Gloucester's failure to secure a play-off place in the Premiership saw them announce a squad clear-out with 11 players, including the England centre Anthony Allen and the outside-half Ryan Lamb, moving on.
Allen is expected to join Leicester while Lamb has been linked with London Irish, Worcester and Brive. Jack Adams, Gareth Cooper, Jack Forster and Carlos Nieto announced they were leaving earlier in the season and the club yesterday said that Allen, Lamb, Iain Balshaw, Olly Barkley, Willie Walker, Mark Foster and David Young were all being released.
"I'll genuinely miss the place, the supporters in particular who have been great to me throughout, probably because I am a local lad, even when things haven't gone so well," Lamb said. "It is time for a change.
"There are absolutely no hard feelings between the club and myself or between [director of rugby] Dean Ryan and myself, regardless of what you read in the press. We sat down to talk and the club want to take things in a different direction and I can understand that."
Gloucester issued a statement which ran: "The current squad has been on a great journey over the past three seasons. While we have been very successful, we have not taken the final step. This has not been an easy process: all of those leaving have worked hard and contributed in their own way, but we need to rebuild and move in a different direction with a number of new faces.We have already signed Seru Rabeni, Nicky Robinson and Tom Voyce and will make further announcements at the appropriate time."
The former New Zealand outside-half Carlos Spencer, who had been linked with a return home, will be remaining at Kingsholm, as will the Italy second-row, Marco Bortolami. The Gloucester chairman, Tom Walkinshaw, will next week start a review of every aspect of the club which may result in a shake-up on the coaching side.
Gloucester face starting next season without their France hooker, Olivier Azam, who was yesterday summoned to appear before a disciplinary committee on Thursday on a citing charge arising out of the EDF Energy Cup final against Cardiff Blues days after being told the case had been thrown out on a technicality.
Azam was cited for allegedly making contact with the eye or the eye area of the Cardiff centre Jamie Roberts, but a Rugby Football Union disciplinary committee ruled that the citing had not been made in time. The RFU's chief disciplinary officer, Jeff Blackett, reviewed the facts and summoned Azam to a hearing in Coventry.
Northampton yesterday announced plans to extend the capacity at Franklin's Gardens from 13,500 to 17,000. The Saints want to knock down the pavilion behind one set of posts and replace it with a new stand. A supermarket would also be part of the redevelopment. The scheme is dependent on Asda receiving planning permission. "It is a win-win story for all," said the Northampton chairman, Keith Barwell. "The town gets a more prestigious stadium and the public will get a new foodstore that provides 400 jobs, but we cannot afford to build the new stand without Asda's help."
