Brits abroad

[francoisfou]

In the closing match of this weekend's round 15 of the Top14, Zach Mercer is back at 8 for Montpellier at home to Racing, for whom Finn Russsell is on the bench, but Christian Wade isn't in the matchday squad.

[Mikey Brown]

Abendanon is still going?! Wow.

[Puja]

Abendanon is still going?! Wow.

Looked him up and he's only 36, which was a massive surprise to me. His only caps came in 2007, when he was 21, so maybe that's why it seems like he's been around forever.

Or maybe it's the time dilation cause by the annoyance of pundits and SCW wanking on about how he was an exceptional circumstance and should've been allowed to play for England while in France, for the past 8 years.

Puja

[francoisfou]

Midi-Olympiqe/Rugbyrama have named Zach Mercer as the "most valuable player" of the weekend's round 15 of the Top14.

[Banquo]

Midi-Olympiqe/Rugbyrama have named Zach Mercer as the "most valuable player" of the weekend's round 15 of the Top14.

Being a rugby Mercernary has paid off

[francoisfou]

Good news for Steve Borthwick! Jack Willis has recovered from injury and should be included in the Toulouse match day squad for this weekend’s Champions’ Cup match at Sale. I wonder what the odds are on the two Willis brothers to play in the 6N? Slim, maybe, but England will nonetheless be spoilt for choice in the back row.

[francoisfou]

Abendanon is still going?! Wow.

..until yesterday evening's match against Agen when he had to leave the field with ruptured biceps, which will surely have brought his season to an end. Coupled with the fact that he'd said that this would be his last season as a player, this is a cruel blow.

[francoisfou]

No Tom Willis for Bordeaux away to Sharks in Durban but brother Jack is on the bench for Toulouse at the other Sharks in Sale.
Semesa Rokoduguni is on the wing for ProD2 Montauban against Provence for whom former Leicester Tiger Johnny McPhilips is at fly half.

[Beasties]

No Tom Willis for Bordeaux away to Sharks in Durban but brother Jack is on the bench for Toulouse at the other Sharks in Sale.
Semesa Rokoduguni is on the wing for ProD2 Montauban against Provence for whom former Leicester Tiger Johnny McPhilips is at fly half.

I read that as Johnny May at first. Imagine…

[francoisfou]

Former Saracen, Joël Kpoku, is in Lyon’s starting XV in tonight’s match away to - Saracens.

[francoisfou]

Jack Willis is in the Toulouse starting XV in tomorrow’s home game against Munster.

[francoisfou]

After having spent three and a half seasons with Brive, ex-Saracens' loose head prop, Haydn Thompson-Stringer has signed for La Rochelle as a medical joker, with immediate effect, until the end of the season. Having been injured over a season or two, he's only played three matches this season, of which only one in the starting XV, and is seeking more game time, and Brive have agreed to his request for a move, and going to la Rochelle ain't a bad move!

[Mellsblue]

After having spent three and a half seasons with Brive, ex-Saracens' loose head prop, Haydn Thompson-Stringer has signed for La Rochelle as a medical joker, with immediate effect, until the end of the season. Having been injured over a season or two, he's only played three matches this season, of which only one in the starting XV, and is seeking more game time, and Brive have agreed to his request for a move, and going to la Rochelle ain't a bad move!

Given he spent two seasons at the Goldington Road Finishing School, the second of which saw his switch from backrow to prop, this can’t be a surprise to anyone etc etc

[francoisfou]

There are a couple of Brits abroad playing for Agen in ProD2.
Former Saracens' prop Richard Barrington and Leicester 2nd row Joe Maksymiw are both on the bench in this evening's match against fellow promotion candidates Biarritz.

[francoisfou]

Tom Willis is a replacement for Union Bordeaux/Bègles in this afternoon’s game at Castres. Dan Robson starts for Pau at Toulon and Paolo Odogwu (is he a Brit who would like to play for Italy?) on the bench for Stade Français in Perpignan for whom Brad Shields and Ali Crossdale start.

[francoisfou]

Toulouse v Montpellier kicks off this evening to bring round 16 of the Top14 to an end.
Jack Willis will be on the bench for Toulouse, and for Montpellier, Zach Mercer and Elliot Stooke are in the starting XV. Other familiar faces in the Montpellier side are Cobus Reinach and Titi Lamositele, and Curtis Langdon is the replacement hooker.

[p/d]

Tom Willis is a replacement for Union Bordeaux/Bègles in this afternoon’s game at Castres.

Don’t think he even got off the bench.

[francoisfou]

Tom Willis is a replacement for Union Bordeaux/Bègles in this afternoon’s game at Castres.

Don’t think he even got off the bench.

He came on after 55mins.

[francoisfou]

Jack Willis and Zach Mercer both shone for their respective clubs in last night's game.

I didn't see the match, but according to the Rugbyrama report, Willis came on early in the second half and immediately turned the match around with Montpellier leading 9-3 and Toulouse then scored three second half tries to earn a winning bonus point. Despite being on the losing side, Mercer was omnipresent with 15 carries, broke through 6 tackles and made 13 himself.
The future's bright for Borthwick's back row!
We know Mercer's joining Gloucester, but who'll capture Jack Willis?

[Peej]

Apparently Bordeaux are keen to have Jack join them

[francoisfou]

Former Leicester, Edinburgh and Scotland wing forward, Luke Hamilton, returns from a lengthy injury and is in Oyonnax’s starting XV(runaway leaders in ProD2) this evening away to Rouen.

[francoisfou]

Bordeaux/Bègles are playing away to Stade Français this evening and Tom Willis is at No8 and Gabriel Oghre is replacement hooker.

[Timbo]

Saw some highlights from Tom Willis’ most recent games. Man is a beast. What a signing for Sarries he is.

[francoisfou]

Only two minutes after the kickoff in the Lyon v Montpellier Top14 match on Saturday, Zach Mercer was carried off on a stretcher after a nasty looking clash of heads. The match was stopped for several minutes while the medical team attended to him. Happily, a scan revealed nothing to worry about and he’ll be obliged to take the 2/3 week break after such an injury. Elsewhere, former Ireland and Lions second row, Jeremy Davidson is expected to be announced as the new head coach of Top14 club Castres, for whom he played between 1998/2001.

[Mikey Brown]

Seems weird to me what a push there seems to be in the media for England to start selecting France-based players again. I'd sort of thought this has settled itself since the Armitage/Abendanon days. Obviously what happened with Worcester and Wasps is awful, but I'm just not managing to follow the logic of this being a thing that would help the clubs out. They could relieve themselves of the financial burden of paying their best players, by letting their best players go to France... I suppose it's better than your best players going to a rival Premiership team, but how is this not going to have a knock-on effect in the quality of the Prem?

Zach Mercer and Tom Willis are obviously coming back because they want to play for England. Jack Willis is in a better position of leverage but surely there are a number of teams that would happily make room for him to earn a decent salary?