After Wasps sacking, Bok prop relishing new stint in Paris: 'Definitely better than Coventry'

Wasps' financial meltdown left the club in tatters and booted out of the English Premiership, but some players have rebounded in fine form in the Top 14, where life has proved to be different from that in Coventry.

Vincent Koch ran out for South Africa against Italy in Genoa on 19 November. The next day he was on a plane back to his homeland to finalise his visa for France having bagged a contract with Stade Francais.

No time was lost as the prop touched down in Paris to make his Top 14 debut three days later in a narrow defeat by Toulon.

It was a true baptism of fire for the South African after just a handful of training sessions and unable to converse in the language of Moliere. "I could just say 'hello' pretty much," Koch admitted to AFP.

"Everything came so quick" after Wasps were put into administration in mid-October, Koch said.

"When you start playing professional rugby, you never think that's something that could ever happen to you."

After six seasons at Saracens, the 32-year-old front-rower was laid off by Wasps without having even played a single game in the colours of his new club.

"It put a lot of pressure on myself, on my family," Koch said. "I had two weeks to try to sort things out before I joined up with the Springboks.

"In that two weeks I had to look for a new contract, try to figure out what the future held for me and then as well move everything from my house because I couldn't stay there.

"I had to get someone to move my house, stop all my debit orders, TV, the wifi... Trying to get out of my housing lease as well."

'Exciting adventure'

Jack Willis had spent his entire professional career at Wasps until the call came on 17 October for a meeting at the training ground.

"We were just expecting to be told that we