Gloucester Rugby target lock James Hudson from Newcastle Falcons
JAMES Hudson is now Gloucester's top target to fill the vacant second-row berth at Gloucester next season.
The Cherry and Whites are poised to make a bid for the Newcastle Falcons lineout specialist, after Gloucester could not agree a deal for Toulon's Nick Kennedy.
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James Hudson
Rival clubs are not allowed to approach Championship players until they have three months left on their contract.
So Gloucester must either seek Newcastle's permission to speak to Hudson or wait until March 1 to progress their interest.
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Gloucester pressed hard to recruit ex-London Irish lock Kennedy, after missing out on England mainstay Geoff Parling who chose to sign a new deal with Leicester Tigers.
But 31-year-old Kennedy is now likely to see out the two remaining years of his Toulon contract.
Hudson would be a direct replacement for Alex Brown, who was forced into premature retirement earlier this season.
Gloucester brought Lua Lokotui into the squad on an 18-month deal in December, to offset the loss of Brown to irreparable shoulder trouble.
But next term Lokotui will take Jim Hamilton's role, with the Kingsholm skipper heading to Montpellier.
That would allow 31-year-old Hudson to assume Gloucester's lineout guru mantle, should the Cherry and Whites be able to entice him south.
Gloucester may yet seek a further lock addition, but perhaps a youngster with potential rather than an experienced operator.
And that means they will not pursue their initial interest in Sale second-row Kearnan Myall.
Highly-rated England Under-20s cap Elliott Stooke will be expected to cement his first team breakthrough next term, while 36-year-old Will James should sign a new deal to continue next season.
Former London Irish and Bath lock Hudson is a shrewd lineout tactician as well as an accomplished top-flight operator.
He imposed his athletic presence at Bath, after graduating from the city's university with a biomedical sciences degree.
After three years with the Blue Black and Whites he made the London Irish switch, battling with Kennedy and Bob Casey for second-row starts.
Hudson joined Newcastle in 2009, assuming the captaincy a year later, and he led the Kingston Park club when Gloucester dispatched them 34-7 in the 2011 LV=Cup final.
The former Solihull School pupil remained at the Falcons after their Premiership relegation in the summer, with ex-Harlequins and Leicester boss Dean Richards leading Newcastle to a hefty Championship lead so far this term.
But now he could well be primed for the Gloucester move, where he would link up with defence coach Paul Moriarty again.
Former dual-code international Moriarty was Alan Tait's assistant during Hudson's Falcons tenure.
12 Comments
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by kenfarnwood
Saturday, February 09 2013, 6:20PM
“Our top rated tight head and the official first choice tight head prop for Gloucester Rugby, Rupert Harden, really turned on the style today against Saints (obviously the troll glawsteruk1 never saw it as he never goes to any Gloucester games). Harden makes selection for the starting tight head position so easy for Nigel Davies.”
by dougiebailey
Saturday, February 09 2013, 6:05PM
“Another marvellous performance from Harden. You had to be there to see it which the Gloucester Rugby hater, glawsteruk1, obviously wasn't. He was tucked up in his little room at his home for desperate lonely trolling old men, just as he always is at the weekend.”
by Buggsie
Saturday, February 09 2013, 6:02PM
“Fabulous performance from Rupert. Top man & the top tight head at Gloucester.”
by seanbulling
Saturday, February 09 2013, 6:00PM
“Rupert Harden is the number 1 tight head at Gloucester Rugby and he proved why, today against Saints. If the multi-ID troll glawsteruk1 ever gets to a Gloucester Rugby game he could see that for himself but he never goes to any games because he doesn't support Gloucester and doesn't even like the game of rugby union.”
by Hinchcliffe33
Saturday, February 09 2013, 5:55PM
“Harden proved against Saints, yet again, why he is the number one tight head at Gloucester and why the Gloucester Rugby hating troll glawsteruk1 is clueless about any aspect of rugby union.”
by RoryGlaws
Saturday, February 09 2013, 5:50PM
“Glawsteruk1 aka Django_G aka Gordon_P aka graybaggs aka peh45 aka akadau aka Ruckandroller aka Kap721 aka flanker_6 aka GlosRugbyMan.... It is all just the one person who happens to hate Rupert Harden because Harden has consistently been the best tight head at Gloucester thus proving how clueless the troll is. The way the Gloucester scrum dominated today against Saints, with Harden seeing off Tonga'huia, is more egg on the face for the clueless multi-usernamed troll.”
by Steve_Bronko
Saturday, February 09 2013, 5:44PM
“Once again, in defeating Saints with their reputation for a great front row, Rupert Harden, Gloucester Rugby's most accomplished and official first choice tight head, has demonstrated just exactly why he is the best. His stand-out performance also makes the the Harden hating troll Django_G/Absolam/Autotroll/glawsteruk1/akadau/peh45/graybaggs/Gordon_P/RucknandRoller/flanker_6/jonno2010/Kap721/Stig1/etc/etc. look an absolute laughing stock.”
by GlawsSurfer
Saturday, February 09 2013, 5:38PM
“Rupert Harden is the top rated and best tight head prop at Gloucester bar none.”
by TuffleyRaider
Saturday, February 09 2013, 5:35PM
“Laugh at the loser glawsteruk1. The sad old Gloucester Rugby and Rupert Harden hating multi-troll rubbished Harden, our best and most talented tight head, yet Harden saw off one of the world's top loose heads and, in doing so, once again proved what a clueless troll glawsteruk1 is.”
by SimonGray
Saturday, February 09 2013, 5:29PM
“Well done to Rupert Harden on yet another magnificent display of tight head propping. The multi identity troll glawsteruk1, no matter what guises he posts under, will be a sick as a pig at another superb display from Gloucester Rugby's top rated tight head.”