Top 14 giants have muscle to steal Irish stars

CAN anyone stop the French Top 14 financial juggernaut? It’s a loaded question.

After all, a juggernaut implies an unstoppable force but there’s every chance that, after this weekend, it will be Leinster and Northampton in the Heineken Cup final.

But there can be no doubt the crucible of rugby power is moving towards France’s club sides and we’re likely to see more of them dominate in future. The age-old French Championship, which for so long was about the internecine warfare between southern French towns, is gradually regionalising, with big city sides at each region’s core.