News:
Gasnier and SBW set to leave Top 14; France call up Andreu
after Fall is injured
23 February 2010
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Homeward bound? Australian
Mark Gasnier could leave Stade
Photo: Michael Paler
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Rugby
league converts Mark Gasnier and Sonny Bill
Williams are both set to leave France in the summer to
further their respective World Cup claims.
Gasnier
and Williams are both at the end of their two-year contracts
- with Stade Francais and Toulon respectively - and know
that they must return down under if they are to fulfil their
dreams of becoming dual internationals in time for the 2011
World Cup.
Gasnier
has apparently been made an offer from the Australia Rugby
Union (ARU) to help subsidise any move home, while Williams
is keen to represent the All Blacks.
Top 14 Transfers 2010/11
Stade
Francais remain keen to retain Gasnier's services but the
former St George Illawarra star is reported to favour a move
back home to Australia, with new Super 15 franchise
Melbourne Rebels heading a list of clubs seeking his
signature.
Queensland Reds are also known to be interested with head
coach Ewen McKenzie the man responsible for tempting Gasnier
to France in the first place - before being sacked as Stade
Francais coach earlier this season.
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Wallabies coach Robbie Deans spoke earlier this week of his
admiration for Gasnier, confirming the former rugby league
international was on his radar. "Clearly he is a very
capable athlete," said Deans. "If Mark is interested and
does come back, from the ARU perspective he would be
available to all the franchises and would be just like any
other player in the market," he added.
Top 14
clubs Bayonne and Biarritz are also reportedly in the market
for Gasnier, but it seems the lure of international rugby -
and more specifically the 2011 World Cup - could prove the
deciding factor.
Likewise with Toulon centre Sonny Bill
Williams, who has openly spoken of his desire to represent
the All Blacks. Williams is coming to the end of his current
contract with the French side and has impressed at centre
since his switch from league.
Injuries
have restricted his appearances for Toulon to date but the
former Bulldogs star has been monitored by New Zealand
officials since his switch and could yet make a late run for
World Cup inclusion.
Meanwhile, Williams' former club colleague Marc Andreu
has become the latest winger to be called into France's
squad after Bayonne's Benjamin Fall was injured
(again) in training. Fall's place in the starting XV has now
gone to Clermont Auvergne's Julien Malzieu, with the
uncapped Andreu being named as a replacement.
Andreu,
24, has enjoyed a fine debut season for Castres this year
since moving from Toulon and comes into the squad ahead of
other better known players such as Stade Toulousain duo
Cédric Heymans and Maxime Médard.
Fall's
latest injury maintains an ongoing problem with French
wingers in this season's RBS Six Nations, with Aurélien
Rougerie, Vincent Clerc and Alexis Palisson all ruled out at
various stages with injuries.
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