Fissler Confidential: All Black to give Falcons wings

Newcastle Falcons are looking to make Scotland-born, All Blacks scrum-half Finlay Christie the first of what could be a dozen new signings, as Steve Diamond looks to launch a spending spree ahead of the new season.

Blues ace Christie, who was born in Peebles, moved to New Zealand aged seven, and has won 25 Test caps after qualifying on residency grounds. He came off the bench in the 2023 World Cup Final defeat to the Springboks.

The Falcons, who will rebrand under the Red Bull banner early next year, have only added Ethan Grayson from the San Diego Legion to their squad, but have announced hooker Ollie Fletcher has signed a new two-year deal.

Glasgow Warriors boss Franco Smith has begun talks with the Scottish Rugby Union about extending his current contract, which runs at the end of next season.

Smith, who has been linked with Leicester Tigers, Wales and the Bulls in the past few months, had hopes of being appointed Scotland coach until Gregor Townsend was assured his job was safe until after the 2027 World Cup.

The former Italy coach was appointed the Warriors’ head coach in August 2022, leading them to the United Rugby Championship title two years later. It is hoped he will stay on at least until after the World Cup in Australia.

Sale Sharks have failed in their attempt to lure Stormers inside centre Dan du Plessis to the North West next season after he changed his mind at the last minute and decided to stay in Cape Town.

The Stormers were willing to let former South Africa schools and under-20 international Du Plessis, 30, who scored a try on his Super Rugby debut against the Cheetahs in May 2016, leave the club.

But the Port Elizabeth-born midfield maestro, who can also play outside centre, has decided to see out the final year of his contract with the Stormers, despite having a substantial offer on the table to move to PREM Rugby.

Newcastle Knights captain Kalyn Ponga has used his Instagram account to close down talk of a potential cross-code switch and pledged his future to the troubled NRL outfit.

Ponga, who is under contract with the Knights until 2027, had been linked with a move to France, Japan, or the proposed R360 competition, but says he will see out his lucrative deal with the Hunter Valley outfit.

“Committed to the end of 2027. Excited about the vision of the club. Appreciate those that support me!” Ponga told his 373,000 followers on the platform in a post that drew over 34,000 likes.

Former Exeter Chiefs, Bordeaux and Connacht winger Santiago Cordero has announced his retirement from international rugby, aged 31, after winning 56 test caps for his country.

Cordero, whose departure from the United Rugby Championship was announced at the end of last season, made his debut off the bench in a 31-12 defeat to England at Twickenham in November 2013, scoring 16 tries.

But the free agent, who suffered a serious knee injury when he collided with a post during his first training session in Galway, says that his 40-minute try-scoring cameo against Uruguay, last weekend, will be his last game for the Pumas.

New Zealand Warriors winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is the latest NRL star to be chasing a lucrative deal with the proposed R360 competition when his contract runs out late in 2026.

Dual-code international Tuivasa-Sheck, 32, who started his career with the Sydney Roosters, won three All Blacks caps during a season with the Blues before returning to the NRL, is being lured by a £700,000-a-season payday.

Melbourne Storm flyer Ryan Papenhuyzen is another Australian league ace who is attracting interest from the Saudi-backed and Mike Tindall-backed competition that could kick off as early as next year.

Lions boss Andy Farrell displayed a move that Merv the Swerve would have been proud of in his heyday when he side-stepped questions about Pete Samu in his post-game press conference after the win over First Nations & Pasifika.

The Lions blocked his selection, after he’d returned home after helping Bordeaux win the European Rugby Champions Cup, and fans wore masks with his face on them as a humourous riposte.

“I suppose everyone wants to play against the Lions, I suppose he’ll be disappointed, but that’s out of my hands, I don’t make the rules, I just get on with coaching my side,” Farrell said.

Former NSW Waratahs back row Charlie Gamble did himself no harm putting himself in the shop window with a man-of-the-match display for the First Nations & Pasifika against the Lions this week.

Openside Gamble, 29, who can play anywhere across the back row, made 56 appearances for the Waratahs and is entering into the final year of the contract that he signed in May 2024.

The Kiwi is set to attract interest from PREM Rugby and United Rugby Championship clubs, who are currently starting to draw up their recruitment plans for the 2026-2027 season and are looking at who might be available.

Biarritz are still in the transfer market for a No. 8 and are trying to persuade veteran Samoan Fritz Lee, who is available after spending 12 seasons at Clermont Auvergne, to put off retirement for another season.

Lee, who has clocked up more than 270 career appearances, played 21 times for Auvergne last season, but left the club when his contract ran out at the end of last season.

Biarritz, who let Nafi Ma’afu leave for Montauban and failed to land Oyonnax-bound Uzair Cassiem, have, according to Midi Olympique, sounded out Lee to tempt him with one last challenge.

Former All Blacks fullback Greg Cooper continues his world tour after agreeing to return to Japanese Rugby League One outfit NEC Green Rockets from the start of next season.

Cooper, 60, whose younger brother Matthew played for the All Blacks and Croatia, has spent the last three years working in Major League Rugby with the Utah Warriors.

However, the former Stade Français coach, who played against the Lions in 1993 and has also worked for the Mitsubishi DynaBoars, has been confirmed as returning to the Tokatsu outfit that he coached from 2012 to 2014.