Author and former Perpignan and Montpellier lock John Daniell calls himself a 'rugby mercenary', but in professional rugby terms he's a mere amateur - he actually touched the ball once in a while. Lower league correspondent Terry Oubliée names and shames his top ten club-hopping, bench-warming French imports

Today’s rugby professional player doesn’t know he’s born. It’s all luxury travel, sports scientists and healthy bank balances. But, as with life, there are some who take things a bit too far. We’re talking of the rugby mercenary. The player who jumps from club to club yet never leaves a lasting legacy, or the player who earns a decent living from the game he rarely plays. Here is our Top 10...

Tim Ryan (Toulon)
Top of the pile is Toulon’s Tipperary-born, top-of-the-morning tight head Tim Ryan. The 25 year old Irish U-19 prop played for Munster between 2005-09 before moving to the Stade Mayol over the summer. Over that four and a half year period he’s played just 15 games in all competitions, making only 1 start. Imagine his delight on receiving the call from his agent telling him he’s been offered the chance to double his salary, move into an apartment overlooking the Med and play in the Northern Hemisphere’s most competitive league.  All on the back of 1 poxy start since the beginning of the 2005/06 season. Incroyable.

Steve Sparks (Morlaàs)
Until we stumbled across Ryan and his unbelievable match-to-salary ratio, we had this 35 year old English loose head prop down as a shoe-in to be top of this list. Since 2001 old Sparksy has played for La Rochelle, Castres, Saracens, Worcester, Pau, Lourdes and now Morlaàs. In this time he’s made just 43 starts in total in five different competitions. There are some big names in that list, and Saracens and Worcester too, so dieu knows why each new suitor is attracted to Sparks’ abilities. His passport says professional rugby player, we say he’s a mercenary of seismic proportions.

Yannick N’Gog (Carcassonne)
Chasing hard on the heels of the top two is the only Frenchman in our list, 27 year old, French U-19 winger Yannick N'Gog. He’s played for eight different clubs since 2001 - Massy, Clermont, Lyon, Bayonne, Graulhet (two spells), Agen, Llanelli Scaaaaalets and now Carcassonne. Take away one successful season with Lyon in 2005/06 and he's started just 40 games in the Top 14, Pro D2, Magners League, European Challenge Cup and Fédérale 1 in the other seven and a half years. Saying that, Yannick looks like a right écrou dur and is a dead ringer for a bouncer, so hopefully he’s too busy deciding where to go next season to read this.

Bertus Swanopoel (Toulouse)
We’re back on the well trodden foreign mercenary path with Bertus Swanopoel, Toulouse’s 28 year old South African winger. Since joining les rouges et noirs in 2007, he's made just 9 starts in the Top 14. Astonishingly he's also made 3 starts for the Espoirs. Les Espoirs?  An experienced, overseas recruit who'd played Currie Cup rugby before arriving at the Stade Ernest Wallon?! Pack your bags Bertie, hold your head in shame as you walk through the departures lounge at Toulouse Airport and go and play in the Guinness Premiership, you’ll be welcomed with open arms there.

Ross Beattie (Nice)
No wonder there’s a big grin on his face, he’s probably just seen his latest monthly bank statement. This is Ross Beattie, the 32 year old, 9-times capped Scottish international flanker. He’s played for six clubs in four countries since 2003, including the Gwent Dragons, Newcastle, Border Reivers and now Nice. Since 2002 the most appearances he’s made in a season (including as a sub) is just 7. He’s made only 29 starts since 2002 in six different competitions. Nice work if you can get it. In Nice.

A J Whalley (Dax)
Here we have the Lesser Spotted AJ Whalley, a rare sight on a rugby field. Dax’s 27 year old Australian tight head prop has made only 18 starts since the beginning of the 2005/06 season. In this time he’s played for Western Force in the Super 14) and Perth Spirit in the Australian Championship. Since moving to the Stade Maurice Boyau he’s made just 3 appearances off the bench for the Landes outfit. Why bring the guy half way round the world for that?  No wonder Dax are dans le merde at the moment.

Johnny Howard (Aix-en-Provence)
We’re unashamedly proud of our allegiances to Bayonne here at Le Rugby Towers, but even we’d be hard pressed to defend their decision to sign 29 year old English scrum-half Johnny Howard from Northampton in the summer of 2007. In ten seasons at Franklin Gardens, Howard made the grand total of 114 appearances, over half of which were from the bench. He made just 7 Top 14 and European starts for the Basques before joining Federale 1 new boys Aix-en-Provence in August.

Ali Koko (Tyrosse)
At number eight in our list is Ali Koko, the 35 year old Samoan international centre and wanabee magician. He’s travelled the world and made a handsome living from the game, enjoying spells with Wellington, Viadana, Union Bordeaux-Begles, Tarbes (ho ho!), Montpellier, Cornish Pirates and now Tyrosse. He made the move from south west England to south west France in June 2008, but has been as much use as a chocolate teapot making just 10 starts in total for the Fédérale 1 outfit.

Phil Davies (Pau)
It’s another English mercenary to act as company for Steve Sparks in our list. Dieu knows what attracted Pau to Davies, the 28 year old number 8. He’s played for four clubs since 2004, Sale, Bayonne, Harlequins and now Section. The statistics back up the lunacy of Pau’s decision. He’s made only 38 starts since 2003, including just 10 starts in all competitions since the beginning of the 2007-08 season.

Roland Bernard (Grenoble)
Rounding off our medley of money-grabbing mercenaries is the 28 year old, South African U-21 international flanker. His promise at a young age sadly failed to materialise into full international honours, emphasised by the fact he’s played for six clubs in seven different competitions since 2002, making just 52 starts in total. He moved to the Stade Lesdiguières from Stade Montois in the close season, as he embarks on the latest leg of his grand tour.