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Rhys Webb's agent has addressed Toulon president's latest outburst

By Harry West
Wales scrum-half Rhys Webb

Rhys Webb has followed Toulon team-mate Julian Savea’s lead in defending himself in the wake of criticism from club president Mourad Boudjellal.

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Saturday’s 19-10 defeat away at Agen left big-spending Toulon languishing 11th in the Top 14 table, 14 points adrift of the top six and a place in the play-offs.

Boudjellal took aim at some of his players after the disappointing result, with Savea one of those mentioned in comments made to RMC on Sunday.

The New Zealand wing was seemingly told he was no longer welcome at Toulon, though the player responded on Twitter by saying he would ignore the negativity and continue to honour his contract by training and playing for the team.

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As for Webb, 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.”

Those comments prompted Webb’s representatives to issue a riposte, explaining the trying personal circumstances the British and Irish Lion scrum-half had endured while insisting he had no intention of departing the club.

“The last month or so has been really difficult for Rhys with his family moving back to Wales because one of his sons found it hard to settle out there and adjust to being in a French language school,” said Webb’s agent Derwyn Jones.

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“However, Rhys wants to make it clear he hasn’t had any conversations with the club at all about leaving Toulon.

“He has a strong family network which will support his fiancee and children back home in Bridgend. Toulon have openly said he’s one of the most professional players they have come across.

“Rhys’ immediate goal is to help the club start winning again and make the top six in the French league. The club have spoken to me to say they are concerned about how Rhys will cope without his family.

“But Rhys has assured me he’s committed to the club. The club have not indicated to me they are unhappy with Rhys, which is a totally separate conversation. So Rhys remains committed to the team.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
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