ive been an admirer of jack lam for awhile, great player and doesnt deserve to play in the championship, so for his sake, bristol better go up.
also ben lam is a tidy enough 7s player, havent seen much of him.

jack at his best, great carry and 2 monster hits. you just know he's samoan

We need a sugar daddy !! I'm jealous !!

www.espn.co.uk/england/rugby/story/217043.html

Championship leaders Bristol have announced seven signings for next season, all on two-year contracts.

Twenty-one year old Ospreys fly-half Matthew Morgan, 25-year-old Bath flanker Nick Koster lead the way. Prop Jack O'Connell and winger Darren Hudson arrive from Leinster, hooker Max Crumpton from Harlequins, Samoa back-rower Jack Lam for Super Rugby side Hurricanes, and scrum-half Craig Hampson from Leeds.



Wow I missed all of this but that's some work in the transfer market for a Championship team, Matthew Morgan and Jack Lam will be massive signings and have to admit i'm a little jealous.

Bristol have also signed Pat's younger cousin Jack Lam

Oh to have a sugar Daddy. Three great signings for Bristol. Fair play to them.

Bristol have also signed Pat's younger cousin Jack Lam

Hudson also joined Bristol

Leinster LH Prop Jack O'Connell signs for Bristol.

Academy – joins on a two-year deal.

23 year-old O’Connell has made thirteen appearances for Leinster in the Rabo Direct PRO12 competition since a debut in 2011.

“Jack has represented Leinster ‘A’ in three B&I Cup campaigns, helping his side to the title in 2013,” Director of Rugby Andy Robinson told bristolrugby.co.uk.

“He’s a talented young Irish prop who provides us with an extra dimension in the front row next season.

“Jack can be an asset to us. It’s important to recruit young players with plenty of potential - Jack has all the ingredients to play at the top level.”

O’Connell won twelve caps for Ireland U20s, winning an RBS Six Nations title during his time with the side.

He said: “Bristol is a Club with a great reputation and a forward-thinking vision – I’m delighted to be joining.

Cardiff, Edinburgh and Treviso seem to be having big problems. Admittedly Solomon seems to have steadied the ship at Edinburgh but Cardiff are in big difficulty and for four of Treviso's top players to leave simultaneously shows that something rotten is happening behind the scenes there. For the problems Connacht has and criticism the IRFU take we're in a lot better position then a lot of other clubs in the Rabo.

Prop Ryan bevington signs on for 2 more years. There definitely seems to be a pattern developing in Wales. Ospreys and dragons seem to be turning a corner financially and are holding onto and/or signing players. Sxarlets seem to be just about holding their heads above water in that regard but losing the big names and Cardiff seem to be in free fall with no end in sight.
The Laidlaw one is strange from a Scots perspective. he's very important from their national team perspective. Unless they are bringing a SQ 10 into Edinburgh who can kick its poor business. They are okay for scrum halves there but short on 10s and kickers. Tom heathcote from bath?

Gloucester "poised" to sign Greig Laidlaw

Henson set to join Dragons next season www.express.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/46254...on-set-for-Bath-exit


Edit: Laidlaw move confirmed

Phil Davies has resigned as head coach of Cardiff blues.

Treviso lose four of their top players next year to Leicester Tigers. Not a good time to be a treviso fan.

All four players are currently plying their trade with Treviso – the side Leicester have played four times during the last six years of Heineken Cup competition.

Leonardo Ghiraldini is Italy's first-choice hooker and has started in 50 of his 62 caps.

The 29-year-old weighs 16 stones and is expected to put genuine pressure on Tom Youngs for a starting spot next season.

Robert Barbieri, 29, is a 17-stone back-rower who started Italy's last Test in the Six Nations at openside flanker.

He has made more than 100 appearances for Treviso since joining them in 2007 and will provide competition for Julian Salvi and further cover in the No.8 position.

Michele Rizzo is a 31-year-old prop who weighs in at 17 stones. He spent eight years at Padova before moving to Treviso in 2009.

His latest cap came in the fiery Six Nations defeat by France which saw him sent off for a clash in the scrum.

While all three of them are expected to be at the club next season, Tigers have had to go through an appeal process to try to get a work permit for Tongan-born Japan international Christian Loamanu.

The 27-year-old moved to Japan at the age of 15 and became the country's youngest-ever international three years later. He has 16 caps.

In 2009, he was banned for life by the Japanese Rugby Union after two doping tests were alleged to have revealed traces of cannabis. He denied using marijuana and was not criminally charged.

Loamanu then moved to Toulon, where he spent three seasons before arriving at Treviso.

Tigers will now have to prove that he is still 'international class' for him to be allowed to ply his trade in this country.

Loamanu was sensational for his club against Tigers this season and, while he has spent most of his career in the backs, mainly at centre, his physical build has enabled him to slot into the back-row for Treviso.

The decision to sign Ghiraldini means that out-of-contract Rob Hawkins is unlikely to be offered a new deal.

connachtexile wrote:

Dragons have signed 39 year old former England and Bath prop Duncan Bell.

I'm assuming he's in as cover for the lad who got suspended for 10 weeks.

Yep. Chaparro suspended. Buck and Way injured

Dragons have signed 39 year old former England and Bath prop Duncan Bell.

I'm assuming he's in as cover for the lad who got suspended for 10 weeks.

Dragons have signed 39 year old former England and Bath prop Duncan Bell.

IMHO Isles is a liability to the US 7s team - he's a crossover athlete with a good PR department spinning out YouTube videos and rumors of NFL deals - even older US international players are hesitant to talk too much about him - but he gets internet clicks, any publicity is good publicity for rugby in the US.

For every time he burns somebody on the outside, he's coughing up possession, out of position, poor handling etc etc. Plus I'm never sure whether they actually have tactics to use him as the strike runner or he is always out of position for those tactics. Would not be a good signing - very much like Ngwenya who burned Habana in RWC2007 but took a good few years bedding in at Biarritz before he was truly effective in Union.

Scotland have enough issues without trying to train up high risk American wannabes to the detriment of their own - especially if they are trying to put in place a semi-pro division under the Pro12. Would have thought the SRU had more control over their PRO12 teams - do they have a Player Advisory Group like the IRFU?