sport

Gloucester, Saints and Bath busy

Jon Clarke: Another staying at Northampton

Gloucester, Northampton and Bath have all been busy recruiting and re-signing during the Guinness Premiership down-time, all announcing signings on Wednesday.

Gloucester have made probably the biggest coup, bringing flanker Brett Deacon down from Leicester for next season.

Northampton have announced yet another re-signing of a big name, with cenrte Jon Clarke committing for another two years, while Bath have retained the services of 20-year-old academy graduate centre Ben Williams.

Deacon, who plays alongside brother Louis for the Welford Road club, has spent his entire career with the Tigers and has made well over 100 first team appearances since his debut in 2003.

The 27-year-old has signed a two-year contract and will add a physical presence to Gloucester's forward pack with the ability to play across the back row.

"We're pleased to have secured Brett's signature as he's a good age, is English-qualified, has a lot of experience in a winning environment at Leicester and is ambitious to establish himself at a new club," said Gloucester Head Coach Bryan Redpath.

"It's always a tough decision to leave somewhere you've spent your whole career, but it reflects well on Brett that he was prepared to make the move. We look forward to welcoming him in the summer."

26-year-old Clarke has been a first team regular at Northampton since his try-scoring debut as an academy player in 2003, a season in which he won the Young Player of the Year award.

But it was when Clarke, who to that point had been a wing-cum-full back, moved to outside centre in 2005 that his career stepped up a gear. As well as playing in every game that season Clarke was selected for England 'A', an honour repeated last weekend when he was included on the England Saxons bench against Ireland 'A'.

This season Clarke, who was part of the Saints team that won the European Challenge cup last May, has been back to his best. His eighteen appearances thus far have yielded six tries - two in the Heineken Cup and four in the Guinness Premiership, which sees Clarke fourth in the league's try scoring table.

Having been at the Saints for six-and-a-half years, Clarke says that it was an easy decision to sign another contract with the club.

"I always wanted to stay at Northampton," he said.

"I'm glad to get the deal done. It's good to know your future and it's good to know that I'll be at a decent club that's going somewhere.

"Jim (Mallinder) and Dorian (West) are staying as well so we'll have good coaches and a bit of continuity. I'm looking forward to the next couple of years and hopefully I can keep playing to a decent standard and be in the starting team.

"This year is massive for us. We're top four in the Guinness Premiership and in every competition. I'm fortunate to be playing. Everyone's excited and proud of what's going on. But we've got a long way to go and will have to up our game. But we're enjoying it and it's good."

20-year-old Williams joined the Bath Rugby Academy straight from school and has since worked his way up the ranks to make three first team appearances this season, one of which was in the Guinness Premiership against Worcester Warriors.

"It is really good to play and train alongside the senior boys," admitted Williams.

"They help make things so much clearer and offer such a good understanding of the game - which is great.

"When you are offered the chance that I have been, you just want to grab it and really go for it."