Pandemic hasn’t prevented teams from PRO14 planning

2020-05-16 - ANDY HOWELL Rugby correspondent andy.howell@walesonline.co.uk Nathan Chamberlain is an exciting capture for Edinburgh next season

From left: Richie Gray, Sam Costelow, Callum Braley, Rhys Webb and Damian de Allende will all be playing in the Guinness PRO14 next season

THIS campaign has been put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it hasn’t prevented most Guinness PRO14 teams from planning for next season.

Big-name departures include Japan-bound Wales centre rock Hadleigh Parkes, and former Scotland captains Jonny Gray and John Barclay.

But it’s the players who are coming in who will rouse the interest of supporters of the cross-border tournament.

And those confirmed so far include South Africa back Frans Steyn, who last year joined former Australia captain John Eales as the only players to have lifted the men’s World Cup twice.

The full-back, centre or outsidehalf is being joined at the Cheetahs by his Montpellier teammate Marcell Muller and Clermont Auvergne’s George Cronje following a triple raid on the French Top 14 by the ambitious South African franchise.

Munster are the other team on the move, recruiting Springbok World Cup winners in centre star Damian de Allende and lock RG Snyman, along with Saracens full-back Matt Gallagher.

Lock Gray’s departure from Glasgow Warriors is off-set by the return of his brother Richie from Toulouse while Ulster have signed Ireland international Ian Madigan from Bristol Bears.

Liam Williams joined the Scarlets with immediate effect from English crisis club Saracens earlier this year so isn’t on our list but he has been denied a run-out by the outbreak of Covid-19.

Wales stars Rhys Webb and Cory Hill are other big-hitters on the move while Rhys Carre seems set to return to Cardiff Blues after a season at Saracens.

Wales internationals Nick Tompkins and Jonah Holmes have been heavily linked with the Dragons.

Tompkins is eyeing a one-year loan deal from Saracens while Leicester Tigers announced Holmes was leaving for a Welsh region in a bid to enhance his Test prospects..

Australia wing or centre star Joe Tomane, 30, is another serious talent understood to be in advanced talks with the Welsh Rugby Union owned -Gwent region.

And here’s a name to remember for the future in Edinburgh signing Nathan Chamberlain.

The 20-year-old outside-half was the best player on the pitch by a distance as he scored a hat-trick of tries, landed all seven of his conversion attempts and put over a penalty for a 32-point haul as Scotland humiliated Wales by a record 52-17 in this season’s Under-20 Six Nations.

PRO14 champions Leinster aren’t planning on making any signings while some clubs have yet to announce their comings and goings.

Here are the deals that have been already been done...

THE GUINNESS PRO14 TRANSFER INS & OUTS

REGIONS

CARDIFF BLUES

In: Cory Hill (Dragons), Luke Scully (Worcester).

Out: None so far.

DRAGONS

In: None so far.

Out: Cory Hill (Blues)

OSPREYS

In: Rhys Webb, Rhys Davies (both Bath), Mat Protheroe, Nicky Thomas (both Bristol Bears).

Out: James Hook (retiring) Gheorghe Gajion (Aurillac). SCARLETS

In: Sam Costelow (Leicester Tigers).

Out: Hadleigh Parkes (Japan), Corey Baldwin (Exeter Chiefs), Tom James (retiring), Kieron Fonotia, Jonathan Evans, Morgan Williams, Rhys Fawcett, Simon Gardiner (all released).

THE OTHERS .... BENETTON

In: Callum Braley (Gloucester), Edoardo Padovani (Zebre), Luca Petrozzi (San Dona), Niccolo Cannone (Petarca Padova).

Out: Antonio Rizzi (Zebre), Guiseppe Di Stefano (Flamme Oro). CHEETAHS

In: Frans Steyn, Marcell Muller (both

Montpellier, George Cronje (Clermont Auvergne).

Out: Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux Begles).

CONNACHT

In: None so far.

Out: Colby Fainga’a (Lyon), Tom McCartney (retiring). EDINBURGH

In: Jono Lance (Worcester Warriors), Nathan Chamberlain (Bristol Bears), Jordan Venter (Paul Roos Gymnasium), Matt Gordon (London Scottish), Lee Roy Atalifo (Jersey Reds).

Out: Matt Scott (Leicester Tigers), Pietro Ceccarelli (Brive), John Barclay, Dougie Fife, Simon Hickey, Sam Thomson, Jason Baggott, Cameron Fenton (all released). GLASGOW WARRIORS

In: Richie Gray (Toulouse), Enrique Pieretto (Exeter Chiefs).

Out: Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs),

Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers), DTH van der Merwe, Siua Halanukonuka, Nick Frisby, Matt Smith, Rory Hughes (all released). LEINSTER

In: None.

Out: Fergus McFadden (retiring), Joe Tomane (released). MUNSTER

In: Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights), RG Snyman (Honda Heat), Matt Gallagher (Saracens). Out: Avron Botha (Bulls). SOUTHERN KINGS

In: None so far.

Out: None so far.

ULSTER

In: Ian Madigan (Bristol Bears), Alby Mathewson (unattached).

Out: Clive Ross, Angus Kernohan, Zack McCall (all released).

ZEBRE