A combined Racing and Stade Français XV
More will be revealed about the new Parisian super club – we are yet to know the name, where they will play, and what will happen to the players.
However, that doesn’t mean it is too early to speculate about how the two playing squads of Racing 92 and Stade Français could be combined.
International talent as you would expect is not in short supply – but who would make a combined XV?
15 Brice Dulin (Racing)
The France full-back was excellent in Rome last weekend and is such a dangerous runner with the ball in hand, while possessing real pace. Has titles under his belt with both Racing and Castres too.
Options: Djibril Camara (Stade), Sean Robinson (Racing)
14 Joe Rokocoko (Racing) and 11 Juan Imhoff (Racing)
Despite now being well into his mid-30s, Rokocoko is still an efficent finisher out wide full of experience, but he can still deliver, as we saw in the Top 14 final last year. Imhoff meanwhile is sorely missed by Argentina and remains a constant threat on the wing, piling up tries on a regular basis.
Options: Julien Arias (Stade), Teddy Thomas, Marc Andreu (both Racing)
13 Jonathan Danty (Stade) and 12 Henry Chavancy (Racing)
A tight call given that Waisea Nayacalevu of Stade is a significant threat in midfield, but Danty, a France international last season in the Six Nations, is still a young talent at 24 with his best years ahead of him. Henry Chavancy meanwhile is a new France Test centre and long-time Racing servant who would in all likelihood prove to be a key figure in the new club.
Options: Paul Williams, Waisea Nayacalevu (both Stade), Anthony Tuitavake, Albert Vulivuli, Casey Laulala (all Racing)
10 Dan Carter (Racing)
The double Rugby World Cup winner and 2015 Player of the Year might be suffering a dip in form, having helped Racing to reach the 2016 European Cup final and also to a Top 14 title, but his class is permanent.
Options: Meyer Bosman, Jules Plisson, Morné Steyn (all Stade), Benjamin Dambielle, Rémi Talès (both Racing)
9 Will Genia (Stade)
A talisman in the past for Australia, Genia’s potential combination with Carter would form a remarkable Bledisloe pairing at half-back for the new club, offering not just experience but also real class.
Options: Julien Dupuy, Clément Daguin (both Stade), Xavier Chauveau, Maxime Machenaud, Teddy Iribaren (both Racing)
8 Sergio Parisse (Stade), 7 Bernard le Roux (Racing) and 6 Willem Alberts (Stade)
An international trio in the back row full of talent. Parisse is all class at number eight, constantly breaking the gain-line, while Le Roux has one of the best engines in France. Alberts meanwhile is raw power and still an astute operator over the ball at the breakdown. As you might expect, there are also plenty of quality options in reserve.
Options: Raphaël Lakafia, Jono Ross, Sylvain Nicolas, Antoine Burban (all Stade)
Chris Masoe, Thibault Dubarry, Antonie Claassen, Yannick Nyanga, Olivier Missoup, Wenceslas Lauret (all Racing)
5 Leone Nakarawa (Racing) and 4 Alexandre Flanquart (Stade)
Nakarawa’s entertaining offloads and threat as an attacker win him a spot, with Flanquart balancing out the second row by being the power and muscle required to make the new club’s scrum competitve.
Options: Paul Gabrillagues, Gerhard Mostert, Hugh Pyle (all Stade), Manuel Carizza, Gerbrandt Grobler, Francois van der Merwe (all Racing)
3 Ben Tameifuna (Racing), 2 Camille Chat (Racing) and 1 Eddy Ben Arous (Racing)
An all-Racing front row, and that’s before considering the fact that Vasil Kakovin and Census Johnston have both been signed by Racing from Toulouse – although what the merger means for those moves remains to be seen. Tameifuna keeps improving as a scrummager, Chat is the heir apparent at hooker for France after Guirado, while Arous is such a threat around the field with the ball in hand.
Options: Paul Alo-Emile, Emmanuel Felsina, Entienne Swanepoe, Sakaria Taulafo, Heinke van der Merwe, Zurab Zhvania, Rémi Bonfils, Craig Burden, Aled de Malmanche, Laurent Panis, Laurent Sempéré (all Stade)
Viliamu Afatia, Julien Brugnaut, Luc Ducalcon, Cedate Gomes Sa, Pierre Maiau, Vasil Kakovin, Census Johnston, Virgile Lacombe, Dimitri Szarzewski (all Racing)
Agree with our selection? Give us your best XV below.