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Max Lahiff's move to Clermont Auvergne is over having barely started.

The former Bath Rugby prop had been delighted and excited to land a contract as one of the Top14 club's "jokers" while some of their stars will be away training for and playing in the Rugby World Cup later this year.

He had moved from Bath to the city in eastern France, posted a picture of himself in the famous Stade Marcel-Michelin and had started doing preliminary training before the official start of pre-season training this week.

However, following the discovery of a neck issue during a medical, the 29-year-old's move has been called off.

Translated from French, the club said in a statement: "The Englishman from Bath, who came in as a World Cup joker, had to give up even before starting training with the Yellow and Blue.

"The medical visit has revealed an anomaly in the cervical (neck portion of the spine). The English prop will not be part of the group that will begin Clermont-Ferrand training on Wednesday, July 17.

"The leaders of Clermont have immediately reactivated their search to find, as soon as possible, a new World Cup 'joker' candidate at loosehead or tighthead prop. They are hoping their research will succeed in the coming weeks."

Lahiff was one of a number of Bath players who did not have his contract renewed at the end of the last campaign.

Amongst the others, Cooper Vuna has joined Newcastle Falcons, James Wilson is playing for Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars in Japan, Jacques van Rooyen has joined Red Hurricanes in Japan and Jack Wilson has got a job with a stock-broking firm in Hong Kong.