Tournaire gives Bath the slip in move to Tigers

Leicester look to have signed the French prop Franck Tournaire. Toulouse have confirmed that the 29-year-old has opted to move to Welford Road on a two-year contract, just a month after suggesting he had accepted a deal with Bath.

Tournaire has 49 international caps but has fallen out of favour with the France coach, Bernard Laporte, and has long hinted at his desire to move across the channel. Toulouse are willing to let him go following their elimination from the French championship, despite Tournaire having three years left on his contract.

Leicester have refused to comment on Tournaire's arrival but it is believed that their director of rugby, Dean Richards, has been keen to take the pressure off Darren Garforth, who could be approaching his final season with the Tigers. The former England hooker Richard Cockerill has already announced he will leave Leicester for Narbonne, while the fly-half Andy Goode has joined Saracens.

* The centre Andy Marinos has been cleared after undergoing a fitness test on his ankle and is in contention to play for Wales against South Africa in Saturday's first Test in Bloemfontein.