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CJ Stander may have announced his retirement from rugby, but Neil Francis thinks we could see him on the field again, representing a South African franchise.
The large back row shocked Irish rugby on Tuesday by announcing his retirement from Ireland and Munster’s duty, indicating that he wished to return home to South Africa where his wife and daughter have based during the recent shutdown.
Stander has been a regular for Ireland since he made his debut in 2016, having qualified to wear the green jersey via the residency rule.
South African franchises like the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers will compete against Irish provinces in the Rainbow Cup later this season, and speaking on The Left Wing podcast, Francis said he believes that Stander will turn 31 next month. , it could be on one of your lists sooner rather than later.
“If he has a contract with the Lions or the Bulls, I think his loss will be ten times worse,” Francis said.
“A lot of thought was put into his statement, and it was quite a genuine thank you to the nation. Then you have to start asking questions about when it was made and a number of things.”
“Next month he will be 31 years old. Has his body collapsed? I don’t think he has. He seems to me to be in good condition.”
“I’m just speculating here, but I think the Lions or the Bulls could get their services.”
Stander will leave Irish rugby as the player on the most successful project, but Francis says his decision to return to South Africa puts the controversial rule back under the microscope.
“If CJ Stander has 50 caps, how many of those would Jack Conan have gotten if he hadn’t become a draft player?” Francis asked.
“They have amended the legislation, but this is the flip side of having guys come to our shores and become very influential players until they decide to return to their homeland.”
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