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REPORTS: Stade Francais sign former England flyhalf
South African Meyer Bosman’s rugby career looks to be on its last legs after his club, Top 14 side Stade Francais, reportedly agreed terms with former England international Shane Geraghty.
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The 32-year-old Bosman last season signed a two-year contract extension that was intended to keep him at the Paris club until 2019 – but reports in France now suggest the fly-half-cum-inside-centre is on the verge of injury-induced retirement.
The exact nature of Bosman’s condition remains unclear, with the rugby press merely indicating that the player has been advised to bring forward his retirement for medical reasons.
The Springbok’s as-yet unconfirmed decision has prompted the club’s new head coach, Greg Cooper, to find cover in the form of Geraghty – and not even the lengthy injury list that has plagued his new charge’s career seems to have dampened his interest.
The six-cap Englishman, who can play in the same positions as Bosman, has spent most of his career in two stints at London Irish, but he has experience of the French game, having had a season on the books at Brive in 2011/12.
A new contract in France will go some of the way to making up for a dismal 2016/17 campaign. Geraghty made just two appearances for English Premiership basement club Bristol after being granted an early release from his contract with the Exiles six games into their Championship campaign.
Stade, the blueblood Top 14 club that was last season almost merged out of existence, has also reportedly signed loosehead Corné Fourie from Super Rugby finalists the Lions, as part of an injury-enforced rapid rebuild of its front row stocks less than a fortnight before the kick off of the new season.
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Pending approval of his move from SARU, Fourie is set to shortly team up with another new front-row arrival in Paris, hooker-prop hybrid Maxime Gau, who signed on the dotted line shortly after he had negotiated the termination of his contract with La Rochelle.
