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Stephen Varney exits Gloucester with immediate effect

Stephen Varney of Italy looks on during the Italy Team's Run, prior to the Guinness Six Nations Round Five match between Wales and Italy, at the Principality Stadium on March 15, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Federugby via Getty Images)

Italy international Stephen Varney has signed for French Top 14 side Vannes with immediate effect –  as first reported by RugbyPass last week.

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The 23-year-old scrum-half – who has been capped 30 times by Italy – will join the Brittany-based club ahead of mid-season as they battle to make a case for themselves in the Top 14.

“I am delighted and honoured to have the opportunity to join RC Vannes,” Varney told the Vannes club website this weekend. “I want to help the club achieve its objectives and I am really looking forward to getting started with the whole group.”

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Welsh-born Varney qualifies for Italy through his Italian mother and has been part of the Gloucester team since 2020.

Despite signing a contract extension in April 2023, he hasn’t made any appearances for the Cherry and Whites so far this season. Gloucester head coach George Skivington is reasonably well-equipped in the scrum-half department, having recruited Wales international Tomos Williams from Cardiff during the summer.

Skivington also has Caolan Englefield and Charlie Chapman as options. This effectively means that West Country side can effectively afford to release the Italian halfback as a result.

Varny’s new club Vannes have been promoted into the Top 14 for the first time this season but have so far struggled in the French top flight. They initially relied on New Zealand scrum-half Michael Ruru but he has not played since their win over Lyon.

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Jules Le Bail has since been the preferred starter, with Alexandre Gouaux providing support off the bench.

With Varney’s arrival coach Jean-Noel Spitzer is hoping to improve results. The Top 14 newbies currently sit bottom of the league with just one win from seven games.

Varney was previously linked with a move to Cardiff. Vannes will face Gloucester in the EPCR Challenge Cup in December, adding an extra bit of spice to Varney’s transfer.

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W
WI 31 minutes ago
How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

It isn’t just the running rugby, but everything else as well. The Boks have a sense of desperation that sets in when they are matched physically, that cannot at times be offset by their skillset. One of the reasons, as far as i understand it, for Tony Brown’s introduction to the set up was to increase the Boks strike plays along with among many things. Is this not Rassie’s assessment of the Pool loss to Ireland? If you watch that game, so many opportunities, yet an unconverted try and a lone penalty to show for all those scrum penalties, stolen lineouts and 5 m maul attempts?


Fast Forward to Durban, the Boks could not score a single try? Led 24-19 with 65 minutes to go, led 24-22 with 40 seconds to go with a scrum, of all things in Ireland’s 22, yet end up losing the game. At the end of that series they had won 3 out of the 4 halves of rugby, yet drew the series.


Who could forget the infamous quarterfinal loss to the Wallabies in the 2011 WC Quarterfinal? Desperation as the time ticked on, in came the small things and the skillset failed.


The Boks have almost got it all, this one thing, as Eddie Jones said back in 2007, if the Boks get it, they might become unplayable. I think Rassie have realized as much by the failures of previous Bok teams. Boks Vs Robbie Deans, Heyneke Meyer VS All Blacks, 4 Straight Defeat to Wales? All i am saying, is that it isn’t readily apparent to me, that the Boks have it yet, and if they do, maybe it should ascend pass other nations? However, what would the school, domestic rugby philosophies not do to hinder it?


Gone are the extreme ends of the spectrum represented by Heyneke Meyer’s Bash Ball and Alister Coetzee’s flying with the fairies, as neither work for the Boks. It is obvious, that the gold lies in the combination of Mallet and to an extend Rassie. Not sure one coach would be able to change the mindset of a Rugby Nation, and to help me not hear my Bulls Fanatic neighbor shout “ Vok hul op!”

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