Shoguns move for Dourthe in pre-season signing spree

Andrew Baldock

Dourthe, 30, met with club officials last week about a possible move to England from French championship side Castres. He has won 31 caps and is a proven international-class goalkicker, although his last Test match appearance came against Ireland four years ago.

Discussions are understood to be at an advanced stage, and Dourthe would become Shoguns' second international recruit after ex-England hooker Mark Regan, who is returning to his former club following a successful stint with Leeds.

Rivals Gloucester have completed the signing of French fly-half Ludovic Mercier on a three-year contract. The 28-year-old, who played spent two seasons with Gloucester between 2001 and 2003, will rejoin the Kingsholm club from French team Pau in the summer.

Elsewhere, six Springboks were named as the latest recruits for the Barbarians' games against Scotland and England later this month.

Backs Brent Russell and Trevor Halstead will join fellow South Africans Cobus Visagie, Selborne Boome, AJ Venter and Corne Krige. Northampton's New Zealand pair Bruce Reihana and Mark Robinson have also been confirmed in the squad.

The Baa-baas play Scotland in Aberdeen on May 24, then tackle England at Twickenham four days later.

In the meantime, interim Scottish head coach Frank Hadden has recalled Marcus di Rollo to the Scotland squad for the forthcoming games against the Barbarians and Romania.

The 27-year-old Edinburgh centre last played for his country in Australia almost a year ago and was overlooked by recently departed coach Matt Williams. But he has emerged as a leading contender to fill the problematic inside-centre berth, where Hugo Southwell was asked to play without success. Edinburgh full-back Southwell and Glasgow's Dan Parks are also included despite disappointing Six Nations campaigns.

The new coaching team are without Scotland's three Lions Gordon Bulloch, Chris Cusiter and Simon Taylor but tour reject Chris Paterson is included.

Glasgow's highly-rated forward Euan Murray is also among the 30-man squad.