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Sam Davies pens new Pro D2 deal despite English and Welsh interest
By Josh Raisey
Former Wales fly-half Sam Davies has extended his stay with Pro D2 leaders Grenoble despite attracting interest from both the Gallagher Premiership and the United Rugby Championship.
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The 31-year-old made the move to France from Dragons in 2023 and will now stay with the club until at least 2028 with this new deal.
It had been reported that the eight-cap Wales international had made Leicester Tigers’ shortlist, while the Scarlets had contacted him over a potential return to Wales.
With Grenoble sitting at the top of the Pro D2 table currently, five points ahead of Brive, Davies will be eyeing promotion to the Top 14 next season. Even if they finish at the summit of the league, they will still be required to win the promotion play-off to find themselves at French rugby’s top table next season.
Even if Davies were to be playing in France’s top division next season, he would still be ineligible to revive his Wales career, as he falls under the 25-cap threshold to play abroad.
The Welshman was just one of a spate of re-signings at the Alpine club, with eight more players putting pen to paper, including captains Antonin Berruyer and Romain Fusier.
Alongside back-row Berruyer and centre Fusier, who have both signed deals until 2027, props Zack Gauthier and Eli Eglaine, hooker Lilian Rossi, scrum-halves Eric Escande and Barnabé Couilloud, and lock Thomas Ployet have also committed their futures to the club.
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Grenoble host Montauban on Thursday, before facing Provence a week later, which could see Davies come up against compatriot George North. The Welsh great is yet to play since rupturing his Achilles in his final ever Wales outing in last year’s Guinness Six Nations, but has now returned to training with his comeback imminent. The contest against Grenoble may just come too soon for him, however.
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