Tigers snap up Ellis cover

Leicester Tigers have snapped up Biarritz scrum-half Julien Dupuy as cover for injured scrum-half Harry Ellis, whose long-term injury has kept him out of action for much of the last 12 months.

Leicester Tigers have snapped up Biarritz scrum-half Julien Dupuy as cover for injured scrum-half Harry Ellis, whose long-term injury has kept him out of action for much of the last 12 months.

Ellis injured his ACL in a Guinness Premiership match against Bristol last season, and although he is still considered to be the first-choice scrum-half and will be ready for action at the end of February, Dupuy will join Frank Murphy and Scott Bemand challenging for the Leicester number nine jersey.

24-year-old Dupuy, also a goal-kicker, will start at Welford Road on a two-year contract from September.

Meanwhile, Bath, smarting from the loss of Steve Borthwick to Saracens, are rumoured to have snapped up both Leeds' Stuart Hooper and Ulster's Australian veteran Justin Harrison.

Hooper already signalled his intention to leave the ailing Yorkshire club last week, and Harrison is one of many players likely to be departing struggling Ulster at the end of this season.