Elissalde reflects on foreign influx

Supporter of homegrown talent: Jean-Baptiste Elissalde

The massive influx of foreign players into France is holding back the development of homegrown talent, Les Bleus scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Elissalde claimed on Thursday.

The Toulouse star, who will turn 31 later this month, said he could understand why club presidents opted to go for the more experienced foreign players rather than raw French talent but said that the days when foreign players guaranteed more of a spectacle than home-born players was a thing of the past.

"In my role as a player, I would say yes definitely," replied Elissalde to whether foreign players had stopped young players from developing in club's first teams.

"However, if I were a club president it is probably more of a sure bet to sign a player who is already 6/10 than take a young one who is say at 4/10 and to let him make progress.

"All they are looking at is getting a result. Nowadays, foreigners are not a guarantee of producing a rugby specatacle. There was a match between Toulon and Brive with 27 foreigners involved and it finished 3-3."

However, Elissalde, who will start on Saturday against the Pacific Islands, conceded that the arrivals of stars like Argentinian Juan Martin Hernandez and All Black great Byron Kelleher had been of benefit to the domestic championship.

"Their arrivals not only raised the level of media coverage but also the level of play on the pitch," said Elissalde.

"There are pros and cons for the argument.

"I believe that one shouldn't leave to one side the young talent but nor should one put them into difficulty by selecting them too early, or too late.

"I remember that aged 18, I was not selected at all."