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Toulon add three to their summer shopping list

By Alex Shaw
South Africa wing Bryan Habana

It was never going to take long into the season for perennial big spenders Toulon to be linked with a new batch of recruits.

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According to Midi-Olympique, Toulon are already targeting three new players for the 2018/19 season and for fans who have been discontent about the number of non-French players at the club in recent years, this shortlist should help appease that.

Top of the list is Bordeaux-Bègles scrum-half Yann Lesgourges.

The 26-year-old Frenchman is competing with Baptiste Serin for top spot at Bordeaux and is reportedly higher on Mourad Boudjellal’s wishlist than Welsh international and British and Irish Lion Rhys Webb.

Could a change in recruitment policy be on the cards for Boudjellal?

Also on Boudjellal’s radar is Stade Français centre Jonathan Danty.

The powerful ball-carrier broke into the French national team back in 2016, but his form tailed off shortly after that and he has been limited to just the four caps for Les Bleus. There is no shortage of suitors for the 24-year-old, with Bordeaux and Toulouse also interested, as well as Parisian rivals Racing.

Given the notorious proposed-and-then-collapsed merger last season between Stade and Racing, it remains to be seen how much interest Danty – who said the merger would be the death of Stade – would have in moving to his current side’s arch-rivals, or if Stade’s precarious financial position would allow them to retain him.

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Either way, it makes Toulon look a very possible destination, as they compete with Bordeaux and Toulouse for his signature.

The last player linked with a move to the Côte d’Azur is Théo Belan, who left Toulon in 2016 to join Lyon, but who the club are now, just a season later, reported to want back.

Both Danty and Belan would add midfield options to a club that has recently lost Matt Giteau, as well as current incumbent Ma’a Nonu set to turn 36 before the end of the season.

Boudjellal has been outspoken in his desire to add more French players to the Toulon squad, citing his wish to win the title with 23 Frenchmen, and if he can bring these three players on board for 2018/19, then he is a few steps closer to that goal.

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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