Leinster players following Lancaster to Racing ?

[Blue not red blood]

One of our lads raised a really interesting question over the weekend.
Will Lancaster tempt any Leinster players to Racing for next season ?
Irish lads with a view to continue playing Internationally after World Cup wouldnt be tempted you would think but a lot of names did come up in our conversations, namely,
Furlong, Ruddock, Deegan, Penny, Ross, Conan, Lowe, Henshaw.

It was something none of us thought of but after discussing it we can see the possibilities.

Any views on this ?

[ronk]

Doesn't really seem like Lancaster that much.

Racing can recruit strongly from anywhere. Someone like JvG recruited what he knew, so was always going to take players. Internationals don't leave here easily. He'd need to be targeting someone who's undervalued here and not really an international front runner.

Ross Byrne is about to inherit the keys to the kingdom, he won't go. Someone like Deegan or Molony might be interested in a big offer, but Racing would need a gap there.

[Hoofhearted]

If anyone was to be tempted to follow stu it might be VDF. Best 7 in the world, you could build a team around his character and work rate.

He doesn't have a central contract with the IRFU does he?

[hugonaut]

If anyone was to be tempted to follow stu it might be VDF. Best 7 in the world, you could build a team around his character and work rate.

He doesn't have a central contract with the IRFU does he?

They just signed Kolisi for about €1m/year.

[Logorrhea]

He is trying to build a culture in a team seriously lacking it at the moment. He would do very well to pick up a few Leinster heads as a core. I'd be very surprised if Racing weren't looking at the likes of Ruddock and Ross Byrne.

[Flash Gordon]

He is trying to build a culture in a team seriously lacking it at the moment. He would do very well to pick up a few Leinster heads as a core. I'd be very surprised if Racing weren't looking at the likes of Ruddock and Ross Byrne.

He will undoubtedly try to build culture, that's very much his thing and was for both England and us. It's also what Racing need. Someone like Rhys or Ross Maloney would be a good signing for him, both leaders with Rhys out of Ireland contention and Maloney on the edge. Ross would depend on whether he gets in the world cup squad I'd imagine.

To be fair, he has a lot to work with over there in terms of ability but mentally they are a mess.

[the spoofer]

He is trying to build a culture in a team seriously lacking it at the moment. He would do very well to pick up a few Leinster heads as a core. I'd be very surprised if Racing weren't looking at the likes of Ruddock and Ross Byrne.

He will undoubtedly try to build culture, that's very much his thing and was for both England and us. It's also what Racing need. Someone like Rhys or Ross Maloney would be a good signing for him, both leaders with Rhys out of Ireland contention and Maloney on the edge. Ross would depend on whether he gets in the world cup squad I'd imagine.

To be fair, he has a lot to work with over there in terms of ability but mentally they are a mess.

They have got rid of much of their mess to Bath.

[Dave Cahill]

The problem with Racing is that they have a culture, a long standing one, 'Le Showbizz', and their team is a reflection of that!

[fourthirtythree]

I mean Finn Russell was a better fit there than Sexton.

[Flash Gordon]

The problem with Racing is that they have a culture, a long standing one, 'Le Showbizz', and their team is a reflection of that!

And they've won 1 Top 14 in the last 30 years. On the plus side they've lost 3 champions cup finals but hey, pink bow ties and champagne at half time.

[Dave Cahill]

The problem with Racing is that they have a culture, a long standing one, 'Le Showbizz', and their team is a reflection of that!

And they've won 1 Top 14 in the last 30 years. On the plus side they've lost 3 champions cup finals but hey, pink bow ties and champagne at half time.

Precisely, that's been their culture since Rousseau painted them!

[arsebiscuits1]

Isn't the JIFF rules that Top14 clubs must have 19 JIFF players in their squads of 35, and select at least 14 on match-days?

There's not a lot of wiggle room (although there does seem to be a bit of an exodus coming in Racing)

I don't see any of the front line internationals going even post world cup as the age profile is pretty good for a lot of them.

[Blue not red blood]

Great point, maybe they should sign Zeebs. Oh wait .........

The problem with Racing is that they have a culture, a long standing one, 'Le Showbizz', and their team is a reflection of that!

[ronk]

They might try to delay Sexton's retirement by a year.

[Flash Gordon]

They might try to delay Sexton's retirement by a year.

That would be my number 1 target if I were Lancaster. If you want to drive a culture, he's the man to do it. J10 may have had enough and I remember his wife wasn't happy there but it might help Johnny transition to coaching and there may be a big pay cheque too.

[naraic]

They might try to delay Sexton's retirement by a year.

That would be my number 1 target if I were Lancaster. If you want to drive a culture, he's the man to do it. J10 may have had enough and I remember his wife wasn't happy there but it might help Johnny transition to coaching and there may be a big pay cheque too.

Johnny has a post rugby career lined up here in Ireland. He is doing 1 day a week work experience in the company he will start in after retirement at the moment. A move back to Paris would disrupt that and probably effect the children who would be school age at the moment.

I seem to recall that they didn't want the kids in a French school.

Lancaster probably has a bunch of inside information in Leinster about players. Who is on a small deal relative to their market value etc. If he picks up anyone I would expect it to be someone very valuable who is undervalued here.

[curates_egg]

I seem to recall that they didn't want the kids in a French school.

Wouldn't blame them. The French education system is horribly authoritarian. There are plenty of non-French schools in Paris though. So, while I think there are lots of reasons why Sexton won't be going there, French schools are not a reason for anyone (rugby player or otherwise) to turn down a job in Paris per se. The same would apply to any of the bigger towns, like Lyon or Bordeaux (and non-rugby towns, like Marseille and Strasbourg).

[wixfjord]

Rhys would be a guy I'd target if I were Lancaster.

He has seemingly fallen out of favour here but is a guy you can rely on to set standards and would seem to fit the French game. Racing are also lacking tight carriers in their pack and he has plenty of life left in him.

[Flash Gordon]

They might try to delay Sexton's retirement by a year.

That would be my number 1 target if I were Lancaster. If you want to drive a culture, he's the man to do it. J10 may have had enough and I remember his wife wasn't happy there but it might help Johnny transition to coaching and there may be a big pay cheque too.

Johnny has a post rugby career lined up here in Ireland. He is doing 1 day a week work experience in the company he will start in after retirement at the moment. A move back to Paris would disrupt that and probably effect the children who would be school age at the moment.

I seem to recall that they didn't want the kids in a French school.

Lancaster probably has a bunch of inside information in Leinster about players. Who is on a small deal relative to their market value etc. If he picks up anyone I would expect it to be someone very valuable who is undervalued here.

A year abroad for kids under 7 won't make a blind bit of difference, having done the expat thing as a kid it was a fantastic memory and educational experience. My kids also moved country at around that age and the only way it impacted them was to gain a language. If you don't want to send kids to French school there are international schools in Paris. He might not think that way of course from a personal point of view but a one year postponement of any other plans could net him a million quid. Obviously up to him and the last time in Paris wasn't great for them personally from what I understand so all of that comes into play.

As others have said, Rhys would be a prime target from both a playing and cultural points of view. There's also the distinct possibility that Lancaster, who is a man who runs on ethics and values, wouldn't do anything to harm Leinster in any way.

[fourthirtythree]

Lancaster would, as Flash said, be ethically led. As he said about the Carbery mess. What would be best for him? We believed staying in Leinster was the best for him but the player has to make that choice for themselves.

I don't think that stops him talking to certain players that might improve the Racing squad and culture.