Top 14’s foreign legion worry France coach

French coach Philippe Saint-André fears the impact of foreign stars in France’s Top 14 is hurting the national side.

France, who finished fourth in last year’s Six Nations, remains the top destination for the world’s premier players, with Ireland star Jonny Sexton the latest to join the lucrative Top 14.

Saint-André, however, views the standard and the allure of the Top 14 as a double-edged sword — insisting the competition’s star quality brings with it a barrier to the development of French talent as youngsters struggle to break into first teams.

“France have huge competition in some positions for this Six Nations — at centre we have Maxime Mermoz, Florian Fritz, Wesley Fofana, Aurélien Rougerie, Mathieu Bastareaud and Yann David — but not so much at No 10 and also at tight-head prop,” Saint-André told the RBS 6 Nations official website yesterday.

“In France last season we had just two tight heads who were first choice for their clubs. On the wing last year I would say that of the 28 first-choice wings in the French Top 14, just eight were French. It is becoming difficult.”