Raft of Premiership contracts handed out over festive period
There was no shortage of goodwill to go around among the Gallagher Premiership clubs over the festive period, as no less than seven players around the league were handed new contracts.
Bristol Bears got the ball rolling on Christmas Eve, inking influential lock Chris Vui (RPI - 59) to a new three-year deal that will keep him at Ashton Gate until 2022.
Vui was a key part of Bristol’s fast start to the season and has cemented himself into the club’s first-choice engine room pairing, bringing all of the leadership qualities that has seen him made captain of the Samoan national side.
Sale Sharks followed that up with some important news of their own, as they managed to tie down club captain – and one of the standout performers in the Premiership this season – Jono Ross (68) until 2022, with the South African, like Vui, signing a new three-year deal.
Ross has established himself in the back row at Sale, alongside the likes of the Curry twins, Josh Strauss and short-term signing Jean-Luc du Preez, giving the club from the north-west consistency and reliability in the loose forwards, as well as a work rate that is comparable to any player in the competition.
Finally, Wasps gave their fans something to cheer, as they announced contract extensions for Ashley Johnson (63), Tommy Taylor (79), Jimmy Gopperth (84), Simon McIntyre (71) and Ben Harris (66).
Johnson has been at the club since 2012 and is one of the few players still plying their trade for the club who also ran out at Adams Park. He has become a fan favourite at the Ricoh and his ability to cover both the back row and hooker has made him invaluable for Wasps.
Gopperth and Taylor are more recent arrivals but have made considerable impacts in Coventry, despite injuries limiting their impact over the current and 2017/18 seasons. The extensions of both McIntyre and Harris bolster the club’s front row stocks and give them some much-needed consistency heading into next season, when they reportedly could lose the trio of Jake Cooper-Woolley, Will Stuart and Matt Mullan to Premiership rivals.
With Wasps only having won one of their last 12 fixtures and facing news on a regular basis that some of the club’s star players are set to leave in the summer, these re-signings brought some much-needed Christmas joy to a fanbase with increasingly frayed nerves.
Watch: Exceptional Stories: Ian McKinley.
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And they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
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