LAST UPDATE | 20 Feb 2023

MUNSTER HEAD COACH Graham Rowntree has scoffed at suggestions that superb new signing Antoine Frisch might be lured back to France and has moved to assure fans that the 26-year-old is staying in Limerick to see out his three-year deal.

The French native, who is Irish-qualified through his grandmother, has been excellent since making his belated first start against South Africa XV in November, having picked up a calf injury on the Emerging Ireland tour to Bloemfontein.

His displays in his eleven starts, having made his debut off the bench in September against Cardiff, have led to speculation that both Lyon and Toulon were interested in buying out the two remaining years of his contract. Frisch joined Munster from Bristol Bears, having played for Rouen and Tarbes in ProD2 in France but never in the Top 14. The Paris-born centre would be attractive to French clubs as he would not take up one of their limited foreign player slots.

But Rowntree, speaking after Frisch led the way in hammering Ospreys 58-3 on Friday night, made it clear that the outside centre is here for the long haul and poured cold water on the speculation about returning to France

“Ya, I asked him about that. He said no. He is a year into a three-year deal. He is passionate about staying in Ireland, playing for us. Full stop,” said Rowntree.

Frisch, having been included in the Emerging Ireland squad in September, is on the international radar but Rowntree is steering clear of pushing that button.

“You are asking the wrong person about that! He’s been good, he’s been good for us and he is backing up performances week in and week out in big games which he’s not been used to that. I was delighted with him tonight.”

Hat-trick hero Gavin Coombes stole the headlines after Munster inflicted the biggest league defeat ever suffered by Ospreys, but Frisch was probably their best player and his centre partner Malakai Fekitoa was next at the end of a week where it was announced that the former All Black World cup winner is leaving in the summer, halfway through a two-year deal.

It’s believed the Tongan native, who joined during the summer from Wasps, does not have a new club lined up and while there is speculation he could head to Japan but Rowntree didn’t shed too much light on whether the development was activated by the club or the player.

“It’s not for me to talk about that too much. It is what it is. He is leaving a year early. He has been frustrated with a lack of gametime, but he has not shown that.

“He has been very diligent, very professional and I have got nothing but respect for the man. There is plenty of rugby to go before he leaves us, put it that way.

“He played well, he played very well tonight. After the emotion of the week, after his announcement, our announcement, I was really proud of him the way he performed,” added Rowntree.

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