THE TRANSFER WINDOW in the French Top 14 opened earlier this week, with several clubs revealing the first of their signings for next season.
Racing Metro have yet to unveil who will be joining them next season but Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate and Jonathan Sexton are expected to line up for them in Paris from September onwards.
Biarritz prop Ben Broster, who will pack down against Cian Healy tomorrow, made the move to France last summer and feels Sexton has made a smart decision.
He told TheScore.ie, “I think he’ll do well over there. It certainly will be different for him and he’ll have some challenges to face at the start.
“If you had the opportunity to play your trade, in all walks of life, in a different country, why wouldn’t you take it? He has signed a good package and it is unfair for people to say he shouldn’t go.” Broster added:
He could go over there for a few seasons, add to his game and return to Leinster a better player. Steve Jones did a similar thing when he went to Clermont Auvergne for two seasons before returning to Scarlets.
“Sexton will fit in well with the open, running game in France,” said Broster, “but many games are often tactical. He’ll end up kicking a lot more than he does in the Pro12.”
Half century in Dublin
As reigning Amlin Cup champions, Biarritz are looking upon this competition as ‘all we have left to play for’. They were second best in possession and territory against Gloucester in the quarter-final but came out on top by scoring when it mattered.
Broster said, “It is an attritional competition, especially in the knock-out stages but once you have possession and territory, it is imperative that you come away with the points.”
The former Welsh international dismisses the notion that there will be a flood of tries and predicts that the breakdown battle will play a huge part in deciding the eventual winners. As he says this, the 30-year-old recalls his last trip to the RDS.
“I played against Leinster there with the Scarlets and we put 50 points on them that day,” he said. “I’d certainly take that again.”
Broster, seen here in action for Wasps, is relishing the front row tussle at the RDS. (Sean Dempsey/PA Wire)
There are six members of the Leinster team, who play Biarritz tomorrow, that lost 52-23 to Scarlets, and Broster, in October 2007. The Blues’ front row that day was Juan Gomez, Bernard Jackman and Stephen Knopp.
The trio of Healy, Richardt Strauss and Mike Ross are sure to pose the Biarritz prop and his teammates considerably more problems.
“They’ve got a good front row and scrummed really well against Clermont and Munster this season,” said Broster, “but we are not going to lie down and let them do whatever they want.”
TheScore.ie will be liveblogging all the action at the RDS from 2pm tomorrow.
