Top 14: Transfer rumours abound as
Racing-Métro 92 line up more big name stars
03 November 2009
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Star: Racing already
have Sebastien Chabal
Photo: Michael Paler |
The
2009/10 season is not yet halfway through, but teams are
already jostling to get in position for future signings.
Clermont Auvergne and Racing-Métro 92 appear to
be at the front of the future recruitment plans, with both
clubs linked with significant transfers this week.
Clermont's policy is a two-fold one, involving contract
extensions for current players and tempting offers for
possible future signings.
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Fixtures
Flanker
Julien Bardy de Souza (24) and centre Wesley Fofana (21)
have both signed new deals taking them up to 2012 this week,
while prop Clément Ric (21) did likewise a couple of weeks
ago.
Now
their attention has turned to strengthening their midfield,
with Brive's versatile back Ronnie Cooke reportedly
interesting them. The South African is being seen as a
replacement for long-term injury Marius Joubert and could
make the move as soon as next week if he can extricate
himself from his Brive contract.
The big
name targets being lined up by cash-rich Racing-Métro
confirm the Parisians' ambitions, with star names such as
Biarritz's Imanol Harinordoquy, Perpignan's
Nicolas Durand and Bayonne's exciting young winger
Benjamin Fall all apparently on their hit list. Clermont
and France winger Julien Malzieu is also arousing
their interest after stalling on a new contract with 'Les
Jaunards'.
Toulon have lined up Biarritz
scrum-half Fabien Cibray, with the Basques' No 9
signing an eight-month deal (which starts immediately) with
Philippe Saint-André's team. That is likely to precipitate
the departure of Australian Matt Henjak, with Saint-André
deeming the player surplus to requirements, especially now
that Felipe Contepomi now nearing fitness.
Saint-André, meanwhile, has won the accolade of scoring
Twickenham's finest try - against England in 1991.
The
former French international rounded off a typically
flamboyant counter-attack that swept the entire length of
the pitch, but it still wasn't enough to earn the win.
"That's
what I remember most about the game," reflected Saint-André.
"That we lost the game and the Grand Slam despite that
wonderful team try and two other scores as well. It is nice
the try gets so much attention and praise but England won
the game," he added.
"It was
different a few years later when Jean-Luc Sadourny finished
off another great collective try for us in New Zealand, that
time it brought us victory. I think that is probably the
best known try in France," said the Toulon coach.
In a
separate development French clubs are bracing themselves for
a legal battle after Government clampdown on a tax loophole
that exempts football and rugby clubs from paying all of a
players' social security and employment taxes.
The
Times reported that the tax changes could cost someone
like Toulon's Mourad Boudjellal an extra one million euros
per season if it goes ahead.
Eric
Worth, the budget minister, insisted: "This is public money,
money that belongs to the French people."
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