Not again! Chiefs lose star player to France

Exeter Chiefs are this week set to confirm the player drain away from Sandy Park will continue with England and Lions hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie moving to Montpellier.

The Rugby Paper reported last week that Montpellier wanted him to join Chiefs and England teammate Sam Simmonds at the club when his contract runs out this summer.

Cowan-Dickie, 29, has now agreed to the move and will join Montpellier after the 2023 World Cup where it is understood he will earn more than £300,000-a-year after tax.

The Chiefs are expected to confirm his departure before their Champions Cup clash with Castres on Saturday.

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter will continue talks with England winger Jack Nowell about stemming the flow of big-name players who have left the club in the last year.

Meanwhile, Saracens are leading a clutch of Premiership clubs who want to sign Tom Willis when he returns to the Premiership from France.

No. 8 Willis, 23, a former England U20 international whose older brother Jack recently signed a shortterm deal at Toulouse, agreed to move to Bordeaux on a deal until the end of the season.

Saracens are bidding to bring the Reading-born back row to north London when that deal runs out. Their interest in Willis raises questions about the future of Billy Vunipola, who was linked with Bordeaux before signing a new contract last year.