Three Top 14 Clubs Rumored To Be Interested In Munster Star Antoine Frisch
Three Top 14 Clubs Rumored To Be Interested In Munster Star Antoine Frisch
Will Antoine Frisch leave Munster Rugby? Explore his ambitions with the French national team and potential moves to Toulon, Montpellier or La Rochelle.
Munster Rugby looks set to see its star center, Antoine Frisch, depart the club at the end of the season.
This comes after the 27-year-old gave an interview to French media outlet L’Equipe last week ahead of his team’s 24-14 loss to the Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup.
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During the interview, Frisch revealed that he sees his international future with France and that he has been in constant contact with France head coach Fabien Galthie throughout his time with Munster.
Due to the Irish Rugby selection policy surrounding international players, Frisch would become unavailable for Munster, should he represent France.
This revelation has cast doubt about his future in Ireland, given Munster also has New Zealander Alex Nankivell on its books.
Munster head coach Graham Rowntree shared some thoughts when asked about Frisch’s future.
"We’ll see how that plays out," Rowntree said. "I’m not going to lie to you, it’s ongoing. We’ll see how that plays out, but his games not changed, his focus has not moved away from the job in hand. We’ll just see how that plays out.”
Should Munster lose Frisch, it would be the second season in a row where an Irish-qualified player represents another country following Jean Kleyn’s deflection to South Africa.
Kleyn’s switching of international allegiances saw him win a World Cup with the Springboks, but it meant the province had to cut ties with fellow Springbok RG Snyman.
Returning to Frisch, it is rumored that Toulon, Montpellier and La Rochelle are the three clubs leading the charge for his signature.
Each club brings an interesting dynamic to the race for Frisch’s signature, with all three clubs carrying winning pedigrees.
Toulon is reported to be the front-runner as the three-time Investec Champions Cup winner looks to replace Fijian rugby captain Waisea Nayacalevu, who is set to join the English side Sale Sharks next season.
Montpellier, which is enduring a torrid season, is fighting a relegation battle that may scupper its chances of signing Frisch.
Finally, Champions Cup holder La Rochelle already is stacked with quality options in the midfield, which may be a deterrent for a player who will be looking for consistent game time. Working in La Rochelle’s favor is head coach Ronan O’Gara’s links to Munster and the potential for Frisch to play along the French national team’s first choice inside center, Jonathan Danty.
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