Foley urges Bath to show spirit of adventure

Michael Foley, the co-coach of Bath, has called on his side to reproduce the sort of form they showed in Saturday's home defeat by second-placed Leeds for the rest of the season. Foley's side sit perilously above the Zurich Premiership relegation zone but showed signs of improvement during the 22-20 defeat by Leeds.

"I'm not hiding the fact that we lost and we're not happy with it," he said. "But I think that was by far our best performance of the season in terms of the style of rugby we are looking for which is attacking, expansive and very physical at the contact points."

Foley, whose side visit Harlequins on Saturday, added: "If we can play that style of rugby for the rest of the season we would win a lot more games than we would lose."

Percy Montgomery, the former former Springbok full-back, has been released from his contract with Western Province in his native South Africa so that he can join Newport.

Montgomery is one of a select few players to win 50 caps for the Springboks and, although excited by the challenge facing him in Wales, he admits he will miss playing for Western Province. "Western Province rugby is truly in my blood," said the 28-year-old.

England will play in the Dubai Sevens in December after skipping the event last year. England missed the 2001 tournament over security fears over war and tension in Afghanistan. However, with the International Rugby Board this year reinstating the annual Dubai Sevens as the first round of the World Series, England said they would compete at the tournament, which takes place from 5 to 7 December.