Is Freddie Michalak ready for one more Top 14 season?
In October 2001, an otherwise routine Top 14 match between Toulouse and Pau was notable for being debut of a young Freddie Michalak. He marked the occasion with a try.
By the end of his first season, he had become the first-choice scrum-half for then-Toulouse coach Guy Noves. And he cemented his place in club folklore with a man-of-the-match performance in the final against Clermont, in which he landed four penalties from 50m or more.
Now, 16 years – and nearly 2,100 points in 314 club appearances and 77 international outings – later, the talk in France is all about whether a player for whom the word ‘mercurial’ could have been invented has one more season in him.
Some of his career has been good. Some of it has been bad – and some has been very definitely ugly … but there is no denying that when Freddie has been good, he has been very, very good.
Michalak, who will turn 35 on October 16, has said he will give himself until December to make his decision. “We’re going to think about it as a family,” he told France’s RMC Radio. “You have to take the time. It’s so complicated, it feels like you are able to play as long as possible, but it’s getting harder physically.”
Lyon head coach Pierre Mignoni has been careful to wrap one of his star players in cotton wool this season. Michalak regularly trades places in the starting line-up with another veteran fly-half – Lionel Beauxis – who is, ironically the player Guy Noves brought in to fill the fly-half gap when Michalak left Toulouse for the last time to join Toulon.
After three stints at Toulouse, two with Super Rugby’s Sharks and a four-season run at Toulon, this careful treatment seems to be bringing out the best in Michalak. It may not be his best start to Top 14 campaign – he would do well to top his debut campaign all those years ago – but this campaign has been pretty solid so far. He started Lyon’s last two games, both on the road, and was pivotal in guiding the side from southeast France to victory each time. And it’s clear his job-share scheme with Beauxis is doing neither of them any harm.
Lyon, sitting pretty in second in the Top 14 heading into the first bloc of European competitions, will surely want him to stick around for another season. Whether he will remains to be seen.
Comments on RugbyPass
I guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
41 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
2 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
41 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
41 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
2 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to comments