Schmidt signs on until 2017

The IRFU have announced this afternoon that Joe Schmidt has signed on to continue in his role as Head Coach until June 30th 2017.

While this is good news for the IRFU it is far from what they sought out when beginning negotiations following Ireland's 6 Nations victory earlier this year.

Early speculation suggested that Schmidt had put pen to paper for a deal until 2023. While the suggested deal seems excess the IRFU are highly likely to have sought out a longer deal for the former Leinster Head Coach until at least 2019 and the next World Cup in Japan.

June 30th 2017 seems like a strange date to pick and will see Schmidt complete a four-year tenure with Ireland.

Curiously All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen's deal with the NZRU ends at the end of the 2017 season. Furthermore the British & Irish Lions will tour New Zealand in the summer of 2017.
Schmidt will be highly sought after at the end of his contract, don't be surprised if we see him lead the Lions against New Zealand and then swap sides.

Cheika experiments for Brisbane battle with Toulon combination at 10 and 12

Michael Cheika has selected a somewhat experimental team for his sides opening clash in this years Rugby Championship.

The Wallabies host a settled South African XV to Brisbane in a clash which is certain to demonstrate just where Australian rugby currently stands. 

The newly introduced ARU rules for overseas players sees both Giteau and Mitchell included in the matchday squad, with Giteau getting the nod at inside centre while Mitchell has to be content with a place on the bench. Rob Horne's goood form throughout the 2015 Super Rugby season sees him hold of the challenge of Mitchell to join Adam Ashley-Cooper and Folau is a dangerous looking back three. 

Brumbies sensation Tevita Kuridrani completes the backline at 13 with the proven combination of Genia and Cooper orchestrating events from half back. Cooper's recent injuries have only seen him play five times in this years Super Rugby competition, his inclusion in the starting XV completing a Toulon 10-12 combination.

Bernard Foley can count himself as unlucky not to make the squad at all with Matt Toomua's versatility ensuring his place on the bench. 

The pack has a familiar edge to it with Higginbotham and Fardy partnering Hooper in the back-row, seeing the Waratahs openside beating Pocock to the starting jersey. Expect Cheika to play these guys off each other and get the best out of them, having two of the world's best opensides in his squad will  not be lost on the former Leinster Head coach. 

Stephen Moore captains the team from Hooker, with Slipper and Kepu on either side of him, while wreckball Will Skelton and Simmons fill up the second-row. 

The South African side has a familiar feel to it with le Roux, Pietersen and Habana at the back. A lot of the Springbok's future hopes have been placed on the shoulders of Jessie Kriel, who starts his first tests at outside centre. The Bulls utility back has been talked up big time in the press by South African coach Heyneke Meyer, seeing him as a Springbok legend in the making. 

Pienaar and Pollard form their half back partnership once again with Schalk Burger surprisingly making the move to number eight. Coetzee and Louw finish off the back row with Etzebeth and Matfield in the rows. 

The Du Plessis brothers and Mtawaria finish off the team to form a brutally athletic front row. 

The presence of former captains Horwill and Pocock on the bench for the Wallabies is reflective of the strength in Australian rugby right now. Expect a performance from the Wallabies, expect open, expansive and threatening attacking rugby. From South Africa expect aggressive and direct rugby from their pack combined with wide and fast rugby from their backline. The South African pack will dominate all but the breakdown with Hooper undoubtedly set to make a big impact. Pocock will get on early in the second half and the double edged sword of himself and Hooper will give Australia they ball they need, the rest is in the unpredictable hands of the Cooper-Giteau axis. 

Prediction: Australia 29 South Africa 23

The match is live on Sky Sports at 11:05(GMT) this Saturday. 

South Africa:

15 Willie le Roux

14 JP Pietersen

13 Jesse Kriel

12 Damian de Allende

11 Bryan Habana

10 Handré Pollard

9 Ruan Pienaar

8 Schalk Burger

7 Marcell Coetzee

6 Francois Louw

5 Victor Matfield (c)

4 Eben Etzebeth

3 Jannie du Plessis

2 Bismarck du Plessis

1 Tendai Mtawarira.

16 Adriaan Strauss

17 Heinke van der Merwe

18 Frans Malherbe

19 Lodewyk de Jager

20 Teboho Mohoje

21 Cobus Reinach

22 Pat Lambie

23 Lwazi Mvovo

Australia:

15 Israel Folau

14 Adam Ashley-Cooper

13 Tevita Kuridrani

12 Matt Giteau

11 Rob Horne

10 Quade Cooper

9 Will Genia

8 Scott Higginbotham

7 Michael Hooper

6 Scott Fardy

5 Rob Simmons

4 Will Skelton

3 Sekope Kepu

2 Stephen Moore (c)

1 James Slipper

16 Tatafu Polota-Nau

17 Scott Sio

18 Greg Holmes

19 James Horwill

20 David Pocock

21 Nick Phipps

22 Matt Toomua

23 Drew Mitchell

All Blacks rotate for McCaw and Carter's swansong

Round one of the Rugby Championship kicks off this weekend with some exciting match-ups to start the build up to the World Cup later this year. First up is New Zealand v Argentina on Friday morning.

The New Zealand side has a hint of experimentation about it along with the usual suspects, with both Carter and McCaw making their final appearances in front of their home crowd.

TJ Perenara gets a rare start at scrum-half in the absence of Aaron Smith, with both scrum-halves in searingly good form the battle for the number 9 shirt will be very interesting.

Super Rugby's top try scorer Naholo comes in for his test debut on the right wing, adding further potency to a very dangerous backline.

Ma'a Nonu moves to second centre outside of Sonny Bill Williams while Dagg will have a chance to prove himself from Fullback.

Argentina are fielding a side with serious potential, combining young raw talent with the old experienced heads in the pack.

Lobbe, Leguizamon, Ayerza and captain Creevy lead the experienced pack with Isa and Petti both making their Rugby Championship debuts at Number eight and lock respectively.

Montero's cruel world cup ending knee injury sees Cordero get his chance on the wing. Expect a performance from this Argentina side. Aguila, Bosch and Sanchez are key to this teams success and a big performance from each of these players will see them push New Zealand close.

Expect a closely run affair with the Argentina forwards contesting well, but with New Zealand adding on points in the last twenty.

Prediction: New Zealand 37 Argentina 24

The match is live on Sky Sports at 08:35(GMT) on Friday morning.

Argentina:

15 Joaquin Tuculet
14 Horacio Aguila
13 Marcelo Bosch
12 Jeronimo De la Fuente
11 Santiago Cordero

10 Nicolas Sanchez
9 Tomas Cubelli

8 Facundo Isa
7 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
6 Juan Manuel Lequizamon
5 Guido Petti
4 Manuel Carizza
3 Ramiro Herrera
2 Agustin Creevy(c)
1 Marco Ayerza

16 Julian Montoya
17 Lucas Noguera
18 Nahuel Chaparro Tetaz
19 Benjamin Macome
20 Javier Ortega Desio
21 Martin Landajo
22 Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias
23 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino


New Zealand:

15 Israel Dagg
14 Waisake Naholo*
13 Ma'a Nonu
12 Sonny Bill Williams
11 Charles Piutau

10 Dan Carter
9 Tj Perenara

8 Kieran Read
7 Richie McCaw(c)
6 Jerome Kaino
5 Brodie Retallick
4 Luke Romano
3 Owen Franks
2 Keven Mealamu
1 Tony Woodcock

16 Codie Taylor*
17 Wyatt Crockett
18 Nepo Laulala
19 Jeremy Thrush
20 Liam Messam
21 Andy Ellis
22 Colin Slade
23 Ryan Crotty

Douglas and the exception that breaks the rule

     Earlier this year the ARU introduced a new series of rules on player eligibility for the national side. The former zero tolerance policy, meaning no player contracted to a club side outside of the Australian Super Rugby sides could play for the Wallabies, was changed to a perhaps more fair and relevant policy.
     The so-called 'Giteau Clause' was born, a clear marker of the Michael Cheika era. Bill Pulver, CEO of the ARU, announced that players who had played in Australia for seven seasons or more and had sixty tests caps or more would remain eligible for national selection if they were contracted overseas. Immediately Matt Giteau(92 caps) and Drew Mitchell(63 caps) became available for selection and have unsurprisingly have been included in Cheika's Rugby Championship squad.
     Adam Ashley-Cooper(104 caps) had already announced his intention to move to Bordeaux-Begles after the World Cup, but can now ply his trade in the Top 14 and fly back to wear the Gold of the Wallabies. Will Genia(58 caps) is set to join Stade Francais, Quade Cooper(53 caps) is joining the growing Australian crew at Toulon and James Horwill(58 caps) has signed for Conor O'Shea's Harlequins from next season. Make no mistake, the 60 cap threshold is not a random selection. It is a calculated decision. This season will likely see Genia, Cooper and Horwill all join Ashley-Cooper, Mitchell and Giteau in being available under the ruling.
     This week has seen a crack in the armour of the change in the eligibility rules as Kane Douglas has been called up by the Wallabies. Leinster manager, Guy Easterby confirmed the news on Monday. Douglas has 14 test caps for the Wallabies and has only played four professional seasons under contract in Australia. The 'Giteau clause' does not apply to him. Rumours are circulating that he will have to sign for an Australian Super Rugby franchise in order to make him eligible, with the Queensland Reds rumoured to be interested in Douglas as a replacement for Horwill. However, Leinster are firmly maintaining that Douglas is under contract and will remain a Leinster player for the remaining two years of his contract. The ARU are stuck and the only way they can justify the call-up of Douglas is by ensuring he is signed up to play in Australia next season. Leinster retain they won't sell and even still Douglas would not qualify under the ARU's own rules, but would be allowed in through a bending of the rules.
     It seems only England, New Zealand and France have the systems in place whereby the can select solely those who play in their domestic leagues. The problem Australia now face is whether it is worth it to bend its own already stretched rulings for one player or standby the rules they were forced into introducing.

McGahan and Cheika - Coaching and the vitality of timing

Tony McGahan and Michael Cheika are two names that Irish rugby fans will be very familiar with. Interestingly, both men succeeded Declan Kidney upon their appointment as Head Coaches of Irish provinces. McGahan took the reigns from Kidney in 2008 following Munster's second Heineken Cup victory and Kidney's appointment as Head Coach of Ireland. Cheika took charge of Leinster in 2005 after Kidney left Leinster after less than a season in favour of the Red Army. 

Leinster in 2005 and Munster in 2008 were two very different scenarios for a coach and expectation. Munster had just won their second Heineken Cup in three years, were providing the bones of the Irish team from 1-10 and in total had nine representatives on the following summers British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa including the Captain. In contrast Leinster were seen as an emerging reincarnation of the Munster of the early 2000's, the perpetual bridesmaids, a team playing well within its potential. Leinster were providing the rest of the Irish team, from 11-15 and the era of Munster Forwards and Leinster Backs was marked. 

Cheika's first campaign ending in a 30-6 Heineken Cup semi-final loss to Munster at Lansdowne Road summed up the contrasting situations of the provinces well, despite the scoreline being quite flattering in the end. O'Driscoll's public flirtation with Biarrtz Olympique in 2005 was a further warning to Leinster that something needed to change and fast. The story of Leinster and Cheika is a well known one, a slow build-up to 2009. The Croke Park Heineken Cup semi-final saw a complete role reversal from the 2006 semi-final, Leinster came out comprehensive winners and went on to win the trophy, directed by Jonny Sexton who had thrived on the pressure of his sudden semi-final entrance after Contepomi's injury. The 2009-10 season too was a success and a Magners League win combined with a semi-final Heineken Cup appearance was enough. Cheika was a legend and despite his shortcomings in Stade Francais, partly due to financial problems within the club, have largely been ignored and he is seen as one of the worlds best coaches right now. 

McGahan meanwhile took over from the ultimate Munster man. Kidney had left as a hero of the province, the man who had lead the side to four Heineken Cup finals and finally two victories in quick succession. Furthermore, he was leading Ireland to a first Grand Slam in Sixty-One years while McGahan lead Munster to a Magners League win and a Heineken Cup semi-final. McGahan faced ridiculous expectation and what was undoubtedly a successful season was not regarded as such, the semi-final loss to Leinster was all anyone focussed in on. The following years double semi-final losses in the Magners League and Heineken Cup added to the idea that McGahan was not quite what Munster needed. 

2010-11 saw Schmidt replace Cheika at Leinster, leading them to a second Heineken Cup victory is his debut season. McGahan leading Munster to another Magners League win following the first time Munster had failed to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup since 1998-99.

2011-12 was probably the season which is most associated with McGahan's era in charge at Munster, a home quarter-final loss to Ulster in the Heineken Cup and a dismal hammering away to the Ospreys in the Pro12 Semi-finals.

Across his four season in charge McGahan lead Munster to two Magners League victories, two Heineken Cup semi-finals and one quarter-final and his tenure is remembered as largely forgettable. Timing is everything for a coach, Kidney returning to Munster at the right time in 2005 and taking over Ireland at the right time in 2008-09. McGahan took over Munster as they began their descent and Leinster started their ascent, the sudden flip in dominance throughout McGahan's era not helping one bit. Cheika should be rightly credited for his work with Leinster, he did a superb job and brought the side from underachieving into the team everyone in Europe was frightened to face. 

However, you cannot help but think that the Leinster team Cheika took control of just needed to recruit a bit better and they could reach their potential. They had great players, they just needed to become a great team. The same could be said of the Waratahs team that Cheika took control of in 2013. Leinster and the Waratahs both had the potential to be great sides, but crucially had not become them yet. McGahan meanwhile became Munster's head coach when the golden era was pittering out and this earned him the same role at the Melbourne Rebels in 2013. Cheika's appointment as Wallaby coach last year is undoubtedly a result of this. McGahan at the Waratahs and Cheika at the Rebels in 2013 and we could be looking at a very different Wallaby coach right now. Timing is everything for a coach, you don't want to take over a Champion team on a downward spiral, just ask Matt O'Connor.  ward spiral, just ask Matt O'Connor.

Is the IRFU's national prioritisation destabilising the future of the provincial game?

     On June 1st 2014 Irish rugby appointed its first ‘Performance Director’. David Nucifora. 

The twice capped Wallaby international assumed the role at a time when Irish rugby was in a comfortable and successful position, something he reiterated upon accepting the position.

"Irish rugby is in rude health, Ireland are RBS 6 Nations champions and the provinces are performing well in both the domestic and European competitions.’’

At the time there was very few people that would have disagreed with Nucifora’s words. Ireland were 6 Nations champions, while the domestic European performances of Leinster, Munster and Ulster were meeting expectations. Each province topped their Heineken Cup pool, with only Leinster failing to earn a home quarter-final. Munster progressed to the semi-finals where they were defeated in a closely run affair by a Toulon side destined for greatness, suffering the same fate as Leinster had in the previous round. Ulster too were seemingly on course for a semi-final spot until Payne’s fifth minute red card saw Saracens triumph at Ravenhill. For Ulster particularly the ‘what-ifs?’ of the 2013-14 season will remain for a long time. Connacht too should not be forgotten, earning an impressive home victory over three-time European champions Toulouse. As Nucifora put it, every facet of Irish rugby seemed to be in ‘‘rude health’’.

     2014-15 marked a new era in European rugby. The European Champions Cup’s arrival firmly re-organising the finances, structure and qualification process for Europe’s elite club tournament. The reduction in the number of competing teams from 24 to 20, coupled with an overhaul in the seeding system has effectively rebooted the system. The past, as favourable as it had been to the Irish teams, has been erased. No longer is the seeding based on previous performances in the competition. Interestingly Mourad Boudjellal, the Toulon owner, was the most recent critic of this. Europe is now concerned with creating elite competition, making no secret of its goal of being the best club competition in the world. This is being based off incredibly competitive leagues and a brutal European competition all fueled by the ruling that seedings will be based off year-by-year performances. 

     This impact of these changes were acutely evident by the strength of opposition Munster faced in pool 1. A third placed Pro12 finish earning them a spot in the so-called ‘‘Pool-of-death’’ along with Clermont, Saracens and the underrated Sale. Leinster being drawn with Toulon, Bath and Wasps this year demonstrates further how vital final league standings have now become. This requirement for each province to compete on two fronts seemed to be insurmountable this season leaving the Irish provinces facing into a tougher than ever Pro12 with much more at stake. Ulster, Munster and Connacht’s Pro12 campaigns can be regarded as successful. While Ulster fell in the semi-finals, they secured a third place ranking and Munster a second place ranking. Connacht fell short of their well publicised goal of sixth place, but they did push Gloucester all the way in the qualification play-off semi-final. Leinster’s fifth placed finish is perplexing and can be tracked to a complete drop in form from February on. You cannot help but sympathise with Matt O’Connor’s several public complaints against the IRFU. His side made up the majority of the 6 Nations squad and the disruption of this ultimately played a massive role in the unravelling of the 2014 Pro12 champions season.     

    

    The IRFU’s restrictions on the amount of games their internationals play is sensible and practical. The Southern hemisphere test players play in a maximum of 19 Super Rugby games a year, and combined with test matches the most a player will take the field is 32 or 33 times a year. In Ireland if a player took part in every game they could play 35 games for their club alone before representing their country a further 10-12 times. The difference there is plain to see and the IRFU’s intervention is undoubtedly vital to maintain the freshness of its best players. From the IRFU’s point of view it is not feasible for Ireland’s foremost professional rugby players to put their bodies on the line over 40 times a year. As much sense as the policy makes it has a big knock-on effect. The performances of Munster and Ulster compared with Leinster in the latter part of the season were different for several reasons. The fact that Leinster had sizably more players away with Ireland during the 6 Nations and were involved in the knock-out stages of the Champions Cup ultimately cost them in the Pro12.  Leinster’s success has become its own hindrance, the impact of the IRFU’s clear priority of the national side is incredibly clear when examining Leinster right now. 

    

     The birth of the Champions Cup has created a much tougher European competition and a significantly more competitive Pro 12 and on top of this Leinster have not been afforded the luxury of having their best players available for selection each week. Leinster still fell far short of expectations, whatever way you look at it, but Matt O’Connor can feel rightly aggrieved for how the province and the IRFU treated him. The lack of candidates for the supposedly prestigious Leinster Head Coaches position since his departure evidences this further. The IRFU has a firm grip on every aspect of how the provinces operate, select and recruit. This is abundantly clear when you consider that Leinster have moved to fill the gaps in their back-room staff before a Head Coach has even been employed. The IRFU being clear on its aim to create as many high quality indigenous coaches as possible. 

John Fogarty and Girvan Dempsey have been made scrum coach and backs coach respectively with Kurt McQuilkin in place on a short-term deal as defence coach. Leo Cullen will continue is his role as forwards coach and it seems more and more likely by the day that he will take the reigns as Leinster move into the new season with Dempsey his deputy. The position of Head Coach with Leinster offers the chance to work within an already established staff and with a player group which looks set to be disrupted massively by the Rugby World Cup later this year. It is no wonder that suggested candidates such as Jono Gibbes and Tony Brown have reiterated their loyalty to their current positions when linked with the Leinster job. If you coach in Ireland, you coach for Ireland. 

     

     Furthermore the IRFU allows very little leeway in relation to player recruitment through the National Player Succession Strategy(NPSS). The policy was announced in 2011 and fully enacted at the beginning of the 2013/14 season, allowing one NIE(Non-Irish eligible) player per position between Ulster, Munster and Leinster. This system is aimed at getting more Irish qualified players in the provinces starting teams each week with the eventual goal of a national team with more depth than ever before. The gains from the system are evident, particularly at Prop, where Leinster have again lead the way. However, the problem here is this policy, while vital to the future of the national team, is causing issues for the competitiveness of the provinces. 

     The IRFU has put its cards on the table, the national team is the firm priority, there is no two-ways about it, and the results speak for themselves. Ireland sit third in the world as back-to-back 6 Nations champions. However, the IRFU has taken the success of the provincial game for granted. These policies were formed at a time when Munster and Ulster remained competitive in Europe and Leinster were the team every other side feared they would face. The situation now is very different, and the club game is rapidly changing. The Premiership and Top 14 are raising their salary cap frequently making it harder and harder to compete with them. European rugby is on a new path, its re-branding perhaps being more appropriate than previously thought with its similarity to its football equivalent. To compete in Europe you need your best players available every week and you need to be able to sign high quality foreign talent. In France and England the clubs have the power and they can act as they please outside the international window. As they travel in once direction, inevitably our clubs will go in the other. Club and country is a difficult balance to get right, but in the current situation it seems as if a Champions Cup is unlikely to fall into Irish hands in the near future. The IRFU’s policies have paid dividends in terms of national success, but now perhaps it is time to consider the wider impact of them across the provincial game. 

Pro 12 Transfer Round-up

Benetton Treviso

Transfers in:

Tom Palmer(Gloucester), Luke McLean(Sale Sharks), Alberto De Marchi(Sale Sharks), Robert Barbieri(Leicester Tigers), Filo Paulo(Cardiff Blues), Tommaso Iannone(Zebre), Chris Smylie(Hurricanes), Cherif Traore(Calvisano), Braam Steyn(Calvisano), Omel Gega(Mogliano), Flippo Filippetto(San Dona), Luca Bigi(Petrarca Padova), Simon Ferrari(Milano), Duncan Naude(RC Chalon), Jean-Francois Montauriol(Rovigo Delta).

Transfers out:

Simone Favaro(Glasgow Warriors), Michele Campagnaro(Exeter Chiefs), Joe Carlisle(London Welsh), Paul Derbyshire(Zebre), Corniel van Zyl(Retired), Giovanni Maistri(Petrarca Padova), Antonio Pavanello(Retired), Ruggero Trevisan(Retired), Amar Kudin(Released), Romulo Acosta(Released), Albert Anae(Released), Jose Francisco Novak(Released), Tomas Vallejos Cinalli(Released), Meyer Swanepoel(Released), Nicola Cattina(Released), Mat Luamanu(Released), Henry Seniloli(Released).

Cardiff Blues

Transfers in:

Cam Dolan(Northampton Saints), Blaine Scully(Leicester Tigers), Tom James(Exeter Chiefs), Rey Lee-Lo(Hurricanes).

Transfers out:

Matthew Rees(Released), Adam Jones(Harlequins), Rory Watts-Jones(Retired), Filo Paulo(Benetton Treviso), Joaquin Tuclet(Argentina - Super Rugby), Dafydd Hewitt(Retired), Simon Humberstone(Doncaster Knights), Marc Breeze(Released), Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino(Released).

Connacht

Transfers in:

Ben Marshall(Leinster), Quinn Roux(Leinster), John Cooney(Leinster), Nepia Fox-Matamua(Auckland), Api Pewhairangi(New Zealand Warriors - Rugby League).

Transfers out:

Sean Henry(Released), Shane Layden(Released), Mata Fifita(Released), Miah Nikora(Released), Mick Kearney(Leinster), Michael Swift(Retired), Willie Faloon(Ulster), Mils Muliania(Zebre).

Edinburgh

Transfers in:

Michael Allen(Ulster), Jack Cosgrove(Worcester Warriors), Nasi Manu(Highlanders), William Helu(London Wasps), Nathan Fowles(Sale Sharks).

Transfers out:

Tim Visser(Harlequins), Tom Heathcote(Worcester Warriors), Grayson Hart(Glasgow Warriors), Ollie Atkins(Exeter Chiefs).

Glasgow Warriors

Transfers in:

Mike Blair(Newcastle Falcons), Kieran Law(London Irish), Simone Favaro(Benetton Treviso), Grayson Hart(Edinburgh), Sam Johnson(Reds), Jason Hill(Unattached), Javan Sebastian(Scarlets), Taqele Naiyaravoro(NSW Waratahs), Greg Peterson(Leicester Tigers).

Transfers out:

Euan Murray(Pau), Sean Maitland(London Irish), Dougie Hall(Retired), Alastair Kellock(Retired), James Downey(Wasps), Connor Braid(Released), Tommy Spinks(Jersey), Murray McConnell(Nottingham), Jon Welsh(Newcastle Falcons), D.T.H. Van der Merwe(Scarlets), Nikola Matawalu(Bath Rugby).

Leinster

Transfer in:

Jonathan Sexton(Racing 92), Mick Kearney(Connacht), Isa Nacewa(Unattached), Royce Burke-Flynn(Unattached), Ian Hirst(Unattached).

Transfers out:

Jimmy Gopperth(London Wasps), John Cooney(Connacht), Jordan Coghlan(Munster), Quinn Roux(Connacht), Shane Jennings(Retired), Sam Coghlan Murray(Nottingham), Sean McCarthy(Jersey), Brendan Macken(Wasps), Ben Marshall(Connacht).

Munster

Transfers in:

Jordan Coghlan(Leinster), Francis Saili(Auckland Blues), Matt D'Arcy(Unattached), Tomas O'Leary(London Irish).

Transfers out:

JJ Hanrahan(Northampton Saints), Paul O'Connell(Toulon), Sean Dougall(Pau), Paddy Butler(Pau), Damien Varley(Retired), Alan Cotter(Aix-en-Provence), Andrew Smith(TBC - end of contract), Eusebio Guinazu(TBC - end of contract), Ivan Dineen(Released), Martin Kelly(Released), Johne Murphy(Released), Barry O'Mahony(Released), Luke O'Dea(TBC - Pro D2).

Newport-Gwent Dragons

Transfers in:

Nick Scott(London Welsh), Sarel Pretorius(Free State Cheetahs), Ed Jackson(Wasps), Charlie Davies(Wasps), Adam Warren(Scarlets).

Transfers out:

Ian Gough(Retired), Ashley Smith(Retired), Lee Bryne(Retired), Owen Evans(Harlequins), Steffan Jones(Bedford Blues), Jonathan Evans(Bath Rugby).

Neath-Swansea Ospreys

Transfers in:

Paul James(Bath Rugby), Gareth Delve(NEC Green Rockets - Japan), Brendon Leonard(Zebre).

Transfers out:

Duncan Jones(Retired), Morgan Allen(Scarlets), Nicky Thomas(Gloucester), Sam Lewis(Worcester Warriors).

Scarlets

Transfers in:

Morgan Allen(Ospreys), Jack Condy(Unattached), Dylan Evans(Unattached - Australia), Tom Price(Leicester Tigers), Will Taylor(Wasps), Aled Thomas(Gloucester), D.T.H. Van der Merwe(Glasgow Warriors).

Transfers out:

Rhys Priestland(Bath Rugby), Javan Sebastian(Glasgow Warriors), Frazier Climo(Released), Joe Snyman(Brive Rugby), Kristian Phillips(Released), Adam Warren(Newport-Gwent Dragons), Kyle Evans(Moseley), Sion Bennett(Northampton Saints), Jacobie Adriaanse(Montpellier), Darran Harris(Rotherham Titans).

Ulster

Transfers in:

Peter Browne(London Welsh), Paul Rowley(London Welsh), Sam Windsor(Worcester Warriors), Willie Faloon(Connacht).

Transfer out:

Charlie Butterworth(Jersey), Ross Adair(Jersey), Declan Fitzpatrick(Retired), Michael Allen(Edinburgh), Ricky Andrew(Nottingham), Michael Heaney(Doncaster Knights).

Zebre

Transfers in:

Mils Muliania(Connacht), Luke Burgess(Melbourne Rebels), Pietro Ceccarelli(AS Macon), Marcello Violi(Calvisano), Federico Ruzza(Viadana), Tommaso Boni(Mogliano), Kayle van Zyl(Mogliano), Carlo Canna(Flamme Oro), Emiliano Corla(Montpellier), Emiliano Caffini(Rovigo Delta), Guillermo Roan(Rovigo Delta), Paul Derbyshire(Benetton Treviso), Bruno Postiglioni(La Plata - Argentina), Jean Cook(Cheetahs), Ulrich Beyers(Bordeaux-Begles), Johan Meyer(Sharks).

Transfers out:

Brendon Leonard(Ospreys), Andries Ferreira(Lions), Samuela Vunisa(Saracens), Giovanbattista Venditti(Newcastle Falcons), Mauro Bergamasco(Retired), Luca Redolfini(Rovigo Delta), Luciano Orquera(RC Massy), Tommaso Iannone(Benetton Treviso), Luciano Leibson(RC Massy), Matias Aguero(Released), Alberto Chillon(Released), Hennie Daniller(Released), Andrei Mahu(Released), Lorenzo Romano(Released).