South Africa's coach Rudi Straeuli hopes to persuade the full-back Percy Montgomery to pull out of a proposed transfer to Newport and make himself available for next year's World Cup.
Montgomery, who has won 50 caps, fell out with Straeuli after refusing to play in a national trial. He was left out of the Springboks' squad for this month's two Tests against Wales and, after his agent canvassed clubs throughout Europe, agreed a 30-month deal with the Welsh side.
Straeuli has few options at full-back and held out an olive branch to Montgomery yesterday. "If Percy wants to play for the Springboks again he can come back," he said. "It is an easy choice in life."
Montgomery is due to move to Wales in October after playing in the Currie Cup for Western Province. Last October the South Africa scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen turned his back on Newport when, having agreed to join them, he was offered an improved Springbok contract.
Newport had paid a transfer fee to Van der Westhuizen's province, the Blue Bulls, but they did not sue the player for breach of contract because of the length of time the legal action would have taken and because they understood the emotional dilemma the player had faced.
Straeuli has no plans to change South Africa's strict rules governing eligibility for international rugby. He said: "If any player wants to play for the Springboks they have to be prepared to play their rugby here. It is the same with Braam van Straaten [the Leeds Tykes outside-half]: he would have to come back home to be considered."
With no recognised full-back in the frame for the second Test against Wales in Newlands on Saturday, Straeuli needs Montgomery back in his starting line-up. Ricardo Loubscher, who played in the first Test, and Conrad Jantjes are injured.
Sale have aborted plans to move grounds next season. They had been expected to play at Bury FC's Gigg Lane after the club's chairman Brian Kennedy last week described the facilities at Heywood Road as inadequate, but he yesterday conceded that any change would not happen for at least another 12 months.
"We all know the facilities at Heywood Road will not sustain professional rugby in the long-term," said Kennedy, "but at this moment we need a level of certainty to plan our marketing activity for the forthcoming season." They will play their home matches on Friday nights .
Wasps yesterday agreed a new two-year contract with their defence coach Shaun Edwards. Bath have offered a two-year deal to Montferrand's French international prop Alessio Galasso after failing to sign Franck Tournaire.
Wales will play England and Ireland at the Millennium Stadium in August next year as part of the build-up to the World Cup and will meet Scotland at Murrayfield.
The full-back Christian Cullen has been dropped by New Zealand from the squad to play Ireland in the first of two Tests on Saturday. Cullen, the lock Simon Maling and the prop Kees Meeuws have been replaced by Canterbury trio Leon MacDonald, Scott Robertson and Greg Somerville.
