Bye-bye blowers

Northampton have confirmed their former All Blacks forward Andrew Blowers will leave Franklin’s Gardens at the end of this season.

Saints say Blowers is close to finalising a deal which will see him play club rugby in Japan after his Northampton contract expires next year.

Blowers has signed a binding contract with his prospective Toyota-sponsored club. The remaining details of a two-year package are set to be ironed out next week.

It is another blow for the struggling Zurich Premiership outfit, whose star full-back Bruce Reihana has already announced his plans for a move back to New Zealand in 2005.

And the Blowers announcement comes just two days after Saints rugby director Alan Solomons parted company with Saints following a club record run of eight successive league defeats.