Something to cheer at last: Tarbes supporters Photo: Colin Spiro

Troubled Tarbes’ turbulent pre-season is finally showing signs of stability, with the Midi-Pyrenees club announcing that Romanian hooker Razvan Mavrodin is to be the new forwards’ coach.

Incoming president Jean-Pierre Davant confirmed the appointment after his own induction, saying that Mavrodin, 35, will work with backs coach Philippe Bérot.

 ProD2 Transfers / Pre-season friendlies

Former forwards coach Frédéric Bodin failed to appear at the start of pre-season training, together with team manager Christian Martinez, in a controversial turn of events where each party blamed the other.

Davant is hoping to draw a line under the episode now with the appointment of Mavrodin. The Romanian hooker - a veteran of 49 international caps and two spells with Tarbes – said he had no hesitation in taking the job.

Mavrodin confirmed he had not applied for the coaching role, and that the offer had come out of the blue. “I was very surprised when Philippe Bérot offered me the job, but I accepted immediately. I am delighted,” he told rugbyrama.

He admitted it may be difficult at first to move from player to coach but said he was optimistic for the season ahead as the squad is largely unchanged from last year – mostly due to a transfer embargo imposed by the LNR while the club reaffirmed its finances.

Although Mavrodin is new to coaching at club level he did gain some experience in the summer when he was assistant forwards coach of the Romania national team at the Nations Cup.

After Mavrodin’s appointment was confirmed it was initially thought the veteran hooker would continue to play – as well as coach – but he said that would not be the case after further consideration. He will retain a playing licence in case of medical emergency at Tarbes – “I will only intervene in case of an unlikely series of injuries” - but otherwise he has effectively retired.

“It’s a bit brutal,” he admitted, “but I was going to be playing my last season anyway. By signing for Tarbes last year after two difficult years in Pau I wanted to return to my hometown to finish on a good note.”

A good season with Tarbes last year convinced him to carry on for one more final season but the coaching offer has now changed all that.

President Davant, who was appointed on Friday at a special general meeting, said the club’s finances were coming under control, with much of its reserve fund now in place and an overall budget confirmed at €4m. A club statement said it was “serene about the approval of contracts for its players by the LNR”, and now hoped to move forward with optimism for the 2009/10 season.

The club also announced that Argentine prop Jorge Garcia has signed from rivals Pau. The experienced 31-year-old has also formerly played for Bayonne and La Rochelle. He will now join the remainder of the squad at their pre-season camp in Barèges.