Cockerill calms Tuqiri talk

Tuqiri: Leicester link

Related links

Teams

• Leicester
• Northampton

Also see

• Sky Sports experts
• Rugby on Sky
• Live scores
• Video highlights

Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill declined to comment on reports that former Australia winger Lote Tuqiri is on his way to Welford Road.

A story in the Sydney Sunday Telegraph suggested that Tuqiri, whose central contract was cancelled by the Australia Rugby union in July for an alleged breach of a code of conduct, has already signed for Leicester.

Cockerill said: "I have no comment to make. As far as I am aware it is a non-story for me.

"We have been linked with him along with London Irish, Toulon and everybody else.

"If there are stories saying he has signed then I'm delighted, but I haven't seen him yet."

Lock Richard Blaze, a member of England's autumn international squad, withdrew from the game against Northampton because of a recurrence of a foot injury, but Cockerill said he expected him to report for training with England on Sunday.

"His foot is a bit of an unknown, it gets a bit sore and he has to look after it," Cockerill said.

"We want Richard to play for England and to play for us. He probably could have played today but the sensible and right thing was for him not to.

Shop window

"He wants to play because he wants to put himself in the shop window for England and he was big enough and brave enough to make that call.

"He will go back to England tomorrow. It's just something that we need to look after. It can be painful one day and all right the next."

Northampton's director of rugby Jim Mallinder was left to rue missed opportunities and the absence of some key players, including captain and hooker Dylan Hartley.

"It was always going to be tricky with players either unavailable either because of injuries, England commitments or discipline matters," he said.

"I think the most frustrating thing was we knew we had the chance to win the game today and if we had taken our opportunities and not given them their opportunities we would have done that.

"We have created chances all year. We knew we would be under a bit of pressure in the scrum. They have a very experienced tight five, which we haven't."