Daniel Brennan

Daniel Brennan captained France under-20s to a Six Nations title in 2018 and won the junior world championship the same year. Montpellier signed him on a contract far above the going rate for an academy forward. He then played six professional matches in two years.

Note on his current club: Brennan is still listed in Toulon‘s squad data. He signed a two-year contract with US Montauban in 2026.

Loosehead prop, 1.92m and 124kg, and 27 years old.

Born in Dublin, he came to Toulouse as a small child because his father Trevor was playing there, and learned the game at that club. His brother Joshua is also at Toulouse. He played age-grade rugby for France at four levels and was originally a tighthead.

A senior debut came against Clermont in May 2018, on for Cyril Baille. Then came the move to the Hérault, four matches in the first season, a detached hamstring that cost him the whole of the second, and a release in November 2020.

Brive rebuilt him. Four seasons there brought regular rugby, a contract to 2025, a French Barbarians call-up, and a ruptured biceps tendon in 2023-24 that limited him to twelve matches. He has been treasurer of the players’ union Provale since June 2024.

Toulon brought him back to the Top 14 in 2024 to replace Bruce Devaux, and he spent two seasons on the coast before dropping to the second division with Montauban.

A scrummaging loosehead whose career has been shaped almost entirely by injuries rather than by form.