The Perpignan president, Paul Goze, wants the Wales and Lions international James Hook to join the club next season after giving up on signing the New Zealand outside-half, Dan Carter, after the 2011 World Cup.
Carter joined Perpignan on a six-month contract two seasons ago but suffered an achilles tendon injury six weeks after moving to France and which ruled him out of the rest of the campaign.
"It looks like Carter will be kept by the New Zealand Rugby Union until the end of the 2011-12 season," said Goze, who is prepared to offer the 25-year-old Hook, who is playing in the centre for Ospreys rather than his preferred position of outside-half, a three-year contract reportedly worth not far short of £1m. "Nothing has been signed with Hook or any other player and no one is allowed to sign a pre-contract until 1 February, but the talks with Hook are at a very advanced stage."
Perpignan tried to sign the Wales international, a 2009 Lion, last season but Ospreys refused to sell and they want to keep him beyond the end of his contract next May, as a centre rather than an outside-half. But they will not be able to match Perpignan for money.
Carter, meanwhile, has been accused by the Toulon owner, Mourad Boudjellal, of asking for ¤3.6m (£3.1m) over three years: one French newspaper reported today that the deal for Hook would be one-third of that.
Gavin Quinnell, the son and brother of two former Wales and Lions internationals, Derek and Scott respectively, is recovering at home after suffering an eye injury during Llanelli's Welsh Premiership defeat at Cross Keys on Saturday. The 26-year-old, who rejoined Scarlets this summer after stints with Worcester and Viadana, spent two nights in hospital after being taken from the field in the first half with what was described as a serious injury to his left eye.
Llanelli have made a citing complaint to the Welsh Rugby Union and supplied DVD footage. The club, who issued a joint statement with Scarlets, did not reveal the player they had identified as being responsible. "The Welsh Rugby Union has received a citing complaint from Llanelli RFC with regards to an incident that took place during the club's Principality Premiership match at Cross Keys RFC on Saturday, 2 October," said the WRU in a statement. "The process is now in the hands of the WRU disciplinary panel in accordance with the Union's rules and regulations."
The Wasps and England prop Tim Payne will miss the opening two rounds of the Heineken Cup, starting with Sunday's trip to Toulouse, after being given a two-week suspension for stamping and punching during last month's Premiership defeat at Gloucester. He was given one week for stamping and another week for striking the Gloucester No8, Brett Deacon, who was given a seven-day ban for striking. It means Payne will be able to join the England squad for next month's four-Test autumn international series at Twickenham.
The Munster centre Lifeimi Mafi has been banned for seven weeks after being found guilty of a dangerous tackle on Leinster's Gordon D'Arcy during Saturday's Magners League derby.
The Tongan-born three-quarter was sin-binned following the incident in the 19th minute at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, which Leinster won 13‑9, and appeared at an IRFU disciplinary hearing at Ravenhill today.
An IRFU statement read: "Having studied the match footage and heard all available evidence, the disciplinary panel found Mafi guilty under law 10.4 (e) for a dangerous tackle and decided that it was at the top end of entry for such an offence.
"The panel took into account the player's previous good disciplinary record before they imposed a sanction of seven weeks' suspension, up to and including Sunday, November 21."
The suspension means Mafi, who has the right to appeal, will miss Munster's Heineken Cup games against London Irish and Toulon as well as their next three Magners League fixtures.
