French Top 14 - Transfers Ins & Outs 2016/17

There has been plenty of business in France over the summer. The Rugby Pod takes a look at the ins and outs of the cash rich Top14 ahead of the new season.

Bayonne

Bayonne have signed Scotland back rower Johnnie Beattie from Montpellier, who will bring experience and power to the back of the scrum. Lorenzo Cittadini also comes in from Wasps to aid the front row, and he brings with him 50 international caps for Italy and will be looking to emulate a fairly successful campaign last season. Also inbound is former All Black Tom Donnelly and Adam Jaulhac from Bordeaux Begles.

Bordeaux Begles

One of the finest signings that the Begles have recruited is Ian Madigan from Leinster. He has international experience and considering his time at Leinster has most recently been spent on the bench, he will be looking to impress in a new shirt. Also coming in are Australian international Luke Jones and Julien Audy.

The most significant loss for the side is Sekope Kepu, a Wallaby who will be missed in the front row by the Begles, but not so much by their opposition. Also leaving is fly-half Pierre Bernard, who Madigan will replace.

CA Brive

Brive are the team that haven’t managed to get any big names on board this season. They’ve signed young Georgian international Vasil Lobzhanidze, who has 15 caps at the age of 19, whilst also bringing in Julien Le Devedec and Benjamin Lapeyre.

Castres Olympique

There are some big names coming in and a few going out at Castres. Most notably are the arrivals of Western Force’s Steve Mafi, who enjoyed success at Leicester Tigers at one stage of his career and also has Tongan international honours. Another notable international jetting over to France is Bath’s Horacio Agulla, who despite being a quality player has struggled to nail down a first team spot in the last few seasons.

Departing from the club is second rower Richie Gray, who heads to Toulouse, and also Remi Lamerat who stays in France but will play his club rugby with Clermont Auvergne as of next season.

Clermont Auvergne

Clermont were not the force last year that they were a few seasons ago in Europe. Despite having a strong domestic campaign that left them in 1st place of the Top 14, they lost to Racing 92 in the play-offs and ended the season with no silverware. In an attempt to have a better season next year they have brought in Aaron Jarvis from Wales, and also French international centre Remi Lamerat.

Likely to be their biggest loss is Jonathan Davies, who heads back to the Scarlets after two years with the club. Other exits include Brock James to La Rochelle, and Jamie Cudmore to Oyonnax.

Grenoble

Former Perpignan scrum-half David Mele comes into the fold at Grenoble, and he is joined by former Exeter and Connacht lock Aly Muldowney and also Fijian cross-coder Sisa Waqa.

Former Maori All Black centre Jackson Willison departs, and following him are Robinson Caire, Daniel Kilioni and Kevin Goze.

La Rochelle

The gates are busy at La Rochelle as a host of names come and go this summer. All Black flanker and Number 8 Victor Vito is perhaps one of their better signings, whilst Brock James ends an extremely successful decade at Clermont to now offer his services to La Rochelle. Centre Paul Jordaan and young hooker Jeremie Maurouard also come in.

Departing are Julien Audy after three years with the club, hooker David Roumieu, Benjamin Lapeyre and also Fijiian Alipate Ratini.

Lyon

Lyon will be really licking their lips at their squad for next season. Fly-Half Freddy Michalak has put pen to paper, and his former Toulon team-mate Delon Armitage also comes into the fold. Along with this international talent comes Wallaby utility back Mike Harris, former Bordeaux Begles prop Fransico Gomez Kodela, and also Toulon’s Alexandre Menini.

Waisale Sukanaveita, Hoani Tui, Damien Fitzpatrick and Wian Du Preez are amongst those leaving.

Montpellier

Montpellier boast of many decent signings this year. Nemani Nadolo, the Fijian giant, comes in from New Zealand to seriously up the average weight of their back line, whilst Ben Botica balances out the size:flare ratio in their back line after signing from Harlequins to replace the departing Francois Trinh-Duc. Georgian international Konstantin Mikautadze makes the switch from Toulon, and French international Alexandre Demoulin is also welcomed from Racing 92.

Another significant loss is the fact that France legend Nicolas Mas retires from rugby - a sad sight for fans across the globe.

Pau

Pau’s biggest signing is no doubt Steffon Armitage from Toulon. A wrecking ball in attack and absolute nuisance at the breakdown - Armitage will be valuable to the side this season despite dropping off form slightly in the last season. Kiwi utlility back Tom Taylor, Australian veteran Ben Mowen, Stade Francais’ Julien Tomas and Racing Metro lock Fabrice Metz also come into the squad.

Elijah Niko, Mathieu Acebes and most notably Daman Traille - a former French international star who now retires - depart from the club.

Racing 92

The second row is an area where Racing look strong for next season. Ali Williams, a world cup winner with New Zealand and european and domestic double winner with Toulon, comes out of retirement to serve alongside newly signed Leone Nakarawa - a Fijian giant with incredible offloading ability.

Outgoing are Welshmen Luke Charteris and Mike Phillips, who both head to England to play for Bath and Sale Sharks respectively.

Stade Francais

The gates are relatively shut this year at Stade Francais - with Alipate Ratini of La Rochelle coming in, and Dany Priso and Julien Tomas leaving to La Rochelle and Pau respectively.

Toulon

After having the best squad on paper last year, Toulon looked like they were going to tear Europe apart like they had done for the previous few years, but it didn’t go their way. Next season they look to be losing more talent than they’re getting in - with Paul O’Connell alraedy retired, the Armitage brothers moving elsewhere in France, and Quade Cooper exiting the club also, there’s a big challenge ahead for the club.

Incoming are Francois Trinh-Duc - who is a fantastic replacement for Cooper - flanker Liam Gill of the Reds, prop Marcel Van Der Merwe and French veteran Vincent Clerc. Will it be enough to challenge for silverware next season? Only time will tell.

Toulouse

Toulouse inherit Richie Gray from Castres, who will add some quality experience into the pack, as will Leonardo Ghiraldini who has over 80 caps for Italy and sailing in from Leicester. Manasa Saulo, a 27-year-old Fiji international, also joins Toulouse.

With Imanol Harinordoquy retiring, and Louis Picamoles heading to Northampton, the Toulouse back row is looking much less scary than it did this season gone. Vincent Clerc - a man who has been at the club for 14 years - will have said an emotional goodbye before heading to Toulon, where he will likely end his career considering he is 35-years-old.

Written by Ollie Shires for www.TheRugbyPod.com