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'It will be disappointing' - Munster break silence on Bok's rumoured exit

(Photos by Getty Images)

The likely departure of Springbok centre Damian de Allende would be a big loss for Munster revealed assistant coach Stephen Larkham.

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De Allende’s two-year deal with Munster is coming to end this season.

According to various media reports, the World Cup winner is likely to move to Japan to join either Kintetsu Liners or Saitama Wild Knights.

Reports suggest that the 30-year-old already enjoyed a stint with the Wild Knights and they are the current favourites to win his signature.

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“Look, it would be understandable. Players move around all the time,” Larkham told The42.ie when asked about the 30-year-old’s potential exit.

“It will be disappointing. He’s been great for us. I’m not sure what your opinion of him is but he’s been great within the squad, within the organisation and then obviously his performances on the field have been tremendous as well.

“So he would be a loss, no doubt,”

He added: “We certainly haven’t secured our full roster for next year and that’s a process is always going throughout the 12 months of the year.

“There’s always contract negotiations and top-ups and those discussions happening. So it’s no different at the moment.

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“We’re kind of in the heat of it at the moment, just trying to get a number of guys signed.

“So we’ll have to wait and see.”

There was good news elsewhere on the Springbok front, with RG Snyman having signed a two extension with the province last week.

“We’ve seen glimpses of RG on the field and we’ve seen a lot more of him at training and around the place, and he adds a lot to this organisation.

“There’s always a concern with players and signing big contracts. Look at some of the big players around the world who sign big contracts and then get injured, it’s part and parcel of the game.

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“There’s a tremendous team around him at the moment, building him back up, so we’ve got full confidence in that process.”

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M.W.Keith 1 hour ago
'Let's not sugarcoat it': Former All Black's urgent call to protect eligibility rules

I understand that there are choices to be made in professional sports and choices have consequences, but it does seem strange that a professional athlete who plies their trade in order to make a living cannot represent their country at test level. All talk of loyalty and so on is an outdated argument, we live in a global economy. It makes the armchair critic feel nice and so on, chatting smack about loyalty to a jersey and so on, but to think that someone like Mounga is not loyal to NZ just bc he is taking a paycheck - which as a professional athlete he is entitled to do - is a quite silly. No one is calling PSDT or Handre Pollard disloyal to SA bc they are taking a better paycheck somewhere else. No one accuses Cheslin Kolbe of being disloyal to the Green and Gold just because he missed out on years of eligibility by playing in France. Since Rassie opened the selection policy, the overseas players have more than proved their worth. Anyone who says otherwise is deluded and is living in an outdated version of reality. South Africans understand that the ZAR is worth very little and so no one in the country criticises a South African for leaving to find better economic opportunities elsewhere.


This is the same for anyone, anywhere. If there is an economic opportunity for someone to take, should they lose national privilege because they are looking for a better paycheck somewhere else? What a silly idea. The government doesn't refuse your passport because you work in another country, why should you lose your national jersey for this? If a player leaves to a so-called lesser league and their ability to represent their national jersey at a high level diminishes bc of it, then that should say it all. If Mounga were to return to the ABs and his playmaking is better than D-Mac and BB, then he is the better player for the position. If BB and D-Mac eclipse him, then they are the better players and should get the nod. Why is this so difficult to understand? Surely you want the best players to play in the national team, regardless of who pays their monthly salary? Closing borders is historically a silly economic idea, why should it be any different in national level sports?


The old boys tradition in rugby has created a culture of wonderful sportsmanship, it is why we all (presumably) prefer the game to football. But when tradition gets in the way of common sense and sporting success, perhaps traditions should change. Players have the right to earn money, there is no need to punish them for it. Rugby needs to think globally if it wants to survive.

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