Solomons recruits Du Preez but Denton will pass him on way out
Scotland cap Cornell du Preez will be joining up with former Edinburgh head coach Alan Solomons at Worcester Warriors next term.
On Monday evening it was announced that the back-row would be leaving Edinburgh after five years – and now the English club have announced his signing on a two-year deal.
And as he gets ready to check in at Sixways, fellow Scotland back-row David Denton is heading for the Worcester exit door.
On his move south, South African-born Du Preez, 26, said: “I’m thoroughly excited about reuniting with Alan Solomons and moving to England to play for the Warriors.
“I’ve always wanted to test myself in the Premiership and look forward to my next challenge.
“I’d like to thank Edinburgh for the past few years where I’ve really enjoyed my time and will continue to give my all till the end of the season.”
Worcester director of rugby Solomons added: “Cornell is a fantastic player with exceptional skills. His all-round game will be of huge benefit to the team. He will also bring a great deal of physicality, power and experience to our forward pack.”
Denton is leaving the club at the end of the season.
The 28-year-old back-row
0 Cornell du Preez: ‘Excited’ has made 14 appearances for the Warriors since moving there last summer from Bath.
His next move will be an interesting one, with Leicester Tigers being mooted in some circles, as he just returned to the Scotland squad when he came off the bench for his 36th cap against France on Sunday.
0 David Denton: Tigers bound? Denton said: “I’ve really enjoyed my short time here and would like to thank the club and fans for making me feel so welcome and giving me opportunities which have seen me return to the international fray with Scotland.
“I wish Warriors the best of luck in the coming years and will make sure I do the jersey proud till the end of the season.”
Solomons said: “We’re sorry to see Dents go but that’s the nature of professional sport.
“Dents is a really good bloke. We know he’ll continue to give his all in the blue and gold for the rest of the season and we wish him all the best in the future.”
Meanwhile, Northampton Saints have confirmed the signing of former Glasgow Warriors winger Taqele Naiyaravoro from the NSW Waratahs.
The 26-year-old Fijian-born Australia international scored nine tries in 22 appearances for Glasgow Warriors during the 2015/16 season. Boroughmuir completed the line-up for the Youth Cup finals day at BT Murrayfield on 4 March by defeating Earlston Hs/melrose Wasps in the delayed under-16 semi-final at Meggetland last weekend. The result means Boroughmuir will face Cartha QP in the final on the international pitch.
In a high-scoring match that produced ten tries, Boroughmuir finished winners by 38-24 and a 6-4 try advantage, with firsthalftouchdownsfromno8 Mikey Jones, winger Josh Howard, flanker Matthew Crawford and second row Derry Mcconnell. Then, after the interval, Muir Mcconnell and Crawford each completed a brace.
“Our level of accuracy and commitment was a main factor in keeping the pressure on what was a good and well-drilled Earlston/melrose side,” said Alan Macgregor, head coach of Boroughmuir.
The win by Boroughmuir dashed Melrose hopes of claiming a second title this season. As Earlston High School, the Melrose side won the Scottish Schools under-16 title in December when they crushed Marr College in a one-sided final.
Earlston High School/ Melrose Wasps, despite being short of numbers on their bench due to several players missing for prearranged holidays on what was originally a free date in their rugby calendar, were competitive but, in the end, found it difficult to match the physicality of the Boroughmuir pack.
For the Melrose side, which contained four backline players in the Scotland under-16 squad, Nick Henderson, Roly Brett, Ross Lile and Rudi Brown scored tries.
Meanwhile, two Argentine touring sides provided useful workouts for Scottish opposition. At Myreside George Watson’s College proved too strong for Liceo in their 64-5 win over the tourists.
At Forthbank, Stirling County took on a side from the Universitario de Mar delplatainwhatwasessentially a training match. In the event the final result was a narrow win for the tourists by 25-20.