Piers Francis

Last updated

Piers Francis
Piers Francis.jpg
Date of birth (1990-06-20) 20 June 1990 (age 33)
Place of birth Gravesend, England
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight94 kg (14 st 11 lb; 207 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half, Centre
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2012–2014 Edinburgh Rugby 15 (33)
2014–2015 Doncaster Knights 7 (0)
2017–2022 Northampton Saints 84 (204)
2022–2023 Bath 20 (109)
2023– Kurita Water Gush Akishima ()
Correct as of 27 June 2022
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2011 Auckland 7 (7)
2012 Waikato 8 ()
2015– Counties Manukau 19 (191)
Correct as of 1 June 2017
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2016–2017 Blues 24 (120)
Correct as of 2 June 2017
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2017-2019 England 8 (5)
Correct as of 17 September 2019

Piers Francis (born 20 June 1990) is an English rugby union footballer who plays in the fly-half and occasionally inside centre position. His current club is Bath in Premiership Rugby, he has previously played for Northampton Saints, the Blues in Super Rugby, Edinburgh & Doncaster Knights.

Contents

Career

Francis was born in Gravesend, Kent, attended Kent College, Canterbury and played for Old Gravesendians RFC & Maidstone FC. He was also a member of the Saracens Academy for three years during his teens. He moved to New Zealand at the age of 18 and played ITM Cup rugby for both Auckland and Waikato before returning to the UK in 2012 to sign with Edinburgh.

He spent two years with the Edinburgh outfit, but suffered an injury in the pre-season ahead of the 2013-14 campaign which effectively kept him out of action for the whole season.

He was released in the summer of 2014 along with other fly-halves Harry Leonard and Gregor Hunter.

It was announced in November 2014 that he had signed with RFU Championship side Doncaster Knights, with the contract running until March 2015.

For the remainder of 2015 Francis returned to New Zealand, where he linked with the ITM Cup team Counties Manukau on a two-year deal. [1] After a strong showing in a Tana Umaga coached side, he followed his coach and signed a deal with the Super Rugby team the Blues for the 2016 Super Rugby season. [2]

On 20 March 2017, Francis signed to return to England and join Gallagher Premiership club Northampton Saints from the 2017–18 season. [3] This made him eligible to be picked for England again, and he was subsequently picked for England's 2017 summer tour of Argentina. [4]

International career

International tries

As of 7 July 2019 [5]
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina Santa Fe, Argentina, Argentina Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López 2017 Tour of Argentina 17 June 2017Win35 – 25

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References

  1. "Steelers playmaker Piers Francis using NPC to prove Super Rugby credentials".
  2. "Injured All Blacks key to new-look Blues squad for Super Rugby 2016".
  3. "Northampton Saints sign Auckland Blues fly-half Piers Francis". BBC Sport. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  4. "England v Argentina: Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury & George Ford in squad". BBC Sport. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  5. "Piers Francis". 7 July 2019.

Honours