Top 14: Saracens veteran Chesney signs for Toulon; Ouedraogo extends with Montpellier

Saracens veteran Kris Chesney has signed for Toulon next season.

The 35-year-old, who is Saracens' most capped player (337 games), said he made the decision to move at Christmas and that he was relishing the challenge of living and playing in France.

"The prospect of playing in the Top 14 against the likes of Toulouse, Stade Francais and Clermont is something I'm really looking forward to.

"My wife Louise and my two daughters are very excited about it, and that means a great deal. It's a new type of rugby and hopefully I can make a big impact over there," said Chesney.

He becomes the latest British-based player to join the Toulon revolution following the appointment of Philippe Saint-André as director of rugby.

The multi-faceted Chesney has played on the wing, in the back row and as a lock - giving the in-coming Saint-André a wealth of experience and versatility as he seeks to strengthen the club's squad following a tough first season back in the top flight.

Chesney is set for an emotional farewell when he plays his final game at Vicarage Road on Sunday, and he was at pains to stress his admiration and love for the club he is set to leave in the summer.

"When you play for Saracens and get the recognition from the fans it's very humbling and I would never take that for granted. I've loved being here," he reiterated.

Chesney described Vicarage Road as "a second home for me" and added that he was aiming to "go out on a high" by helping Saracens win the European Challenge Cup. They are due to play Northampton Saints and could then face Top 14 side Bourgoin in the final if the French side win their home semi-final against Worcester Warriors.

Saracens are currently seventh in the Guinness Premiership, but have been the subject of much media coverage recently following a controversial South African partnership that initially threatened to sack a huge swathe of the club's playing staff.

News of Chesney's departure also comes just a day after Saracens confirmed signing English trio Michael Horak, Richard Skuse and Kevin Barrett.

Chesney's future club Toulon, meanwhile, have confirmed that Saturday's Top 14 clash with Stade Toulousain is a 60,000 sell-out after president Mourad Boudjellal opted to switch the venue to Marseille's Stade Vélodrome

Toulon are currently 12th in Top 14, eight points ahead of Dax following their 33-20 home win against Montauban, but face a Stade Toulousain side that will be hurting after its Heineken Cup elimination.

That could either play into Toulon's hands - with the defending champions set to rest a number of first-team regulars - or it could act as the spur to get the pain out of their system as quickly as possible.

Boudjellal, speaking in Midi Olympique, admitted that taking a defensive bonus point would represent a good return for Toulon and said the club had "taken a risk" by moving the match to Marseille.

"I think we had more chance to get the defensive bonus point at the Stade Mayol [their normal home ground] because Toulouse are more accustomed to playing in front of 60,000 people," he added.

Stade Toulousain coach Guy Noves, meanwhile, has criticised the Top 14 reforms recently agreed by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).

Noves said the LNR's decision to expand the end-of-season play-offs to include six teams (instead of four) could prove detrimental to his side's push for European honours next season.

He described the expanded "faux" quarter-finals as an unwelcome distraction that was merely designed to bring in more revenue by adding extra games to an already crowded fixture list.

"The top two clubs get to relax and wait while the others play these matches, meaning that it's important to finish in the top two, which adds extra pressure on us to concentrate on the domestic league," Noves told planetrugby.com.

"It means we'll no longer be able to do what we did this weekend in Brive by allowing some players to rest. Next year we won't have that luxury, we're putting too much strain on the international players. It penalises ambitious clubs like ours who try to compete with other nations in Europe.

"So, maybe next year we'll be obliged to concentrate on the French championship and to use our youngsters in Europe," he said.

Noves was also typically dismissive of quota for foreign players, claiming players should only be picked on whether they were good enough - not on which nationality that are - and that if someone was good enough they would come through naturally.

The proposals, though, would not overly affect Toulouse he argued as only has 27% of its playing squad is made of foreign players. "We're not concerned by the rule changes, but I think foreigners have their place in Europe and in France," he added.

Montpellier have followed up news of their recent signing of Argentine prop Juan Figallo with confirmation that international flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo has signed a contract extension with the Top 14 outfit.

The 22-year-old French back-row had been courted by Brive and Racing Metro 92 - as well as several English clubs - but decided to stay at Montpellier despite it having a difficult season in Top 14 this year.

ProD2 outfit Grenoble have confirmed that Patrice Landreau, who is being released from the Stade Francais coaching team this summer, will join them as team manager.

A club statement said Landreau, a former Grenoble player, would "be responsible for defining and implementing the policy of the sports club" as it seeks to accomplish its long-term aim of promotion to Top 14. They are currently 11th in ProD2 with four more league games to play.