Bath will today announce whether they intend to appeal against the 35-day suspension handed out to the England second-row Danny Grewcock for reckless use of the boot during the league defeat at Saracens this month.
On Tuesday Grewcock was cleared by a disciplinary panel of the more serious charge of deliberately kicking the Saracens scrum-half Kyran Bracken and Bath, whose team management met last night to discuss the issue, were surprised at the length of the ban which will keep the Lions lock out of action until October 24, two weeks before the start of England's November international programme.
"We are disappointed at the decision, which clearly recognises that the kick was unintentional and that Danny did not intend to cause any harm," ran a statement issued yesterday by Bath, who are without their other international second-row Steve Borthwick because of injury.
The England manager Clive Woodward yesterday called the Sale lock Chris Jones into the national squad preparing for the Tests against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, along with the Manchester club's hooker Andy Titterell.
· Sale travel to Headingley tomorrow to face Leeds, who have signed the Newport and Wales A back-row Alix Popham. The 22-year old, who played for Leeds on loan last season, will be able to join his new employers in December after activating a three-month get-out clause in his contract with the Welsh club.
"Alix is contracted to us until the end of next season but there is a clause in there which allows him to give notice if we sign an international back-row forward," said the Newport team manager Jim McCreedy.
"The former England No8 Steve Ojomoh joined us two months ago but Alix told us then that he would be staying with us. His change of mind is a surprise and an even bigger disappointment: we will be holding on to him until December 10 and he has assured us he will give his all."
Popham's departure perpetuates the trend of leading players leaving the cash-strapped Welsh game for the more affluent Premiership.
· Newport have signed the Bristol wing Luke Nabaro ahead of this week's Heineken Cup registration deadline. The Fiji-born Nabaro, a Hong Kong international, has appeared almost 50 times in first-team colours.
