Savea's not alone - the full scale of Boudjellal's fury at misfiring Toulon
Julian Savea was not the only Toulon player to face the full force of club boss Mourad Boudjellal’s post-match rant following the weekend’s defeat at Agen.
Boudjellal’s comments about the former All Black on RMC Sport – and the unacceptable abuse the player and his wife suffered on social media – have understandably dominated the headlines.
But the Toulon owner has not confined his anger to just the World Cup winner.
Boudjellal had promised fireworks were coming when he announced he would stand down as Toulon President in 2023. What he delivered following Saturday’s defeat was beyond fireworks. It was a full-on 24-cannon broadside from close range.
Continue reading below…
Boudjellal was not at Stade Armandie to see Toulon lose 19-10. He watched the game from London – and it’s safe to say he was far from impressed. The fact he was more than 1,000 miles away was probably the only saving grace for the players, who learned of his fury from afar.
“Except for the youngsters, all the players are free [agents],” he fumed. “The survival of the club depends on it. Some people don’t understand what this jersey and this club represents.
“If the players were as keen on the pitch as they were on negotiating their contracts, we’d be European champions.”
He threatened bus trips for all future away matches this season – which, if he carries through with his threat, includes an eight-and-a-half-hour trek to La Rochelle, and a drive of more than five hours to Clermont. “Those who don’t like it, won’t come,” he said.
French fly-half Anthony Belleau was among the players namechecked. “He has caught the virus from the French team. They can’t play anymore – and I understand why he doesn’t start in the national team given his current level…”
Belleau has recently signed a contract extension at the club, but may be having second thoughts following the latest comments from his boss. Others who are in mid-contract may also be wondering whether they should dust down their CVs.
Scrum-half Rhys Webb – who told the Daily Telegraph last week that he would see out the final two years of his contract, despite his family returning to Wales after failing to settle on the south coast of France – is one of those. In a strangely suggestive sideswipe, Boudjellal said: “His agents are offering him all over Wales, while he still owes us one more year on his contract. Don’t worry, I won’t hold him back.”
It was revealed recently that Francois Trinh-Duc had agreed to join Racing 92 at the end of the season. It had even been suggested – until Dan Carter’s short-term switch was confirmed at the weekend – that Racing boss Jacky Lorenzetti was keen for Trinh-Duc to begin his Racing career a few months early.
Boudjellal insisted no talks had taken place between the clubs. He said: “We didn’t have any request from Racing. If they had, we’d look at it. There were no discussions. Is it possible to release him? Considering how we’ve played the season…”
Nor was head coach Patrice Collazo spared. So far this season, Boudjellal has kept his counsel on Toulon’s performances under Collazo – even stating publicly that he would “go to the ProD2” with his coach.
But, after Agen, the president warned: “Patrice is at the start of a project. He faces no pressure this season, but he will have to get results if he wants to gain the confidence of the Toulon fans.”
He was so disappointed with his side’s performance, he said that he may not make it to Stade Mayol for the rest of the season. “I’d rather go to the circus!” he said. Right now, the players may be willing to pay for his tickets.
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
17 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
17 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
17 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
17 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
17 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
17 Go to comments