At least three Montpellier stars linked with Gallagher Premiership moves
A number of Montpellier Herault’s top stars are being linked with a move to the Gallagher Premiership. MHR came to an “amicable agreement” with the LNR over the latest salary cap inquisition, with Mohed Altrad’s outfit agreeing to stump up €3 million, and it’s being suggested that the French giants could be open to offloading players following their latest salary cap case.
While the exact transgression that the club were being accused of remains relatively unclear, it is now being suggested that they may need to balance the books on their star-studded team.
At three of their stars are now being linked with moves to the Premiership. The Rugby Paper reported over the weekend that Bath have World Cup-winning Springbok Handre Pollard as the number one target.
Bath currently have just one specialist flyhalf in Rhys Priestland. He is backed up by the experienced Josh Matavesi, who is more regularly found at centre and the highly-rated but extremely raw Tom De Glanville.
The report suggests the West Country side are again after Pollard, who they pursued unsuccessfully in 2019.
If they after Pollard he won’t come cheap. The 26-year-old is reputed to be on a contract that is worth close to £1,000,000 a season, making him one of the highest-paid rugby players on the planet. However, if they fail to land Pollard, the similarly well paid Johan Goosen, who can cover 10 and 15, is said to be their second choice.
If one of the pair did leave, it would go some distance toward balancing Montpellier’s books, if they are in danger of a cap breach. It’s worth noting that Goosen is listed as a utility back in their squad, and new signing Alex Lozowski, who left Saracens earlier this year, is listed as a flyhalf.
On the flip side of the equation, Bath could potentially afford to splash cash outside of the Gallagher Premiership cap if said new recruit is counted as one as a marquee signing, a space freed up by the departure of recently retired Francois Louw.
Away from Bath, Wasps were are apparently in talks with a South African who can play both in the second and back row. One theory online is that the player in negotiations is giant Montpellier 5.5, Jacques du Plessis. The 6’7, 120kg forward has been a mainstay of the MHR pack since signing in 2015 and can play both positions.
Earlier this week Lee Blackett confirmed that the hulking Will Rowlands is to stay at the club, defying rumours linking him with a move to the Dragons in Wales. Much fancied young gun Thibaud Flament is also staying put. Together with England veteran Joe Launchbury, club stalwart James Gaskell and the up and the up and coming Theo Vukasinovic and Myles Edwards, Wasps engine room larder looks well stocked.
Montpellier declined to comment.
Comments on RugbyPass
The Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to comments