With the Top 14 final ending in the favour of Stade Francais – a 12-6 win over bad luck magnets Clermont Auvergne giving the Paris outfit the title – we thought we would talk through goings-on in France during the latest Clubhouse Podcast.

Firstly we talk through that Top 14 final, all tense and close but also try-less and kick-heavy. That’s not to say it wasn’t a good final, and we talk through the good and the bad. Which leads us to comment on Stade’s squad, a squad that bucks the trend at top French sides by having ten starters who are French.

This opens up a conversation on the value of overseas rugby stars, not just in France but throughout the continent of Europe. Is the foreign influx good for European rugby? We put our views forward, discussing, among other things, the impact on shirt sales and attendances, the impact on younger talents, and the insidious nature of ‘academies’ in Fiji.

Have a listen and let us know what you think. Is the European Champions Cup all the better for big names jetting in from the southern hemisphere? Will youngsters be hindered by a foreign old head blocking their path? There are plenty of views here…