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Scotland outcast Alex Dunbar among 10 players released from Top 14 Brive
By Liam Heagney
Out-of-favour Scotland midfielder Alex Dunbar is on the hunt for a new club after being released by Brive, the Top 14 outfit coached by ex-Ireland and Lions lock Jeremy Davidson. The 2019/20 top-flight season was terminated on Thursday, French officials finally admitting defeat in their quest to eventually restart the suspended season.
Brive have now quickly come out of the blocks, revealing the identity of the ten players who are exiting Stade Amedee-Domenech. That exodus will include Dunbar, the 30-year-old who won the last of his 31 Test caps with a November 2018 appearance versus Argentina at Murrayfield.
Dunbar spent nine seasons at Glasgow Warriors, winning a PRO12 title in 2015, but he fell out of favour with Dave Rennie. After wrapping up last season with a couple of appearances in Newcastle’s relegation fall from the Gallagher Premiership, he headed to France in the hope that his one-year deal would be the spark that would revive his career.
He told RugbyPass last December that he felt the switch was paying dividends, describing himself as settled and content, but it now remains to be seen where he pitches up for the 2020/21 season.
He made seven top 14 appearances for Brive is now on an extensive departures list that also features wingers Guillaume Namy (31) and Franck Romanet (34), hooker Francois Da Ros (36), loosehead Karlen Asieshvili (33), second row Jan Uys (26) and Richard Fourcade (27), tighthead James Johnston (34), back Rory Scholes (27), and centre Alban Ramette (21).
Samoan international Johnston is moving to PRO D2 club Rouen, who are coach by ex-England scrum-half Richard Hill.
Meanwhile, ex-Fijian international Leone Ravuetaki is among the five departures from second-tier Biarritz. Elvis Levi, Pierre Bernard and Nick Smith have also left, with Asier Usarraga joining top-flight Bayonne.
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Latest Comments
It took a whole season to wash the Foster stink out to be fair. There's still been substantial change though. I think only 7 starters from the RWC QF v IRE started the IRE test in Dublin. This year wasn't the year for full innovation, transition needs to be balanced, & incremental. The new coaches will be able to stamp their full mark on the ABs from 2025 when Razor will select his first proper squad from a mega talented player pool. Exciting times ahead.
Go to commentsWhat on earth is Tele'a doing passing the ball away so quickly on his line break, like a fatty making a bust and trying to find a winger to give the ball to lol
The amount of inconsistency with the head contact law coming into the game. No red yesterday and no yellow today, but then another player gets a suspension for a side on headonhead (as apposed to these two sweet shoulders) contact last week. Happy if there is a referee change to having a bit more commensense.
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