George North is expected to return to action for Northampton Saints on Friday, having fully recovered from the head injury that became the subject of controversy in recent weeks.
His club are expected to find out today whether they will face disciplinary action for their treatment of the blow to the head North sustained against Leicester Tigers on December 3. However, North should be back on the field for the Aviva Premiership game at home to Sale Sharks on Friday, subject to the all-clear from a visit to a head injury specialist yesterday.
“He’s been training and he’ll be available for selection,” Jim Mallinder, the Northampton director of rugby, said yesterday. “He was looking really sharp and he’s looking forward to playing. He’s going back [to the specialist] just to make sure everything’s OK. I’m not making decisions on whether he plays or not, that’s down to the trained professionals.”
North missed the back-to-back European Champions Cup defeats by Leinster having being stood down after the latest in a series of concussions he has suffered.
There was a further delay yesterday in releasing the results of an investigation into why he was allowed to return to the field against Leicester, having apparently been knocked out when he landed on his neck after an aerial challenge. But the Concussion Management Review Group, convened more than two weeks ago by the RFU and Premiership Rugby, are now said to be ready to deliver their report.
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“Thankfully George has been fine since the incident and we’re just waiting to hear from the report,” Mallinder said.
The return of North would be welcome for a Northampton side desperate for a win after a demoralising run of results, which included a 37-10 defeat at home to Leinster and a 60-13 loss with a weakened team in the return fixture in Dublin last weekend. “We are under scrutiny, but that’s where we want to be, we want to be playing at this top level,” Mallinder said. “We’ve been successful in the past and there’s no reason we can’t get back to being successful again.”
Steve Diamond, the Sale director of rugby, has confirmed that his club are interested in signing George Ford, the England fly half. Bath have indicated that Ford will be allowed to leave at the end of the season after he activated a release clause in his contract, as revealed in The Times last month. “We would be interested in anyone of George Ford’s ability,” Diamond said yesterday. “When January 1 arrives and the transfer window opens, we can start discussions if he fancies a chat. We’ve got to go for world-class quality if we’re to take the club where we want to over the next three to five years.”
Sale have signed Denny Solomona on a three-year deal after he was “fired” by rugby league club Castleford Tigers, according to Diamond. He has previously said the wing, 23, “resigned” from the 13-man code. Solomona made his debut for Sale against Saracens on Sunday. Castleford said their lawyers advised them not to comment.