Sharks prop Eugene van Staden has returned to the French club scene for a second spell on Tuesday, when Top 14 tailenders Biarritz signed him as a replacement for the retired fellow South African Eduard Coetzee.

Van Staden, 31, played for Montpellier from 2007-2010 before returning to South Africa to play for Sharks.

Having arrived at the Sharks in 2010, having honed his front row skills in one of the game's toughest learning environments, he played 30 times for the Durban-based outfit in the Currie Cup and have 13 Super Rugby caps to his credit.

A strong scrummager, who offers his coach the option of playing him on both sides of the scrum that adds to his versatility on the field, brings strong ball-carrying ability to his game.

Biarritz, five-time French champions and twice European Cup finalists, hope to have him able to play in Saturday's European Cup match with Saracens and have sent his file to the tournament organisers European Rugby Cup (ERC) so they declare him eligible.

Coetzee had announced on Monday he was retiring after being told by doctors that he had taken too many blows to the head.

The 32-year-old South African-born naturalised Frenchman - who has been at Biarritz since 2007 - said he had sought advice from several specialists before taking the decision.