|
by Colin Spiro 10
September 2008
 Patience,
it seems, may not be a word that flows freely from the
loquacious tongue of Toulon’s wealthy but demanding
president Mourad Boudjellal.
Having
successfully bank-rolled the club back into Top 14 the comic
book magnate – that is he made his fortunes in the industry,
not that he is cartoon like – is apparently now seething
that his superstar team isn’t flying high at the head of the
league playing free-flowing rugby for fans to drool over.
Okay, that
might be a slight exaggeration but it has been widely
reported in the French press this week that Boudjellal has
had “talks” with coach Tana Umaga following the club’s first
defeat of the season, 18-25 away to fellow newcomers
Mont-de-Marsan. That’s right, FIRST defeat of the season.
Next thing you know, Umaga will be getting the dreaded ‘vote
of confidence’.
Now, it is
true that the new Top 14 season is only three games old, so
that’s a loss rate of 33.33% - unacceptably high for an
ambitious club - but it’s also true that Toulon began with
an excellent home win against championship aspirants
Clermont (22-16) and followed up with a draw (3-3) against
big-spenders Brive.
In normal
circumstances that might be taken as a fair start for a club
new to the highest echelons of French club rugby, but the
‘Rouges et Noires’ are far from ordinary and Boudjellal
appears disgruntled that his toy, I mean club, had the
temerity to taste defeat.
His assessment
that Toulon have been outplayed in five of the six halves
they have played so far could be true, if a tad harsh, but
demonstrating his displeasure by openly holding talks with
Umaga seems a strange way to boost club confidence.
But this isn’t
a ‘Bash Boudjellal’ piece, far from it. Sport needs
characters, especially immensely wealthy ones willing to
splash the cash to attract star names such as Sonny ‘Bill’
Williams and Jerry Collins, and Boudjellal’s willingness to
speak his mind certainly ensures good copy. I love his
passion for the club, as demonstrated by his leading the
on-field renditions of ‘Pilou, Pilou’ down at the Stade
Mayol, but like many of the billionaire investors now taking
over English football he demands results for his money, and
Umaga must have known that before the season began.
The question
is, will Toulon be the Newcastle United of French rugby – a
perennial ‘big club’ forever underachieving despite
fanatical support – or is Boudjellal acting swiftly to
ensure against early demise?
Locals are
more inclined to compare Toulon to Chelsea, another Premier
League club, but has 48-year-old Boudjellal really got the
resources of Roman Abramovich as he seeks to rekindle a club
that last won the French championship in 1992?
The phrase
‘too good to go down’ is often bandied about by deluded
players at under-pressure clubs, but with only three games
gone it’s fair to say that time is still on Umaga’s side.
However,
hearing his boss describe the Mont-de-Marsan defeat as “the
most shameful bonus point in the history of rugby” won’t
exactly imbue the former All Black with overwhelming
confidence.
Remember, this
is a man (Boudjellal) used to getting his own way – they are
always the most amusing to follow – and one who had no
qualms brazenly lying to the press about Toulon’s interest
when the Williams story first broke.
Just last week
he was widely reported as being interested in signing world
record international points-scorer Jonny Wilkinson, with his
denials proving worthless following his previous admission
that deceit was the only way forward over the Williams saga.
His brazenness
is what amuses me, but a characteristic of such big-spending
fans – for that is what he really is – is that they rarely
have the tolerance required to weather a storm, or in this
case the first whiff of a gentle breeze.
Umaga,
however, doesn’t strike me as a man likely to be cowered by
such constant public ruminations and a home win against
Bourgoin on Saturday should calm the waters for at least a
couple of days.
In any case,
I’m sure the Kiwi coach has his metaphorical life jacket
strategically placed for when the inevitable happens – for
it will happen eventually. In the interim it’s time to heed
the late Bill Hicks’ advice: “ Strap in and enjoy the ride”.
It sure ain’t
gonna be dull.
|
