Manu Tuilagi, an England international centre, has committed to a two-year contract with French Top 14 club Bayonne, according to a report by Gerard Meagher in The Guardian. This development might be a silver lining for the strained supporters of Ulster.
31-year-old Ulster and Ireland’s Stuart McCloskey was rumoured to be heading towards Bayonne, as reported by Sud Ouest. They further mentioned that he, alongside ex-Munster centre Francis Saili, were the French club’s top picks. However, this interest comes at a time when Bayonne is facing the loss of midfielders Peyo Muscarditz, Yan Lestrade, and Eneriko Buliruarua at the close of the season.
Jon Petrie, Ulster’s CEO, addressed McCloskey’s rumoured transfer, confirming that he is under contract until 2025. While not providing explicit assurance, Petrie stated that while some players leave, others joined, implying a reset might be on the horizon. He stressed that Ulster aimed to include players capable of pushing them to the forefront of championships and into deeper competitive runs.
McCloskey, who has become a critical player for Ulster and demonstrated his prowess as a Test centre with Ireland under Andy Farrell, may think twice before jeopardizing his international career with a move to France. Ulster’s alternatives for inside centre include Stewart Moore and Jude Postlethwaite.
Who might take the reins as Ulster’s new head coach could also influence any decisions. However, Bayonne’s decision to sign a high-profile player can signify their intent to alter their recruitment strategy for centres.
Meanwhile, Sale Sharks secured Fijian captain Waisea Nayacalevu, who will take the place of Manu Tuilagi. At 32, Tuilagi played his sixtieth game for England, up against France, in the final game of this Six Nations Championship season.
Another noteworthy update is that Ireland didn’t win the Under-20 Six Nations Championship, narrowly losing to England but remained undefeated throughout the tournament. While they missed out on being the champions, it shields them from any ‘curse’ associated with victors heading into the World Junior Championship.
In an upcoming summer global tournament to take place in Cape Town, Richie Murphy’s team will be pitted against Australia, Georgia and Italy during the preliminary rounds. There have only been two instances over the past 13 years where the Under-20 Six Nations and Junior World Championships coincided and yielded the same victor, specifically England in 2013 and France in 2018. England has reached the tournament final and fallen short four times, with Ireland experiencing a similar fate once last summer.
Following a Six Nations win, Ireland incurred the least favourable outcome at the World Cup. Ireland’s 2010 team, led by Rhys Ruddock, were the reigning champions and Triple Crown winners but fell short in Argentina. Despite gaining victories over Samoa and Scotland, a ninth-place finish remains the worst result for any Six Nations victors within the specified timeframe. The challenge for England, guided by Mark Mapletoft, will be to mirror their 2013 success this summer.
Mike Haley’s recent display for Munster in their triumph against Ospreys proves his value as fullback and raises hopes for an injury-free season. This could enhance his chances of adding to the lone Ireland cap he secured in 2019. Whilst Haley was injured, Hugo Keenan, his potential replacement, also had fitness issues during the Six Nations. As a result, Haley’s return to peak performance is crucial.
Over the weekend, Max Deegan and Thomas Clarkson from Leinster distinguished themselves with laudable performances against Zebre in Parma. While Deegan continues to be third-choice behind Caelan Doris and Jack Conan, maintaining outstanding form is key.
In recent reports, it was revealed that Leinster is keen on a €500,000 acquisition of Australian international tighthead prop, Taniela Tupou, affectionately known as the “Tongan Thor”. This is an attempt to fill the void left by Michael Ala’alatoa, scheduled to join Clermont Auvergne come summertime. However, the solid display by Clarkson has urged the coaching personnel to reconsider, portraying him as a blossoming player.
Noteworthy among the ascending props is Paddy McCarthy, an all-rounder, along with Niall Smyth, a Blackrock schoolboy. Smyth, exceptional in the Schools Senior Cup, exhibits convincing capabilities.
Reacting to their significant triumph, Munster’s Seán O’Brien, who was named man of the match, stated it was indeed the most crucial game of the season and their return after a couple of weeks off to a resounding victory felt brilliant.
Distilling the French Top 14’s current standings into digestible stats, it is seen that only six points separate the third from the tenth position, scattering eight teams in this range after the games over the weekend.