Northampton Make Lobbe Their Seventh Summer Signing

Sale yesterday lost their second player in 24 hours when the Argentina international Ignacio Fernández Lobbe announced he would be joining Northampton in the summer, the Saints' seventh signing for the new season, a haul that includes the Sale scrum-half Ben Foden.

The day before, Stade Français signed Christian Day on a three-month contract. While Lobbe, 33, is nearing the end of his career, Day, a former England Under-21 captain, is 24 and felt he was not getting enough opportunity at Edgeley Park.

"Ignacio has plenty of power, skill and leadership experience," said the Northampton director of rugby, Jim Mallinder. "He has played at the highest level for many years and knows how to win the biggest matches. This will be invaluable for us in the Premiership next season."

Sale did yesterday sign new contracts with two experienced squad members. The England prop Stuart Turner agreed a one-year extension and the Spain wing Oriol Ripol will remain at the club until the end of the 2009-10 season.

The Sharks missed out on the Heineken Cup this season but three English clubs are at home in this weekend's quarter-finals. Saracens, whose owner Nigel Wray this week expressed his frustration at the relatively low attendances at Vicarage Road this season, yesterday sold out for Sunday's tie against the Ospreys when 18,214 spectators will fill the ground.

"This is the first sell-out in our history and it is a fantastic achievement," said the club's chief executive, Mark Sinderberry. "We have heard stories of supporters returning home early from their honeymoons to be there, others having to leave Wales well before dawn and some flying in from France and Ireland to see the match live. There are no hotel rooms left in Watford and pubs will be opening at 10am. All we can say to spectators is arrive early."

The competition's organizers, European Rugby Cup Ltd, yesterday announced the venues for the semi-finals at the end of the month. If Saracens win on Sunday, they would face Gloucester or Munster at Coventry City's Ricoh Arena, but an Ospreys victory would see the tie played at the Millennium Stadium.

The winner of Saturday's quarter-final between London Irish and Perpignan will have home advantage against Toulouse or Cardiff Blues in the last four. Twickenham would host Irish while Stade de la Masson in Montpellier, would be used if Perpignan prevail.