Australia and New Zealand may play a one-off Test at Twickenham in December. The Barbarians have been pencilled in to meet the All Blacks on December 4, probably at headquarters, but it is a Heineken Cup weekend, which would leave the invitation club scratching around for players.

The major southern-hemisphere unions, who face a drop in income next year when the television deal with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is renegotiated, have been looking for ways to make up the shortfall. All three have been looking north.

Australia and New Zealand are concerned at reports that a number of influential figures in South African rugby are pointing out that remaining in the Super 12 and Tri-Nations would be far less lucrative than linking up with Europe. No South African side has won the Super 12 and the Springboks have largely been also-rans in the Tri-Nations, with the travel factor blamed.

New Zealand and Australia are said to be looking for an exit should the alliance be fractured and they would need to find a way of tapping the lucrative European market.

Harlequins, who had been linked with the Argentina and Stade Français scrum-half Agustin Pichot, yesterday signed the Samoan international Steven So'oialo, who spent last season with Orrell, to fill the gap left by the departure of Scott Bemand to Leicester.

Saracens fortified their squad further when the New Zealand Maori and Waikato Chiefs outside-half Glen Jackson joined on a one-year deal.

The Wales prop Christian Loader, made redundant last month when Celtic Warriors folded, has signed a one-year deal with Bath, but his fellow Warrior front-rower, the hooker Mefin Davies, has turned down Stade Français after they told him he would have to give up international rugby.