The French capital can be a daunting place for some, but at least Chabal shouldn’t have too many problems with the language as the former Sale Sharks favourite settles into his new life at Jacky Lorenzetti’s club.

“Caveman” or “Seabass”, depending on your choice of sobriquet, is one of France’s most identifiable sporting stars and his commercial pulling power seems to increase by the year, despite his presence in Manchester during reason seasons. But the 31-year-old still knows he must deliver on the pitch to maintain his highly profitable profile, something that coach Pierre Berbizier is at pains to stress.

Chabal may be high profile, and possibly high maintenance, but he is not alone in having to bed down at the Paris club. France captain Lionel Nallet has joined from Castres, Springbok superstar Francois Steyn has signed from Natal Sharks, while 10 other new recruits have been added to what was already a high-quality squad.

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Last year they ran away with the ProD2 championship – thus avoiding the perils of the play-offs – but their aims will be more humble for the 2009/10 season.

“It is important to be aware of the new level we are involved in, and we will be looking to everyone to make the effort needed so we can be strong collectively,” said the former Italy coach.

Despite the many newcomers the squad’s heart is effectively unchanged, something Berbizier hopes will help as they to establish themselves in Top 14. “We will be building on the success we enjoyed during the past two seasons and we do not anticipate any dramatic change in our style of play,” he told L’Equipe.

Across the capital former France coach Bernard Laporte has re-joined Stade Francais – on the board of directors – following his stint in Government as the Secretary of State for Sports.

Laporte recently lost his post in a cabinet reshuffle and has now agreed to return to his former club after being approached by President Max Guazzini.

Former Stade star Juan Martin Hernandez, meanwhile, is due in town this week, but only to move out before he continues en route to South Africa to take up his contract with the Natal Sharks. The 28-year-old Argentine international is pencilled in to make his Sharks debut against the Cheetahs next week.

Top 14 newcomers SCA Albi became the last top-flight club back into training when they returned to camp on Monday. Albi’s players were given additional time off after winning the ProD2 play-off final, with head coach Eric Bechu deciding more rest was required.

They now have only one month before the start of the new season after beginning their pre-season with a week in Saint-Girons. Team bonding is likely to be high on the list of initial priorities with a dozen new faces in the squad after a busy summer of recruitment.

Down in ProD2 the current problems enveloping Tarbes – coach disputes, incoming transfer embargo and general player drain – continued with confirmation that South African prop Ronnie Uys, 30, has quit to return home.

Uys – who played Super 14 for the Cheetahs last season – has now joined the Pumas for the rest of the year after a leaving the struggling Midi-Pyrenees outfit.

In a further blow to the club, Tarbes will also have to start the season without lock Isoa Domolailai and centre Chris Siale.

Domolailai is expected to be out until October after having a bone graft on a finger that became infected following the insertion of a pin. Siale has still not recovered from the neck injury he sustained playing against Racing-Metro 92 in March. He remains in a surgical collar with his comeback date uncertain.

Winger Sebastien Caujolle said the remaining fit players are doing their best to concentrate on preparing for the new season, but admitted the off-field coaching dispute was an unwanted distraction.

“We are trying to ignore what is happening because it does not concern us much yet. We’re just doing physical preparation at the moment, so we haven’t felt the lack of coaches on the technical side yet,” he told Midi Olympique.

Caujolle refused to be drawn directly on the current dispute, except to say he was “a little disappointed with some comments I read in the press”. But he said the squad remained tight and previous seasons had taught them to cope with adversity.