Two of five new Toulon recruits identified as club scrambles to make up lost Top 14 ground
It’s not panic. Toulon, 11th in the Top 14 after the first six weeks of the season, have found two of the five players they are – quickly, but definitely not frantically – looking to recruit.
Sports daily L’Equipe on Wednesday identified Nick de Jager as the previously unnamed Blue Bulls’ flanker the club is chasing. The expectation is he will head to the south coast of France to join his new club in the coming days. The club is also scouring South Africa for another flanker, as well as a tighthead to give Marcel Van der Merwe, who has played all six games so far this season, a break.
Glasgow Warriors’ lock Brian Alainu’uese headed to Toulon a fortnight ago for a series of tests that Collazo insisted did not make up a trial. This week, Midi Olympique reported a deal had been thrashed out, despite the fact the giant Fijian has a back injury that has kept him on the Scotstoun sidelines this season. He is, reports say, three weeks from a return even to full training, let alone playing.
Adding South African and Fijian beef up front makes sense from one important perspective. A wider EU agreement means South African and Pacific Island players are not considered ‘overseas’ in European competitions. They, therefore, skirt strict foreign player limits placed on clubs in the Champions and Challenge Cups that affect New Zealand and Australian players.
Continue reading below…
This weekend, Toulon face one final Top 14 encounter of the juggernaut kind at Montpellier before the Champions Cup break – and Newcastle’s visit to Stade Mayol.
The club has identified its key on-field problem and is looking to recharge its pack. But it’s important to remember there’s no panic here. “We’re not going to take players to fill the shelves, but only if we need them,” head coach Patrice Collazo said earlier this season.
After waving a summer farewell to Duane Vermeulen and Dave Attwood – and with Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe moving into a coaching role – the club lost Charles Ollivon, Fecundo Isa and Mamuka Gorgodze to injury in the opening weeks of the campaign.
There’s no denying Ollivon’s latest injury – his glass shoulder went again – was a serious blow. The French international had only just returned to action, after missing all of last season. Word is, he is still awaiting a decision on whether surgery is necessary.
Don’t forget, Toulon’s early season recruitment campaign is not a sign of panic. Even though they have forgotten how to score points. They are averaging only 16 of them every match, despite the proven try-scoring pedigree of a squad of backs that includes Julian Savea, Josua Tuisova, JP Pietersen, Hugo Bonneval, and Filipo Nakosi.
Clearly, the coaches believe the issue is giving these players the platform to perform. “There’s trouble ahead,” owner Mourad Boudjellal admitted recently, with the three-time European champions 15 points behind Top 14 leaders Clermont, and seven points outside the top six with 23 percent of the season played. “But, to those who are getting impatient, I say we are not panicking.”
It is no secret that Toulon are not the galactico force in French and European rugby they once were. They have been busted down the Top 14 pecking order by Montpellier, Racing 92, and – lately – Lyon and Stade Francais.
Fortunately, no one at the club is panicking (just a reminder) about that. They are just taking advantage of their legitimate right to sign a maximum of two additional players, two medical jokers, and three players as cover for those on the FFR’s elite international training squad list.
It’s definitely not panic. And don’t forget it.
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments