Unleashing top Boks in France
DEBUT: ETZEBETH AND POLLARD SET TO LINE UP FOR CLUBS
South Africa’s Rugby World Cup winners Eben Etzebeth and Handre Pollard are expected to make their French Top 14 bows this weekend for Toulon and Montpellier.
Lock Etzebeth, 28, who has joined the three-time European champions on a two-year deal, has already played in two Challenge Cup fixtures and could line up against last year’s runners up Clermont tomorrow.
Fly-half Pollard, 25, has signed a deal keeping him at the GGL Stadium until 2022 but has been forced to wait for his first appearance, against Racing 92 today, due to a facial injury suffered celebrating the Webb Ellis trophy victory in November.
The towering Etzebeth, who will reportedly earn more than €1 million a season at Stade Felix Mayol, joins a long list of Springboks
to play for the side run by controversial president Mourad Boudjellal.
“Toulon were quite an easy choice. Many South Africans have played here. Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha, Duane Vermeulen and many many more,” he said earlier this week.
“For me to speak to them and them telling me how special the club is and how successful the club is was something I wanted to be a part of. That’s what made my decision to come easy,” he added. This weekend Toulon host fifthplaced Clermont eyeing their ninth straight victory across all competitions.
Former France lock Sebastien Vahaamahina is available for the visitors after finishing his 10-week suspension for elbowing Wales’ Aaron Wainwright at the quarterfinals of the tournament in Japan.
“It was unlucky what happened to him at the World Cup.
I’m looking forward to the challenge against him,” Etzebeth said.
Former Blue Bulls playmaker Pollard, who scored 22 points in the final victory over England, says the World Cup triumph is behind him.
“It’s a memory which will stay with me forever and also give me confidence because we won at the highest level,” he told the Rugbyrama website.
“From now on the most important things for me is the future and to win a trophy with Montpellier,” added the playmaker, who will reportedly be paid €1.26 million a season at Montpellier.
On Saturday, Pollard’s Montpellier, who are third in the table, travel to Paris after the 2012 junior World Cup winner missed more than a month with injury.
“Originally I wanted to play last weekend but they told me I had to wait for another week. It’s been six weeks now and there’s no longer a problem.' – AFP