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Harlequins set to snap up powerful Polish No.8

Harlequins

According to the Polish Rugby Union official website, Poland’s captain Piotr Zeszutek is set to join Harlequins on a two-month loan spell, with an option to extend that stay.

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Zeszutek, who has 15 international caps and plays for domestic club Ogniwo Sopot, is a strong ball-carrying number eight and has stood out with his performances for the Polish national team.

Should he make it on to the field during his stay in south-west London, the 27-year-old will be the first Polish player to play in the Gallagher Premiership. He arrives from the same club that Brive’s former Heineken Cup-winning number eight Grzegorz Kacala represented in the Polish league.

Per the report on the Polish Rugby Union website, the move was facilitated by Duaine Lindsay, the head coach of the Polish national team, who will continue to work with him whilst he is with Harlequins.

Zeszutek will reinforce Quins’ options in their back-row ahead of their season opener with Sale Sharks next month and offer a formidable presence with ball in hand, something that the club have lacked consistently since Nick Easter hung up his boots in 2016. He will compete with the likes of Mat Luamanu, Renaldo Bothma and James Chisholm for a spot at the base of the scrum.

Quins have shown they’re not afraid to take a risk on players from outside of Tier 1 in order to improve their ability to break the gain-line, having already secured the services of New Zealand-born USA Eagles representative Paul Lasike earlier this summer.

Both Zeszutek and Lasike will have their work cut out for them replicating their performances and obvious ability in the Premiership, but if they can achieve the same level of success in their carrying and collisions work, they could prove to be bargain additions to Paul Gustard’s side.

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DarstedlyDan 44 minutes ago
New Zealanders may not understand, but in France Test rugby is the 'B movie'

Italy have a top 14 issue too, that’s true. I doubt SA are overly pleased by that, although it’s countered somewhat by the fact they would expect to thrash them anyway, so perhaps are not that bothered.


The BIL teams are (aside from Ireland) A/B teams - still with many A team players. I would rather the England team touring Argentina be playing the ABs than this French one.


France could have reduced the complaints and the grounds for such if they had still picked the best team from those eligible/available. But they haven’t even done that. This, plus the playing of silly b@ggers with team selection over the three tests is just a big middle finger to the ABs and the NZ rugby public.


One of the key reasons this is an issue is the revenue sharing one. Home teams keep the ticket revenues. If the July tours are devalued to development larks then the crowds will not show up (why go watch teams featuring names you’ve never heard of?). This costs the SH unions. The NH unions on the other hand get the advantage of bums on seats from full strength SH teams touring in November. If the NH doesn’t want to play ball by touring full strength, then pay up and share gate receipts. That would be fair, and would reduce the grounds for complaint from the south. This has been suggested, but the NH unions want their cake and eat it too. And now, apparently, we are not even allowed to complain about it?


Finally - no one is expecting France to do things the way NZ or SA do. We oddly don’t really mind that it probably makes them less successful at RWC than they would otherwise have been. But a bit of willingness to find a solution other than “lump it, we’re French” would go a looonnng way.

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LONG READ New Zealanders may not understand, but in France Test rugby is the 'B movie' New Zealanders may not understand, but in France Test rugby is the 'B movie'