England have an early opportunity to avenge their defeat by France in Paris, the game that settled this year's Six Nations Championship. The sides meet at Twickenham next February on the opening weekend of next season's tournament.

With a television contract still to be signed for the event, it had been suggested that the meeting of the northern hemisphere heavyweights could be switched to the end of the competition to effectively set up a title decider. The Six Nations committee has already turned down two contract offers from the BBC and is hoping BSkyB will renew its interest with a counter-offer.

The France centre Stéphane Glas has spurned offers from Gloucester and Bath to join Stade Français. Glas leaves Bourgoin to become the new Stade coach Nick Mallett's first signing for the Parisian club.

The 20-year-old England squad scrum-half Nick Duncombe has signed a new two-year contract with Harlequins while England's first-choice No9 Kyran Bracken is to sign a four-year deal at Saracens who hope Leicester's Andy Goode will sign this month to partner Bracken at half-back.

The Scotland wing Shaun Longstaff will be reunited with his former Castres team-mate Gregor Townsend after completing a move to the Borders.

The former New Zealand lock Ian Jones captains the Barbarians in today's tour finale against Scotland at Murrayfield.

2003 Six Nations: February 15/16: England v France, Scotland v Ireland, Italy v Wales. February 22/23: Wales v England, France v Scotland, Italy v Ireland. March 8/9: Ireland v France, Scotland v Wales, England v Italy. March 22/23: Wales v Ireland, England v Scotland, Italy v France. March 29/30: France v Wales, Ireland v England, Scotland v Italy.