Sailor was arrested after staff phoned the police when he refused to leave following a four-hour drinking session.