Move to France still on for Curwin Bosch despite Montpellier snub

Curwin Bosch could still be plying his trade in France next season two months after Top 14 strugglers Montpellier dramatically called off a move for the former Springboks fly-half.

The 26-year-old was due to be under contract to the Sharks until 2026, but he was in advanced talks over a move to Montpellier until they dramatically pulled the plug at the end of March.

Bosch was keen to move to France to kick-start his career, which brought him three caps in 2017. However, it has stalled in the last couple of seasons, and now Brive have had talks about him moving to the Pro D2.

They will again play in the French second tier next season after being defeated 33-31 at Beziers in the promotion quarter-finals last weekend.

Brive are keen to attract a big-name playmaker to the Stade Amedee-Domenech despite already snapping up Hugo Verdu from third-tier Massy. This comes after it was revealed that Kiwi Jackson Garden-Bachop is leaving the club.

They have already invested big after tempting former England skipper Courtney Lawes, the British and Irish Lions forward, to leave Northampton Saints when his contract runs out at the end of next month.

Bosch, who joined the Sharks in 2016, has made 21 appearances for them this season, including a six-minute cameo in their EPCR Challenge Cup final win over Gloucester in London last weekend.

He was a regular starter for the South Africans for most of this season but has only started once since their United Rugby Championship defeat at the hands of the Stormers in mid-February.

Bosch is closing in on 900 points from the 114 games he has played for the Sharks. He had a one-year loan spell in Japan six years ago when he played for the Munakata Sanix Blues before returning home.