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#Post#: 145141--------------------------------------------------
Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: AAjnr
Date: November 26, 2025, 7:34 am
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Daily Telegraph:
Charles Richardson
26 November 2025 1:02pm GMT
Joe Marchant is set to return to the Prem next season in a
significant fillip for England, with Sale Sharks in the final
stages of capturing the centre’s signature.
Marchant, who can also play on the wing, has not been eligible
for England selection since moving from Harlequins to Stade
Français, the Top 14 heavyweights, after the 2023 World Cup.
But the 29-year-old is set to call Greater Manchester home for
three years from next season onwards, filling the hole at the
Sharks left by the departure of club stalwart Rob du Preez.
The impending move, which is all but finalised, means that
Marchant – who has 26 England caps – will be available to head
coach Steve Borthwick next season, putting him in the frame for
the 2027 World Cup.
Sale had attempted to bring in Marchant before the current
season but the centre still had a year remaining on his deal in
Paris. But with Du Preez’s departure and the Sharks’ increased
salary-cap spend – the club do not max out their cap but have
publicly stated their ambition to do so – an opening has emerged
for the highly rated Marchant to join the squad in a real boost
for director of rugby Alex Sanderson.
“We’ve probably got enough budget for four or five world-class
international players,” Sanderson told the BBC. “We’re looking
for those players which have the biggest impact on the ball and
maybe the most touches.
“You look at our squad and where we might be a little short in
strength in depth; that’s where we’re looking to recruit. It’s a
weekly task and one I’m quite enjoying in terms of meeting
players and seeing how it all fits together for next season.”
Marchant played a central role in Borthwick’s first World Cup,
in 2023, but has not won a Test cap since he started on the wing
in the bronze final victory over Argentina. In that same
tournament, he also started in the centre for the pool-stage win
over the Pumas, the victorious quarter-final against Fiji, and
the heart-breaking, last-gasp loss to South Africa in the
semi-finals.
At Stade Français, the Parisian club coached by Paul Gustard who
currently sit third in the Top 14 table, Marchant has been a
regular in the starting XV since his arrival in November 2023.
He played 26 matches for the club in their relegation battle
last season and has featured in seven of a possible 10 rounds so
far this campaign.
Marchant’s time in Paris was not just notable for his
contributions on the pitch, either. A year ago, Marchant
proposed to his girlfriend, Hollie Shearer – daughter of English
football legend, Alan – having begun a relationship in 2022.
England’s best centre pairing now as clear as mud
Analysis
Steve Borthwick has always made it very clear that his headache
at fly-half is a welcome one, with what the England head coach
describes as “three world-class 10s”. But if fly-half is a
headache, with George Ford seemingly now first choice, then the
midfield is now turning into a migraine.
Borthwick would see it as propitious, but there is a very real
danger that, with so many options at centre for England, the
waters could become rather muddied.
Borthwick will soon have Joe Marchant to add to that ever
expanding list of midfield options. In the autumn, we saw both
Fraser Dingwall and Max Ojomoh start at inside centre for
England, and both do a sterling job. We saw all of Ollie
Lawrence, Henry Slade and Tommy Freeman – who England want to
play No 13 – start at outside centre. Seb Atkinson, one of the
breakout stars of the Argentina tour, missed the autumn due to
injury, while Angus Hall, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White and Joseph
Woodward are all three up-and-coming talents who featured in
England A’s November matches.
England have also spoken about Fin Smith covering 12 and
Borthwick has publicly admitted that it is only a matter of time
before Ben Earl starts a Test there. There is also a certain
former England captain lurking at Saracens who is as good a
player as any of the aforementioned names but is not currently
in the selection picture.
Depth is one thing and, more often than not, it is a positive,
but the current starting centre pairing is nebulous. If there
were a World Cup final tomorrow, who would start? All the best
sides have depth, but they also know their best centre pairing,
too, and with Marchant only returning for one season ahead of
the 2027 World Cup, time is not on Borthwick’s side to find that
killer duo.
Looking back at England’s 2023 World Cup squad, there were only
two players who travelled who played centre and nowhere else:
Ollie Lawrence and Manu Tuilagi. Farrell, Elliot Daly and
Marchant were all in the squad but all featured in different
positions throughout that tournament.
And, with positional versatility even more of a strength to
England than it was in 2023, chances are that only two
out-and-out centres will travel again - at best. Some big names,
some in-form players, are destined to miss out on that plane to
Australia.
#Post#: 145142--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: AAjnr
Date: November 26, 2025, 7:36 am
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I'm not sure he's got time to get back into the England squad
but it's not gonna feel right seeing him play elsewhere in the
Prem [emoji22]
#Post#: 145143--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: poorfour
Date: November 26, 2025, 7:42 am
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Agreed - would be great to see him back for England (and I think
he still offers a point of difference at centre over the other
options, especially in this era of kick chase), but it hurts to
see him go to Sale.
#Post#: 145144--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: AAjnr
Date: November 26, 2025, 7:45 am
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--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> I think he still offers a point of difference at centre over
the other options, especially in this era of kick chase.
>
--- End Quote ---
There was an infuriating year or two under Eddie where JM could
barely get a game despite this. His run of games in 2023 was
cathartic but too late for us to keep a hold of him!
#Post#: 145145--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: FrostAndFire
Date: November 26, 2025, 7:54 am
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Boo!
His skillset matches Quins much better than Sale, IMO. But I
guess there's not an opening at Quins right now, and he chose to
leave, and so it goes.
#Post#: 145147--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: November 26, 2025, 8:19 am
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Interesting how few tries he's scored for Stade. 6 in 53 (47
starts) vs 61 in 151 (139 starts) at Quins.
#Post#: 145148--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: poorfour
Date: November 26, 2025, 8:34 am
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--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> Interesting how few tries he's scored for Stade. 6 in 53 (47
starts) vs 61 in 151 (139 starts) at Quins.
>
--- End Quote ---
That's what comes of having played with Marcus since they were
both nippers. His ability to see the same space as Smith and put
himself in position to exploit it was breathtaking.
#Post#: 145149--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: A222Quin
Date: November 26, 2025, 9:12 am
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--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> That's what comes of having played with Marcus since they were
both nippers. His ability to see the same space as Smith and put
himself in position to exploit it was breathtaking.
>
--- End Quote ---
With Andre boshing up the middle creating space.
#Post#: 145154--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: Yareet
Date: November 26, 2025, 10:22 am
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All official
HTML https://www.salesharks.com/2025/11/26/sharks-to-sign-marchant/
#Post#: 145155--------------------------------------------------
Re: Joe Marchant to Sale
DIR By: never sleep
Date: November 26, 2025, 10:29 am
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--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> All official
>
>
HTML https://www.salesharks.com/2025/11/26/sharks-to-sign-marchant/
>
--- End Quote ---
I'm guessing that you are a very happy bunny right now
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