JAMES HARRINGTON

FRENCH COLUMN

IT is a truth long universally accepted that the Top 14 is a pension-liner for big-name overseas players. The roll-call of international stars to grace French top-flight rugby is long and illustrious. It includes names like Wilkinson, Carter, Pollard, Mitchell, Sivivatu, Sexton, Russell, Hayman, Charteris, Smith, Giteau, Nonu, Goosen, Sheridan, Rossouw, Botha, Steyn... You get the picture, and apologies for all those stars inevitably missed.
But while that long-held and understood truth was very true 10 years ago there’s no denying that, these days, i...