Record holder Rob du Preez linked with shock exit from Sale Sharks

Racing 92 have launched a shock move to replace Saracens-bound former England captain Owen Farrell with Sale Sharks playmaker Rob Du Preez.

He could become the second of the three du Preez brothers to leave the North West this summer after one of his younger siblings, Jean-Luc, completed a deal that will see him join Bordeaux.

Racing 92 are rebuilding after finishing tenth in the Top 14 this season, but only have one recognised fly-half, Antoine Gibert, following the departures of Farrell, Dan Lancaster to Glasgow Warriors and Tristan Tedder to Perpignan.

The Paris-based Top 14 giants decided to move for du Preez, 31, after suffering a blow when veteran Wallaby star James O’Connor turned down their approach in favour of a move to Leicester Tigers instead.

Racing have been looking at several options, including former Ulster, London Irish and Ireland star Paddy Jackson, but have decided that du Preez, one of the Premiership’s most consistent performers, ticks the right boxes.

Du Preez, who won his only Springbok cap in an eight-minute cameo against Wales at Washington DC’s RFK Stadium in June 2017, has been a magnificent servant to Sale.

His 74 consecutive starts is a Premiership record, and this season, he clocked up 1,520 minutes, which was only bettered by Leicester Tigers duo, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Hanro Liebenburg.

The durable South African is due to be under contract to Sale until the end of next season, but Racing, who are flush with cash from selling Farrell and Siya Kolisi to URC outfit the Sharks, won’t have any problems in buying him out of that.

If the deal does go ahead, and Rob, who has been building a property portfolio in the UK, goes to Paris, it will leave Dan du Preez as the only one of the trio still at the club next season, although he’s regularly been the subject of rumours linking him with a move to France.