Byrne fears French will be back for our other stars

Former Leinster and Ireland hooker Shane Byrne fears “the floodgates could open” following news that Jonathan Sexton will be moving to France in the summer.

Byrne spent three seasons with Saracens in England following a move from Leinster in 2005 and claims it was not a big surprise to learn of Sexton’s impending move to the Top 14.

“This is the first high profile Irish player to move to France in a long time,” he said. “The big danger now is that it has alerted the French clubs to the fact that Irish players are now fair game. They have been poaching off the Welsh and English clubs for a while but the Irish market, until now, was closed.