Stander delivers – but it’s only business

THIS is business. That is the most important lesson to absorb from the latest round of contract will they/won’t they (spoiler alert: they will) played out in Irish rugby.

It is business. Had CJ Stander decided to take a fortune and move to France, it would have been a loss to Irish rugby because Joe Schmidt would not be able to call on the talents and leadership skills of a powerful loose forward.

Had he gone, though, it would not have made the Tricolour droop on flagpoles around the land; it would have done no damage to the resting places of dead patriots.

This can be a debate about pride in the jersey, but that way madness lies: there is no way of proving one’s love for a flag, and who needs it?

The only way any player in an Irish shirt can show their dedication is through their performances, and by that gauge, Stander is wholly committed.

But this is business. Be certain that is how Schmidt views it. He wants good players at his disposal, and he understands, as everyone making business decisions in Irish rugby presumably does, that excellence comes at a cost.

Stander deserves to be paid by a market that rewards its best players with large contracts.

Beyond that, we can talk about flags and love, but this is business.