JAMES Baker’s historic 400th first-team league appearance puts him in exalted company as the fifth highest one-club man across the top three leagues in England and France since rugby turned professional.

The tight-head-prop, who made his debut in 2005, sits among and above some of the most famous names in the sport according to research done by leading statistician Stuart Farmer.

Ironically it is one of Baker’s opponents this season, Sedgley Park captain Matt Riley, who took over at the top with his 424th cap against Leicester Lions at the weekend.

Exeter’s Richard Baxter was the previous record-holder, with Rodrigo Capo Ortega of Castres next on the list with 416.

Aurelien Rougerie – the 76-time French international centre or wing – is the next target for Baker, having racked up an amazing 410 appearances for Clermont Auvergne.

Sitting below Baker in joint-sixth are Biarritz fly-half Julien Peyrelongue and Toulouse ace Jean Bouilhou, both with 380 games, while two more Toulouse legends – Florian Fritz and Gregory Lamboley – have one fewer.

Four more Frenchman – Aretz Iguiniz (Bayonne, 377), Henry Chavancy (372, Racing 92), Clement Poitrenaud (371, Toulouse) and Maxime Medard (368, Toulouse) – are next on the list, with four Englishmen completing a select list of just 17 men to have played more than 350 times for a single club.

They are Saracens’ Alex Goode (364), Northampton prop Alex Waller (362) and then international pair Danny Care (358) and Mike Brown (351), the latter both doing so for Harlequins.