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Tom Pearson's Saints future set to be resolved
By Neil Fissler
Northampton Saints are set to win their tug-of-war with Gallagher Premiership rivals Gloucester and keep England flanker Tom Pearson at Franklin's Gardens until the summer of 2027.
The Cherry and Whites, who suffered their second defeat in the first three games of the new season at Sale Sharks last Friday, were keen on luring the 24-year-old to Kingsholm when his contract runs out at the end of this season.
They made him an offer, but the Hereford-born openside, who was educated at Dean Close School boarding school in Cheltenham and whose father Andrew is a Gloucester fan, has decided to stay with the reigning Premiership champions.
Pearson was a member of the Gloucester academy as a youngster and was at Cardiff Metropolitan University before joining London Irish, where he made 39 appearances before they went out of business.
Exeter Chiefs failed with a late bid to sign him in June 2023 because he had already agreed on a deal with Saints to sign up alongside fellow former Irish players, Chunya Munga and Tarek Haffar.
The Premiership's breakthrough player and the RPA's young player of the season in 2023 has played 24 times for Saints and was part of the side that beat Bath in last season’s Premiership final at Twickenham.
Pearson is one of a 36-man England training squad that assembled at Pennyhill Park on Monday for a three-day training camp ahead of the Autumn Nations Series, which gets underway against the All Blacks on November 2.
He will be hoping to impress Steve Borthwick enough to force his way into his plans to add to the single cap that he won against Wales in August 2023 as they wound up their preparations for the World Cup in France.
Pearson was also part of the training camp before the Six Nations earlier this year and will be hoping that he isn’t one of the unlucky ones to miss out when Borthwick names his squad later this month.
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Latest Comments
Don't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
Go to commentsHopefully Joe stays where he is. That would mean Les, McKellar, larkham and Cron should as well. It’s the stability we need in the state programs. But, if Joe goes, RA with its current financial situation will be forced into promoting from within. And this will likely destabilise other areas.
To better understand some of the entrenched bitterness of those outside of NZ and NSW (as an example 😂), Nic, there is probably a comparison to the old hard heads of welsh rugby who are still stuck in the 1970s. Before the days where clubs merged, professionalism started, and the many sharp knives were put into the backs of those who loved the game more than everyone else. I’m sure you know a few... But given your comparison of rugby in both wales and Australia, there are a few north of the tweed that will never trust a kiwi or NSWelshman because of historical events and issues over the history of the game. It is what it is. For some, time does not heal all wounds. And it is still festering away in some people. Happy holidays to you. All the best in 2025.
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