Northampton bring in Pirate Tom Kessell

Northampton Saints today announced that scrum-half Tom Kessell is joining the club ahead of next season.
Kessell, 25, re-joined his home club Cornish Pirates in 2011 after a short stay at Plymouth Albion, having first played the game for the Mennaye outfit at minis level in 1995.
His 100th appearance for the Pirates came against Bedford in last November – a month in which he earned a call-up for the Championship XV that beat Canada 28-23 at Sixways.
Kessell, who has signed a short-term deal in the meantime with title-chasing Bristol, is excited by the prospect of moving to the East Midlands.
“Joining the Saints is a fantastic opportunity for me,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to working with the calibre of players that the club’s already got. Hopefully I’ll be able to develop as a work in progress, take any opportunity that I can get, and be the best that I can.”
Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder added: “Tom has shown great promise in the Championship and has had his performances recognised with selection for the team that played Canada last year,” he commented. “We believe that he has the potential to perform in the Aviva Premiership and in Europe and are looking forward to seeing him develop here at Franklin’s Gardens.”