Scott MacLeod back from Japan to join Newcastle

MacLeod left Edinburgh last year for Kobe Steel in Japan and duly retired from international rugby with 23 caps. But, while it is understood that the club were keen for him to see out his two-year contract, the lock forward from Hawick became fed up with a failure to start many games.

Japanese clubs are limited to two overseas players on the field at any one time and, with Kobe boasting four New Zealanders and top Japanese second rows, MacLeod was often used as a replacement, coming on late in matches when one of the Kiwis came off.

Japanese rugby is leading the way in the size of player salaries and the 33-year-old Scot is understood to have more than trebled his Edinburgh wage with the move. However, with Kobe signing another overseas player in Springbok centre Jacque Fourie on a contract reputed to be worth £900,000 a year, MacLeod has agreed a release to join Newcastle for next season.

The Falcons are due to be relegated from the Aviva Premiership and play in the Championship, providing the winners of that league meet all of the strict Premiership criteria for promotion, but owner Semore Kurdi has big plans for a swift return under Dean Richards.

Lawson is part of a Scottish exodus from Gloucester this summer as the English club seek to reduce the number of players involved in Test rugby on their books. Head coach Bryan Redpath has resigned and Scotland flanker Alasdair Strokosch agreed a move to Perpignan while hooker Scott Lawson is joining London Irish. Alasdair Dickinson left the club last year to join Sale.

He has been at Kingston Park for talks, but is believed to also be weighing up offers from France. Reminiscent of the club’s drive for success 15 years ago, with Alan Tait, Gary Armstrong, Doddie Weir and George Graham at the heart of the initial Tyneside revolution, Newcastle have already re-signed Scotland back row Allister Hogg in a pack featuring Borders props Grant Shiells and Scott Wilson.