Top 14 League Table

It's been a topsy-turvy start to the season for much-fancied Toulon, but as club flanker and FRC columnist Joe El Abd explains, an early-season home defeat may have been just the thing to rid them of any complacency. The former Bristol man this week talks about that home loss to Bayonne and the backlash which followed away to Biarritz, where Toulon won for the first time in 29 years - and under his captaincy to boot! Take the applause Captain El-Abd...

I always think that after you have lost a game it's time to shut up and get to work on the training field in an attempt to put things right. So that’s exactly what I did last week, no blog, no interviews just hard work.

The opening weekend of the season did not go to plan. As we all know home matches are sacred in France so to lose our first match to Bayonne - a team that finished 13^th last season - was inexcusable. It was the first time we had lost at home in 18 months, so we are no longer ‘Invaincu a Mayol’.

Top 14 Club by Club guide for 2010/11

Big-spenders Toulon bounced back from their opening-day home defeat by Bayonne with an impressive 3-13 away win at Biarritz - their first on the Basque coast for 29 years.

Their victory was achieved with considerable help from their burgeoning Brit-pack, with veteran lock Kris Chesney getting the game's only try - and his first for the club - while Jonny Wilkinson landed a conversion, drop-goal and penalty to seal the win.

Toulon were also captained on the evening by former Bristol skipper Joe El-Abd, who took over the leadership role due to the combined absence of Joe Van Niekerk (injured) and Juan Sebastien Lobbe (rested).

Top 14, r2 preview - Jonny Wilkinson back for Toulon for their crucial away trip to Biarritz

19 August 2010

The opening round of the new Top 14 season provided its fair share of surprises - Toulon beaten at home by Bayonne, and La Rochelle getting off to a winning start - but there's no rest for players as Round 2 fires into action again on Friday night.

Top 14 Fixtures 2010/11

As ever, there are any number of tasty intrigues to highlight, but Toulon's trip to Biarritz could just be the tie of the round as Philippe Saint-André's star-studded squad seeks to make up for its first-day hiccup.

Stade Francais at home to La Rochelle may lack stardust by comparison, but it crucially gives the early-season leaders another chance to bag five points and extend their impressive start to the 2010/11 season.

Top 14 League Table 2010/11

Elsewhere, champions Clermont Auvergne will be expected to pile on the points away to a Bourgoin side which folded badly in Paris last weekend, while Racing-Meltro welcome back Lionel Nallet and Francois Steyn as they travel to Montpellier seeking to make it two away wins from two.

Special Feature: It's all about getting SEEN - Paul Sackey's quest for an England recall

18 August 2010

Paul Sackey was England's top-scorer at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, now he's moved to Toulon in order to push his claims for an international recall in time for the 2011 competition in New Zealand.

Here, in an extract from an exclusive interview with the superb photo-journalist magazine SEEN, he talks about his new life at one of France's most ambitious clubs, his dream of pulling on the red rose once more and what it's like having Jonny Wilkinson as a team-mate...

Seen - Have you got fond memories of France, because you had a fantastic World Cup here in 2007?

Paul Sackey - That’s it, and that’s another thing because I really loved it when we were over here, and we were here for a couple of months and I had such an amazing time that I always said that if I had the opportunity to come and play in France I would do it in a couple of years’ time after the [2007] World Cup. Like I said someone came in for me and it was the only place I wanted to come to in France so I took it. The whole atmosphere in France is different because they love their rugby over here, it’s such a rugby-orientated country and to be over here and experiencing it is amazing. Just walking into Toulon, and even in training the whole atmosphere is amazing. Sometimes in the street it’s like a carnival here.

Top 14 Club by Club guide for 2010/11

Stade Toulousain v SU Agen (Stade Ernest Wallon, 13/08/10, 18.45)
Brive v Racing-Métro 92 (Stade Amédée Domenech, 13/08/10, 19.00)
Biarritz v Montpellier (Parc des Sports Aguiléra, 13/08/10, 19.00)
Toulon v Bayonne (Stade Félix Mayol, 13/08/10, 19.00)
Stade Francais v Bourgoin (Stade Jean Bouin, 13/08/10, 19/00)
Perpignan v Clermont Auvergne (Stade Aimé Giral, 13/08/10, 21.00)
La Rochelle v Castres (Stade Marcel Deflandre, 14/08/10, 20.45)

Top 14 Club by Club guide for 2010/11

On the eve of the new French season Toulon flanker and FRC columnist Joe El Abd gets shirty with BooStyle, talks about Toulon's hopes for winning some silverware and runs his keen eye over 2010/11 main championship contenders.

After last Thursday night's 25-22 victory against Stade Francais we go into the new 2010/11 campaign unbeaten over the pre-season period. The match against Stade was a real test and was exactly what we were looking for before we take on Bayonne in the first match of the season.  

After last year's disappointing season Stade looked good and I think they will be a real force to be reckoned with under their new coach Michael Cheika.

Top 14 Fixtures 2010/11

After the match we were given the weekend off to rest and recuperate for the long season ahead.  I must say that the weekend off was much needed as  we now go into a period of 14 matches in only 12 weeks, which will certainly test the durability and strength of all the squads in the Top 14.

Heineken Cup runners-up Biarritz have suffered a double injury blow ahead of the opening round of Top 14 matches on Friday.

French internationals Damien Traille and Imanol Harinordoquy both look set to sit out their home clash with Montpellier.

Traille, who missed the Heineken Cup final due to a broken arm, is definitely out after picking up a hamstring injury, while Harinordoquy sat out training on Monday due to painful ribs.

A scan has revealed the latter has damaged cartilage and he is thus highly doubtful for the Montpellier game.

The loss of two of their most influential players is a major headache for Biarritz, especially as the club has had just one warm-up match for the new season.

Friendlies:
Aug 4th
Bayonne 27 Saracens 17
Aug 5th
Toulon 25 Stade Francais 22
Stade Toulousain 17 Bourgoin 7
Aug 6th
Biarritz 21 La Rochelle 7
Brive 29 Leicester Tigers 17
Perpignan 29 Racing-Métro 30
Clermont 26 Sale Sharks 8
SU Agen 31 Leeds 6
Aug 7th
Castres 34 Colomiers 8
Montpellier 32 Aurillac 19

The 2010/11 Top 14 season starts on Friday with Heineken Cup champions Stade Toulousain kicking off the new campaign with a home match against SU Agen, last season’s ProD2 winners. Five other matches also take place on the same evening – including a re-run of last season’s domestic final between Perpignan and Clermont Auvergne – before the final match takes place on Saturday with newcomers La Rochelle at home to Castres.

All of Top 14’s clubs have been busy in pre-season friendly mode again during the past week, with injuries, form, last-minute transfers, financial concerns and international call-ups (or omissions) adding the usual colourful backdrop as the new campaign beckons.

Bourgoin's seemingly endless roller-coaster ride has taken an upward turn following confirmation the DNACG has now unblocked four player licences.

The Top 14 club has been beset by financial struggles for two seasons now but has always managed to bounce back from whatever is thrown at them.

Last season they began the league campaign with 12 player licences blocked and also had to endure talk of a possible merger with Lyon OU. Despite that the Isere club took heart from their obstacles and put in enough winning performances to avoid relegation.

Top 14 Fixtures 2010/11

But their troubles re-emerged this summer when the DNACG briefly sent them down to ProD2 due to financial worries, only for the club to successful appeal against the decision.

Toulon have refused to allow fly-half Jonny Wilkinson to attend England's forthcoming five-day training camp, but any potential club-v-country row has been defused by England manager Martin Johnson.

England's EPS squad is due to meet up on August 8th, but with the new Top 14 season starting just five days later Toulon have decided to keep their influential fly-half in France.

Wilkinson, who lost his England starting place to Toby Flood last season, is currently resting a shoulder injury sustained during last weekend's friendly win against Racing-Métro 92 and will sit out tonight's home game against Stade Francais - paving the way for Argentine Felipe Contepomi to play his first friendly of the campaign.

Top 14 Fixtures 2010/11

Two other French-based internationals - Stade Francais' Tom Palmer and James Haskell  will also miss part of the EPS training after being given permission to return early back to Paris. This compromise is a step forward from last season when Haskell's non-release by England during a blank Six Nations weekend sparked a furious row with Stade owner Max Guazzini. That public spat ultimately culminated in Haskell being dropped by Stade for their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Stade Toulousain.

Toulon flanker and FRC columnist Joe El Abd can't wait for the new season to begin after a pre-season camp in the Alps and three successful friendly matches. The juices are flowing once more and the intensity stepped up a notch with Friday's 39-10 trouncing of Racing-Métro.

The last time I wrote my blog a couple of weeks ago we were about to play our first friendly match of the season against Aix-en-Provence. I always like it when the pre-season games start because it usually means an end to the high intensity training associated with pre season. While training has still been tough, the emphasis is now on rugby and getting us ready on the pitch for the start of the season. 

As I mentioned previously the match verses Aix was organised to raise money following the flash floods that hit Draguinon in June. On driving through the village to the ground the damage inflicted by the floods was plain to see and I am sure the 3000 strong crowd raised some much needed funds for the area. 

Bayonne, Brive and Toulon all began their pre-season campaigns with victory at the weekend as the start of the 2010/11 campaign (on August 13) continues to draw ever nearer.

Top 14 Fixtures 2010/11

Bayonne were the first team in action as they beat Bourgoin 43-24 at the Stade Jean Dauger on Friday night. The hosts ran in six tries, with former All Black flanker Troy Flavell getting the scoring underway when he touched down 34 minutes into his first game for the Basques since joining from Japanese club side Mitsubishi Dynaboars.

Pierre Bernard added a second try just before the interval before Yohan Huget - another new arrival - got on the scoresheet two minutes after the restart. Recently capped French centre Lionel Mazars scored Bayonne's fourth, with Rémy Martin and former Montauban scrum-half Julien Audy adding the others.

Heineken Cup champions Stade Toulousain will begin the defence of their crown with a home clash against two-time winners London Wasps.

Both teams are in Pool 6, alongside Glasgow Warriors and Newport Gwent Dragons, with Toulouse looking to defend the title they won by beating fellow French side Biarritz 21-19 in last season's final.

Wasps' director of rugby Tony Hanks said his club was excited by the challenge of fronting up to Toulouse in their opening fixture.

"Playing the defending champions at Le Stadium in the opening round is the sort of big game we want to be involved in," he added.

Heineken Cup Pools & Fixtures

Biarritz start their 2010/11 campaign with a tricky trip to Bath in Pool 4, while Catalan giants Perpignan are away to Welch outfit Scarlets in Pool 5.

Perpignan's recent fly-half curse shows no sign of abating for the season ahead following confirmation that Nicolas Laharrague is likely to be out for two to three months.

While the Catalan club has not yet disclosed the exact nature of Laharrague's injury, it continues a debilitating run of injuries to their chosen No 10s. Two seasons ago - when they won the French title - they used nine players in that position during the season, including just four appearances from high-profile Kiwi signing Dan Carter.

They somehow muddled through with a mish-mash of replacements, as well as a number of converted fly-halves, and looked destined to go down the same route again at the start of the 2010/11 season.

After a mere four weeks off Toulon flanker and FRC columnist Joe El Abd has already been back in pre-season training since late June. In his first contribution of the eagerly anticipated 2010/11 season Joe talks about fatherhood, Paul Sackey's vehicular down-sizing, fitness training in 35 degree heat and Friday's forthcoming charity match against Aix-en-Provence.

They say that time flies when you are having fun but I still can’t believe that it’s been just over a year since our adventure in France began. A lot has happened over the year, and not least off the field where I became a proud father for the first time. This in itself topped off a fantastic year.

Most people would say that on the field we had a successful season after finishing second to Perpignan and getting to the final of the Amlin Challenge Cup against Cardiff. However, after losing to Clermont in the semi-final of the Top 14 and to Cardiff a week later in Europe everyone in the squad was left with a huge feeling of disappointment.

Top 14's Bourgoin have escaped double relegation (on financial grounds) after a successful appeal hearing with the Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR).

The Isère club had previously been thrown out of Top 14 by the DNACG - the league's financial watchdog - after failing to show evidence they could cover their budget for 2010/11.

The sticking point had centered on the club's reserve fund of €900,000, which the DNACG claimed had not been banked at the time of its ruling last week.

A subsequent statement from the DNACG confirmed its decision had been taken due to a "lack of explanation from the club on time guarantees required for its ability to meet its commitments for the 2010/11 season".

Bourgoin, however, remained confident they would win on appeal - confidence that has now been borne out - and can now move forwards towards the new season.

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

The DNACG, the league’s financial watchdog, has had a particularly busy week with the various cases of Montauban, Bourgoin, Tarbes, SCA Albi and Marseilles-Vitrolles requiring their attention.

The official transfer deadline may have passed but two major signings have moved a step closer following weekend negotiations.

Newly promoted SU Agen are reported to be close to signing Wales international Andy Powell from Cardiff Blues, while Stade Francais are in discussion with veteran All Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens.

Powell's capture by Agen is being seen as the final piece of their summer recruitment as they seek to strengthen for the challenge of Top 14. The 28-year-old has previously played in France with Béziers and would bring international savvy to the base of the scrum.

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

His stature within the Welsh set up has fallen somewhat following his notorious drink-driving escapade in a golf buggy last season, and a fresh start across the Channel may be just what the British Lions tourist needs to revive his career.

Heineken Cup winner Yannick Jauzion has been ruled out of France's summer internationals after picking up an elbow injury in Stade Toulousain's weekend win over Biarritz.

The 31-year-old, capped 68 times by France, will be replaced by Florian Fritz, his centre partner at Stade Toulousain for the games against South Africa and Argentina.

Fritz, 26, is currently in England ahead of this weekend's non-cap international against the Barbarians and will now hope to add to his 17 appearances for 'Les Bleus'.

His call up comes just days after helping Toulouse to their record fourth Heineken Cup triumph, with the centre playing an integral role as he kicked one long range penalty and also slotted an opportunistic drop-goal while his side were temporarily down to 14 men.

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

Back in Toulouse the victory hangovers are just about subsiding, but head coach Guy Noves has already turned his attention to next season's campaign, specifically with a back-room shake up following confirmation that backs coach Philippe Rouge-Thomas will leave the club this summer.

Jonny Wilkinson's Top 14 dream ends with extra-time heartache against Clermont

15 May 2010

Clermont Auvergne 35 (6)
Toulon 29 (9)
after extra-time (at 22-22)
Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Etienne

Jonny Wilkinson's hopes of leading his Toulon side to Top 14 glory in his maiden season with the club were dashed by agonizing extra-time defeat against Clermont Auvergne.

The England World Cup winner kicked 16 points, including sumptuous drop-goal from the halfway line, but his efforts proved in vain as Toulon went down 29-35 in Saint Etienne.

The result means defending champions Perpignan will now play Clermont Auvergne in a re-run of last year’s match, which the Catalans won 22-13.

Wilkinson will now have to concentrate his efforts on trying to lead Toulon to victory in the Amlin Challenge Cup final against Cardiff, while Stade Toulousain will no doubt commiserate themselves with the thought of next Saturday's Heineken Cup final against Biarritz.

Stade Francais' ongoing financial troubles have now hit the club's players, with the squad agreeing to a 3% wage cut to help ease the problem.

The flamboyant Parisians - who regularly sell-out the 80,000 capacity Stade de France - were surprisingly called before the DNACG before the end of the 2009/10 season, with reports claiming they had a budget shortfall of up to €2.5m.

Stade Francais' unfolding season of woe

Montauban's subsequent bankruptcy may have stolen the headlines, but Stade's summons to the league's financial watchdog was a serious warning to Max Guazzini's club - despite the multi-millionaire owner downplaying any financial problems.

The club's failure to secure either a league play-off slot or qualification for next season's Heineken Cup has further hit them in the pocket, and now it appears that the players have been told to shoulder some of the club's financial burden.

England flanker Magnus Lund will be joined at Biarritz next season by his brother Erik after the 6ft 8ins Leeds lock agreed to sign for the Basques.

The transfer, which had been mooted for months now, was finally confirmed ahead of Leeds' final league match of the season, and after they had secured their Guinness Premiership status.

Erik - nicknamed 'The Viking' - admitted it had been a tough decision to leave Leeds for the Basque outfit, but admitted that the family connection had been the clincher in his move.

"There are some obvious reasons why I decided to join Biarritz, notably the chance to play alongside my brother, to play in the Heineken Cup and experience a new lifestyle," said Lund.

Australian scrum-half Nic Berry has confirmed his departure from Racing-Métro 92, with the 26-year-old signing for Guinness Premiership outfit London Wasps.

The former Queensland Reds and Australian Under-21 international has agreed a two-year deal with the London club, whom he played against twice during this season's Amlin Challenge Cup.

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

"I have really enjoyed my time in France to date, but the chance to discover a new city and a very competitive Premiership was too good to turn down," said Berry.

Wasps' director of rugby Tony Hanks described Berry as a player "who has such a wealth of experience and talent", and someone who would be a "very valuable asset".

The proof that money - or lack of it in Montauban's case - is becoming increasingly linked to success has never been more clear.

The respective league positions of Toulon - backed by Mourad Boudjellal - and Racing-Métro 92 - financed by Jacky Lorenzetti - underline what can be achieved with oodles of cash, while Montauban's sad decline into bankruptcy and the ongoing asset-stripping of Bourgoin both emphasize the plight of the less well off clubs.

Of course, money alone does not guarantee success - look at Stade Francais this season - but it sure does go a helluva long way towards building capable squads. Perhaps the best illustration of this is the pivotal fly-half position at Toulon.

Top 14 Table  / Top 14 leading scorers / Top 14 Results / Top 14 Fixtures / Top 14 Transfers

Head coach Philippe Saint-André has the luxury of being able to select World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson when fit and available, but should back up be required he then has the outstanding quality of Argentine Felipe Contepomi to stand in as locum.

Bayonne have escaped relegation to ProD2 - despite finishing 13th - after debt-ridden Montauban filed for bankruptcy on Monday.

Montauban's decision means they will now be automatically demoted to ProD2 at the very least, although the damning spectre of liquidation is now fast approaching over the horizon. Should that eventuality arrive then Montauban would be further relegated down to Fédérale 3 - the bottom rung of the French club rugby ladder.

Wessel Jooste and Sylvain Nicolas have become the latest Bourgoin players - the fifth and sixth respectively - to confirm their exit from the Isère club this summer.

Their departures are as sad as they were inevitable, with South African Jooste joining a growing enclave of former Bourgoin players at newly-relegated Bayonne, while 22-year-old Nicolas has been snapped up by perennial talent poachers Stade Toulousain.

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

They follow the already confirmed exits of France international fly-half Benjamin Boyet (heading to Bayonne) and the Toulon-bound front-row pair of Jean-Philippe Genevois and Karena Wihongi.

In addition Fijian winger Albert Vulivuli (24) is said to be finalising negotiations to sign for ambitious Racing-Métro 92 just one season after joining the claret and blue outfit.

Directly through to semi-finals:
Perpignan and Toulon

Quarter-finals (May 7/8):
Clermont Auvergne v Racing-Métro 92
Stade Toulousain v Castres

Relegated:
SCA Albi and Bayonne (if Montauban do not win their appeal against administrative relegation by the DNACG)

French heavyweights Stade Toulousain and Clermont Auvergne both secured home quarter-finals in the Top 14 play-offs after crucial last-day wins, while crisis club Montauban managed a stay of execution after beating relegation rivals Bayonne 22-8.

The dramatic events of last weekend's fixtures resolved many of Top 14's unknowns, but this Saturday's final round still has plenty of permutations to ponder.

All six play-off spots have now been taken, but which two teams progress through to the semis now looks like a four-horse race between Toulon, Perpignan, Clermont Auvergne and Castres.

The latter have slipped somewhat in recent weeks and must win away to Stade Toulousain to have any chance of finishing in the top two, but with Heineken Cup semis occupying the minds of Guy Noves' team it is not out of the question.  

The ongoing exodus from Bourgoin has continued with confirmation that international fly-half Benjamin Boyet has signed to join Bayonne next season.

Boyet's departure for the Basque country had been long-expected, with the 30-year-old joining the likes of Toulon-bound duo Jean-Philippe Genevois and Karena Wihongi as the Bourgoin squad undergoes major renovation.

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

The Isere club has been walking a financial tightrope all season and a squad-wide decision to take a 17% wage cut back in September has effectively triggered release clauses for the majority of players.

Fijian winger Albert Vulivuli, 24, could be the next to leave with Racing-Métro ready to swoop, while others expected to head for the exit include Sylvain Nicolas (Stade Toulousain), Arnaud Tchougong (Perpignan), Jean-Francois Coux (Montpellier) and David Janin (Montpellier).

Toulon are the new leaders of Top 14 after they maintained their unbeaten 'home' record with a 33-23 win against defending champions Perpignan at the Stade Vélodrome.

A sell-out 60,000-strong crowd cheered on Philippe Saint-Andre's team as they registered a ninth successive victory (eight in the league) to claim top spot, with Jonny Wilkinson kicking 23 points in addition to a first-half try-double from Australian full-back Luke Rooney.

Top 14 Table  / Top 14 try-scorers / Top 14 Results / Top 14 Fixtures

Wilkinson landed five penalties, two drop-goals (including a late effort from 50m) and a conversion as Toulon registered a crucial home win against the Catalans - and morning leaders.

Pierre Berbizier's Racing-Métro 92 were also in celebratory mood after they rallied from 6-19 down to beat Biarritz 29-22 and secure the sixth and final play-off berth.

Focus returns to Top 14 this weekend following last week's Heineken dramas, and what a set of fixtures we have in store for the penultimate round of league games.

The ongoing battle for sixth-spot reaches a potentially decisive climax with seventh-placed Biarritz travelling to Paris to take on current incumbents Racing-Métro, while eighth-placed Brive hover in the wings hoping to take advantage of any slip ups when they go to 13th-placed Bayonne.

Further up the table we have a mighty top-two clash in Marseille as Toulon host Perpignan in front of 60,000 passionate fans, while just below them fourth-placed Clermont welcome Castres.  

Toulon flanker and FRC columnist Joe El Abd this week talks about European rugby and varying fortunes of Stade Toulousain, Stade Francais, Clermont Auvergne, Biarritz and his very own Toulon.

For anyone who loves rugby the weekend couldn’t have been better. What an advert for rugby!

It all started on Friday with the game between Leinster and Clermont in what turned out to be a classic. I thought Clermont were outstanding in every facet of the game apart from arguably the most important part – goal-kicking. I think Clermont had enough chances to win the game three times over but it wasn’t to be as Brock James had one of those nights he will want to forget. In total, including two drop goals, he missed a potential 23 points in kicks which in the end decided the result.

I am not sure how Clermont are going to react after a result like that but I am sure this loss will make them even more determined to finally lift the Top 14 title.

Defending champions Perpignan put down a significant marker for the play-offs as they won 17-11 at Castres on Saturday night.

The victory was built on first-half tries from from Farid Sid (after eight minutes) and Henry Tuilagi (33), with the latter crucially scored while Perpignan were down to 14 men after Ovidiu Tonita's yellow card.

Full-back Jerome Porical knocked over both conversions to earn them a 14-8 half-time lead after Mathieu Nicolas had replied with a try for the hosts.

Romain Teulet missed that conversion, but did bring Castres back to within three points after a penalty either side of half time, but Catalan fly-half Gavin Hume added a drop-goal after 58 minutes to seal the win.

[FRC columnist Ollie Phillips, IRB Sevens Player of the Year, Stade Francais winger and  FRC columnist Ollie Phillips talks about finance, injury, Max Guazzini, the Heineken Cup and birthday boy James Haskell].

The increasingly tense finale to Top 14 ratchets up a further notch this weekend with all still to play for throughout the congested table. Joint leaders Castres and Perpignan go head-to-head at the Stade Pierre Antoine, while Biarritz (at home to Montauban) and Brive (at home to Bourgoin) retain hopes of a play-off slot as they pray for sixth-placed Racing-Métro to slip up at Stade Toulousain.  

Top 14: Thorne denies Toulon link; Donguy's injury blamed on congested fixture list 

30 March 2010

Springbok lock Bakkies Botha is said to have held constructive talks with Toulon at the weekend over a proposed move to the French club following the 2011 World Cup.

The 30-year-old - currently recuperating from an Achilles rupture - had dinner with club captain and fellow South African Joe van Niekerk on Friday night as the pair watched Toulon win 13-9 at Bourgoin.

Top 14 Table  / Top 14 try-scorers / Top 14 Results / Top 14 Fixtures

Botha's agent Gerrie Swart confirmed the pair had met but denied Bulls star had also held talks with club president Mourad Boudjellal.

There seems little doubt, however, that Toulon want to sign Botha - considered one of the world's best second row forwards.

Top 14: Debt-ridden Stade Francais summoned by DNACG; French clubs eye Tait

29 March 2010

On-field disaster is being aped by off-field catastrophe at Stade Francais, with the capital club currently showing an operating loss of €2.5m for the 2009/10 season.

The alarming budget shortfall has caught the ever-eager eye of the DNACG - French rugby's financial watchdog - and Stade Francais are one of six clubs that have been summoned to appear before it's high council on Tuesday, according to Midi Olympique.

Stade Francais' unfolding season of woe

Montauban and Bourgoin are the other two Top 14 sides to have been called in, along with three others from ProD2.

But it is Stade's plight that will set alarm bells ringing throughout French rugby as they one of the country's acknowledged giants, and have long been held up as a template for off-field expansion.

Defending champions Perpignan ran in seven tries against rudderless Stade Francais as they hammered the Parisians 44-23 at the Stade Aimé Giral.

This latest defeat was their third on the spin - and their 12th overall in the league this season - and effectively ended their slim play-off hopes, especially with Racing-Métro seeing off Brive 25-18. 

Two Lionel Beauxis successes gave Stade an early 6-0 lead, but they found themselves 24-9 down at half time after the Catalans responded with four tries.

Top 14 Table  / Top 14 try-scorers / Top 14 Results / Top 14 Fixtures

Fit-again Jerome Porical celebrated his return with the opening try - which he converted himself - before Gerrie Britz, Farid Sid and David Marty all followed suit.

Round 23 preview: Time to Brive - battle for play-offs hits fever pitch as Top 14 resumes

26 March 2010

Domestic rivalries are renewed in Top 14 this weekend as the ongoing nerve-jangler of a season reboots in France. Tense and tetchy squabbles can be expected throughout the country as various endgame scenarios are played out in front of packed houses and blazing Spring sunshine.  

Top 14 Table  / Top 14 try-scorers / Top 14 Results / Top 14 Fixtures

Play-off positions and the scrap to avoid relegation means all the round 23 fixtures carry extra importance, with the only resolved issue to date being that SCA Albi will return whence they came (ProD2) at the end of the season.

But even they could yet have a significant say in who else joins them as they host 13th-placed Montauban in a game the visitors dare not lose. Elsewhere, the dogfight for the sixth and final play-off slot heats up with seventh-placed Brive travelling to current incumbents Racing-Métro, while outsiders Stade Francais go to defending champions Perpignan and almost-out-of-it Biarritz host Stade Toulousain (across the border in northern Spain).

Top 14: Toulon signing Carl Hayman retains glimmer of hope for playing in the World Cup

24 March 2010

Carl Hayman has further explained his decision to sign for Toulon and put his future financial security ahead of possible World Cup glory.

The former All Blacks prop had been widely tipped to return to New Zealand at the end this season – when his three-year contract expired with Newcastle Falcons – but has instead agreed a lucrative deal with Top 14’s cash-rich Toulon as he joins the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Sonny Bill Williams and Juan Sebastien Lobbe at the Cote d’Azur club.

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

“There’s a time in one’s life and one’s career when you have to be a bit selfish sometimes and think of yourself,” explained the 30-year-old prop. “I’ve done good service to the All Black jersey and been at the coal face just about every week in my bloody career when I was in New Zealand. I played about 80 minutes every week, so I’ve done my bloody dash,” he told Sky Sports.

Top 14: Newcastle admit defeat as Carl Hayman joins Falcons exodus to Toulon

20 March 2010

Former All Blacks prop Carl Hayman, 30, will be unveiled as big-spending Toulon's latest star signing, according to reports emerging from Newcastle.

Hayman - considered one of the world's best tighthead props - will follow in the footsteps of Jonny Wilkinson and Tom May in signing for the Cote d'Azur club after spurning the opportunity to return home and claim a place in the All Blacks' 2011 World Cup squad.

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