The France and Toulouse prop Franck Tournaire has snubbed Bath and signed a three-year contract with Leicester.

Toulouse announced last month that the 29-year-old Tournaire, who has won 49 caps, was being released from his contract to join Bath, who like Leicester have spent all year looking for a tight-head prop of proven experience.

They both missed out on the Gloucester captain Phil Vickery, who decided to remain at Kingsholm, and both turned their attention to Tournaire, who is likely to devote all his time and energy to club rugby after falling out with the France coach Bernard Laporte.

Toulouse announced on their website yesterday that Tournaire and his agent had wrapped up the deal with Leicester, whose current tight-head, the 36-year-old Darren Garforth, has said he will retire next summer.

Bath's attempts to strengthen their squad after a season spent at the wrong end of the table have so far failed to yield any world-class players. They, along with Harlequins and Saracens, hoped to persuade Leon Lloyd to leave Leicester but the England centre is expected to sign a new contract with the English and European champions.

The Tigers have already lost the hooker Richard Cockerill and the outside-half Andy Goode, who have joined Montferrand and Saracens respectively, and their scrum-half James Grindal has signed for Newcastle.

Newcastle's assistant coach Steve Bates has criticised the method of deciding the qualifiers for the Heineken Cup after his side lost out to Bristol.

"We finished sixth in the Premiership, two places ahead of Bristol, but because they beat two sides in the play-offs who had nothing to play for, having already qualified for Europe, they get in ahead of us," said Bates. "It's a pretty ridiculous system and I knew the game was up for us when I saw the side Leicester were fielding against Bristol."

Wales will have a full squad to choose from when they decide their team to face South Africa in Saturday's first Test in Bloemfontein. It will be Rudi Straeuli's debut as the Springbok coach after taking over from Harry Viljoen two months ago and he has promised to make the side more attractive to watch.

The Australia coach Eddie Jones has included the former rugby league internationals Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor in the Wallaby squad for the first time and he wants the Brisbane Broncos wing Lote Tuqiri to try his hand at union and prove himself before next year's World Cup.