, Clermont had made Sharks duo Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi top targets and aimed to sign the backs after the 2023 World Cup.This came as the Top 14 club is set to lose star France international Damian Penaud at the end of the season to Top 14 rivals Bordeaux.
However, it has since been reported that Clermont opted against signing either of the two Bok backs as they would miss large portions of the Top 14 season due to Test commitments for the world champions. Clermont are not the first French team to be concerned over the limited availability of Springboks during the Test window.
Famously, Toulon president Bernard Lemaitre publicly labelled Eben Etzebeth a “handicap” to the club, after the Springbok lock returned from international duty in November 2021 with a concussion that forced him to be stood down from action for three months. Ultimately, Etzebeth sealed a return to South Africa with the Sharks and has since gone on to earn a nomination for the 2023 EPCR Player of the Year award.
SharksRugby must protect their players now.Gonna lose big players.