Top 14: RFU could help finance Riki Flutey's return to Wasps; Eric Béchu to quit SCA Albi

03 March 2010

While Stade Francais and the RFU continue their ongoing power struggle over James Haskell, the English governing body could yet play an integral role in helping finance Riki Flutey's return from France.

Flutey is known to be unhappy at Brive and looking for an escape clause back to Britain, with Irish province Munster and former club London Wasps both keen to bring him 'home'.

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But the New Zealand-born centre still has a year remaining on his contract with Brive, and was last week told he was staying put by club CEO Simon Gillham. That 'hands-off' warning followed earlier reports that Flutey had agreed a two-year deal to join Munster.

But now, according to the Daily Express, the RFU could yet ride to Flutey's rescue, with serious consideration currently being given to financing a £50,000 transfer fee (or sweetener) to Brive to help facilitate the switch.

Relations between the RFU and Brive are good, in contrast to those with Stade Francais, and the report claimed that the potential payment would also be recognition of Brive's assistance in previously releasing players such as Steve Thompson, Andy Goode and Jamie Noon whenever England has requested. A further indication of that came with confirmation this week that Flutey will remain with the England squad this week after Brive gave their blessing. This is in stark contrast to the ongoing rumble between the RFU and Stade Francais over James Haskell. Toulon's Jonny Wilkinson will also remain in England, but Thompson has been allowed back to Brive for their weekend trip to Top 14 leaders Castres.

Castres, meanwhile, are hoping to have France internationals Luc Ducalcon and Marc Andreu both available for the game.

Defending champions Perpignan have confirmed that Maxime Mermoz will be in their squad for Friday's trip to Clermont Auvergne. Mermoz has been absent since before Christmas but could make his return alongside fellow France international David Marty and Nicolas Mas, who are also in the squad.

Montpellier have also named both of their French internationals in their squad for Saturday's game against Racing-Métro 92, with Francois Trinh-Duc and Fulgence Ouedraogo both set to play. Racing are also likely to include their French internationals Lionel Nallet, Sébastien Chabal and Clement Baiocco.

Elsewhere in France, basement club SCA Albi and head coach Eric Béchu will part company at the end of the season, if not before. Béchu is an Albi institution after being in charge for 11 years, but it seems a testing first season back in Top 14 has caused tensions behind the scenes.

Albi remain rooted to the foot of the table and will surely return back to ProD2 in the summer, with Béchu on the radar of several other top flight clubs impressed by the work he has done with such limited resources.

Béchu's departure at the end of the season had been widely anticipated, but it seems that a player protest took place last Friday, with a vote taken to ascertain whether the coach should go now or wait until the summer.

Albi president Bernard Archilla denied the incident as "much ado about nothing", but agreed that change was afoot. "The truth is that there is now a real issue within the club. When a team is last in Top 14 I think it is normal that it raises questions. There is a real challenge, and the opposite would be abnormal," he told rugbyrama.

Béchu himself was non-committal on his future, telling La Dépêche du Midi: "Until proven otherwise I am the coach of Albi."

Two more transfers have been confirmed in France this week, with Stade Francais announcing that they had signed Argentine Martin Rodriguez for next season, while Montpellier's Scottish international Bruce Douglas will join Worcester Warriors. The latter's departure means three Top-14 based players will join the Warriors in the summer, following earlier deals for Toulon's Luke Rooney and Brive's Andy Goode.

Rodriguez becomes the latest Puma to join Stade Francais, where the 24-year-old will have the likes of Pedro Ledesma, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Ignacio Mieres and Rodrigo Roncero for company.

The fate of banned prop David Attoub will be announced on Friday after the Stade player had his appeal against a 70-week suspension heard by the ERC on Tuesday.

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