Top 14: Habana and Fourie still in French spotlight; Elissalde gets hot under the collar

Former IRB player of the year Habana appears to be playing off interested parties to increase potential contract offers, and is now in talks with Cape Town’s Stormers over a possible move.

Top 14 Table 2009/10 / Top 14 Transfers / ProD2 Transfers / Top 14 Fixtures 2009/10 / Pre-season friendlies

The flying winger, 26, is coming to the end of his current deal with the Blue Bulls – who are keen to re-sign him – and has previously held discussions with Top 14’s Bayonne and Toulon.

Fourie, meanwhile, has invoked the wrath of Clermont after deciding not to join the Top 14 runners-up, despite apparently having previously agreed to sign for the French club.

Fourie remains with South Africa’s Golden Lions for the time being, but is being widely tipped to sign for Western Province imminently. Clermont have already conceded defeat in their pursuit of the highly rated centre – signing Samoan Gavin Williams instead at the tail end of last week – but now vice-president Jean-Marc Lhermet is threatening legal action.

“The debate is moving to the legal side,” he told L’Equipe. “It is going to be sorted out between lawyers,” he added.

Lhermet vowed Clermont would seek legal redress on the aborted transfer and added: “By principle we are going to go as far as possible.”

Watch this space.

Elsewhere, Stade Toulousain’s weekend match-winner Jean-Baptiste Elissalde has hit out at the Top 14 schedulers for making players perform in the extreme August heat.

Temperatures soared well above 35C throughout France at the weekend and Elissalde believes that puts players at unnecessary risk.

“We talk about the health of players and yet we played at 4pm on August 15^th. Fortunately there was no accident but one day this might change,” he told AFP. “You have to play later in the summer and earlier in the winter,” he explained in reference to kick-off times.

But even evening kick-offs don’t prevent players from severe dehydration at this time of the year, with Stade Francais’ new English recruits Tom Palmer and James Haskell both stunned by the amount of fluid they lost during Friday night’s league curtain raiser in Toulon.

The match certainly took its toll on new Toulon scrum-half Pierre Mignoni, although it was the heat of battle rather than the pitch-side temperatures which did for him.

Mignoni, who captained Toulon on his debut after signing from Clermont Auvergne, will undergo an MRI scan on his left adductor this week, with an initial prognosis indicating the former international could be out for three to four weeks. Toulon’s former league star Sonny Bill Williams missed the Stade Francais game due to an inflamed fibula, and is also not expected to play for another two weeks.

Stade Toulousain’s Frederic Michalak is another player due for a scan – on his troublesome left hamstring – but Bourgoin’s Thomas Genevois says he is ready to play again at the weekend despite dislocating his right shoulder against Clermont on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the build up to the new season continues in ProD2, with the opening round of league matches scheduled for the weekend of August 29/30.

Newly promoted Lannemezan registered an impressive 19-12 win over Colomiers on Friday – in the Trophée Bigorre – while relegated Mont-de-Marsan gave notice of their calibre by running in six tries to beat Pau 42-12 in Lembeye.

FC Auch Gers were also victorious, beating Tarbes 15-11, while Aix-en-Provence – who were promoted with Lannemezan – overcame Lyon OU 21-13. Union Bordeaux-Begles lost to Northampton Saints 19-14.