French giants join the chase for out-of-contract Ospreys fly-half STADE WANT SAM

STADE Francais have joined the chase for Wales international Sam Davies as he heads towards the end of his contract at the Ospreys.

The eight-cap fly-half, pictured above, excelled against the Parisians when they visited Swansea earlier in the season, setting up two tries and scoring 15 points in his side’s 51-20 European Challenge Cup victory.

The club of Sergio Parisse are now on his trail, along with a number of others such as Leicester and Harlequins, while the Dragons and Scarlets are also said to be interested.

The Ospreys are yet to tie up the former World Rugby young player of the year amid the uncertainty over playing budgets for next season.

There had been hope that talks held last week between the Welsh Rugby Union and representatives from the Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and the Dragons would settle how much each of the Welsh professional sides would be able to spend on players in 2019-20.

But the regions still don’t seem clear on that question and many players are still in limbo, leaving them ripe for approaches from outside.

There is the added complication that a pay banding system is being introduced in Welsh rugby, raising the possibility that certain individuals might see their wages frozen or even cut. As someone who has dropped out of the Wales squad since penning his last contract, 25-year-old Davies is one who could be adversely affected.

The Ospreys have invested a lot in the Swansea-born player, who made his debut for the region seven years ago this month. He has clocked up 142 appearances for them and is acknowledged as one of the cleverest kickers out of hand in the game.

After Davies guided the region to victory over the Scarlets in Swansea last month, head coach Allen Clarke said: “On the back of his performance, you’d be a fool not to be considering him for next season. I’m delighted with how he’s developed.

“The work he’s done with our backs coach Matt Sherratt has been excellent in terms of his understanding of the game, his ability to manage us around the field and connect with the forwards.

“He’s the composer of the orchestra. He can kick out of hand, drop goals and there’s also his goal-kicking, plus his ability to tackle down the first channel. He’s unbelievably competitive and exceptionally brave, so it’s not just about his flair on the ball. It’s about his competitiveness as a whole.”

All of which explains why Davies is a target for others and why the Ospreys will need to move fast if they are to retain him.

They also face a battle to retain Scott Baldwin, a man the Rugby Paper suggests could be on his way to Harlequins. The in-form hooker hasn’t given up hope of reclaiming a spot in the Wales set-up so is waiting to see how the land lies on that front, with any move away from Wales likely to kill the 34-cap player’s Test career.

The question is whether the Ospreys have the funds to retain him as his national dual contract comes to an end.

But one player who will not be going anywhere any time soon, despite reports that his CV is doing the rounds in France, is Justin Tipuric, with the Ospreys captain under lock and key at the Liberty until the summer of 2020.

It’s been further reported the Ospreys are ready to offer Alun Wyn Jones a two-year deal to remain at the Liberty Stadium.