Worcester's attempts to add some French fortification to their front row have been stymied for a second time in a month after the Sixways club revealed they had missed out on AS Montferrand's Laurent Emmanuelli.

Warriors looked set to make up for April's disappointment of losing Patrice Collazo to Gloucester when Emmanuelli was widely reported to be on the brink of joining the Premiership club for next season.

But, having been offered a three-year deal to remain in France, the 27- year- old rejected Worcester's overtures despite having already met with director of rugby, John Brain, and head coach, Andy Keast.

"Montferrand are well known for their financial strength and money talked in this instance," said Brain.

"We held talks with Laurent before the Northampton game but he went back to France. The Montferrand president then took him into his office and doubled his money, telling him he had to sign there and then.

"It sums up how difficult it is to compete against that financial strength and, before the Northampton game, there was still a possibility that we could go down. It's difficult when you are dealing with agents based in France."

Meanwhile the man Collazo and Emmanuelli were intended to replace, evergreen loosehead Tony Windo, has been named as the club's player of the season.

The 36-year-old played in all but one of the Warriors' Premiership games and as a reward was given the accolade by the club's coaches.

Scrum-half Matt Powell picked up the most improved player award, while Dale Rasmussen was the unanimous choice as the players' player of the season at Sixways.

The news for centre Ben Hinshelwood is not so good however, after the Australian-born Scot was ruled out of his country's forthcoming matches against the Barbarians and Romania.

Hinshelwood, who has endured a frustrating first Premiership season, has been ordered to rest during the off-season because of his back problems.

The condition flared up on the first day of the season and has blighted his attempts to regain his place in the Scotland line-up.