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Sale Sharks No.8 Du Preez opens talks with Top 14 big boys
By Neil Fissler
Top 14 pace setters Bordeaux Begles have made the recruitment of a new No.8 a priority for next season, and they have revived their interest in Sale Sharks former Springbok international Dan du Preez.
Durban-born du Preez, 29, joined the Manchester-based club with twin Jean-Luc from their Durban namesakes on a permanent basis in July 2019, joining a third sibling, Rob, at the club.
Bordeaux need to find someone to replace Tongan-born Japanese international Tevita Tatafu, who will return to Japan’s League One when his contract runs out at the end of the season.
Tatafu, 28, has played 15 times for Japan and spent four seasons playing for Tokyo Sungoliath before moving to Bordeaux in 2023, where he has scored seven tries in 30 appearances.
He missed out on selection for the Rugby World Cup but was recalled to Eddie Jones’s Cherry Blossom squad in the summer, playing in the defeats against Georgia and Italy.
Du Preez is due to be under contract to the Sharks until the end of the 2025/26 season, but sources in South Africa tell RugbyPass that a move is very much on the cards after he was sounded out.
He is closing in on 100 games for the Sharks and will play his first game of the season tomorrow night against a Newcastle Falcons side coached by Steve Diamond, who took all three brothers to the club.
Du Preez has been out of action since January after he suffered a serious knee injury against Gloucester, and it's not the first time that he has been linked with a move away from Sale.
In 2021, he and Jean-Luc were wanted by their former club, but Sale kept them in the North-West. Two years ago, Les Girondins were keen on a deal, but again, Alex Sanderson and the Sharks fought off the interest.
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Latest Comments
The next guy is probably on that list. The "too young" guys are all 23+, which is 2 years older than dc was when he got an ab start. Being that young did him no harm. He scored 20 against wales on debut. But dc was also a freak player and a few years into the good super rugby, when SA was involved, so not such a step up. A tough northern tour is not their time. Hopefully next year's super rugby will see one of them put their hand up.
Go to commentsBunting is delusional. The job is clearly too big for him. The Black Ferns have shown none to negative, "growth", as a team. Individuals may have progressed, true, but the team is a mess. They have been fully professional since 2022 but play like amateurs. We are back to 2021 NH tour vibes (onfield that is).
The granting of an historical 4 year full contract to Kennedy Tukuafu remains Bunting's most puzzling decision. At 26, she had offered little of the on-field quality deserving of such status. Her relegation v FRA was imminent imo & Bunting gets kudos for this decision. I would've tossed her completely, myself. In all tests this tour, she has been ineffective & doesn’t seem to have a point of difference (required of a loosie). Jackaling, high tackle rate, clean, carry, ???
Another puzzling selection is Bunting continuing to use our best 6 Alana Bremner 178cm & 77kg at lock in place of our best lock, Chelsea Bremner, 181cm & 88kg. Maia Roos at 179cm & 80kg needs a big body at her side. Neither she nor Alana are power locks.
Going forward I'd reshuffle the back 5 as follows:
4 Roos 5 Chelsea 6 Alana 7 Sae 8 Mikaele-Tuu with Olsen Baker bench impact. Alana is an option to cover lock, if required. I'd also be tempted to use a 6/2 split depending on the opposition.
One issue I have with this selection is that the same core backline that leaked a million tries from set play v ENG is taking the field. Sure, FRA got thrashed by CAN, but it's still FRA, quite capable of stepping up & blasting us. What will be different? Backfield comms? Midfield reads? ?? Scary stuff.
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