|
Determined to leave: Julien Dupuy
Photo: Michael Paler |
Scotland
internationals Hugo Southwell and Rory Lamont have joined the
ongoing flood of British players heading to play in France’s Top 14 next
season.
Reports in the French sporting media
say that Southwell will sign for Stade Francais next week – joining up with
England internationals James Haskell and Tom Palmer,
as well as Scottish team-mate Simon Taylor – while Lamont has become the
third Sale Sharks player to follow boss Philippe Saint-Andre to Toulon –
together with Juan Lobbe and Sebastien Bruno.
Southwell (28) currently plays for
Edinburgh Rugby and has more than 40 Scottish caps to his name. He can play
either on the wing or at full-back.
"Stade Francais is one of the best
European teams," said Southwell. "It's a good experience an a great
opportunity for me to come to Paris," he told the club's website. "I spoke
with Simon Taylor at the Six Nations Championship and he had only good
things to say about the club."
Top 14 Table
/ Top 14 Fixtures
/
Top 14 Transfers
Lamont (27) is also capable of playing
wing and full-back, and could yet be joined in France by brother Sean, who
continues to interest Brive.
Toulon, meanwhile, also expect to
complete the signing of England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson
once they
have secured their Top 14 status.
A third British-based player is also on
the verge to signing for a French team, with Saracens’ Samoan prop Census
Johnston set to clinch a two-year deal with defending champions Stade
Toulousain.
The 27-year-old previously played in
France before joining Saracens, winning the Top 14 Championship with
Biarritz in 2006. Rumours in certain press reports that he was being signed
to replace South African Dan Human are wide of the mark though, with the
latter expected to sign a two-year extension with Stade Toulousain later
this week.
And two British-based French stars are
also likely to confirm their returns back home shortly, with
Racing-Metro 92 set to unveil Sale’s Sebastien Chabal on
Wednesday – perhaps together with France captain Lionel Nallet and
21-year-old Springbok Francois Steyn.
Leicester Tigers’ want-away star Julien Dupuy is also determined
to move back home despite having a year left on his current contract.
L’Equipe reported that the 25-year-old former Biarritz player has had ‘contacts’ with
two Top 14 clubs,
thought to be Perpignan and Stade Francais, as he seeks to move back
to France for “personal reasons”.
"I want to return to France," Dupuy told the French paper, adding: "This is
not about rugby. It is going very well on that front here, but there is more
than this in life."
Tigers
boss Richard Cockerill remains intent on trying to keep Dupuy, even
suggesting he could be a viable alternative for the France national team
this summer following Sebastien Tillous-Borde’s injury, but Dupuy still
wants to leave. “They want to keep me, but I hope,” he said.
