Tuesday's official
confirmation that Juan Martin Hernández has signed for ambitious
Racing-Métro 92 continues the raft of big-name transfers heading to Top 14
in 2010/11.
In
Hernandez's case it is a welcome return to Paris just one
year after being ushered out by Stade Francais, where he had
spent a trophy-laden five seasons. The Argentine
international has signed on for two years initially, with
the option of a third year.
The
27-year-old, nicknamed 'El Magico', adds further glamour to
a club that already boasts the likes of Lionel Nallet,
Sébastien Chabal and Francois Steyn. There is also little
doubt that the sky blue and whites have now usurped
Hernández's former club as the current top dogs in Paris.
Their
sixth-placed finished guarantees them Heineken Cup rugby
next season - something Stade have missed out on for the
first time in a decade - while multi-millionaire owner Jacky
Lorenzetti has confirmed that next season's budget has been
increased to
€17m.
This week's
show of financial muscle - they have also announced a
further nine signings, including France winger Benjamin Fall
- is also in stark contrast to news that Stade's players
have agreed a 3% wage cut to ease the club's current cash
crisis.
To further
rub salt in their neighbours' noses Racing have snatched
Italian winger Mirco Bergamasco from across the city and
have confirmed plans to follow Max Guazzini's lead by
hosting several home games at the Stade de France next
season.
Toulon have
also been active in the transfer market already as they seek
to further strengthen their already star-laden squad.
England winger Paul Sackey and All Blacks prop Carl Hayman
are the standout new arrivals so far confirmed at the Cote
d'Azur club, while head coach Philippe Saint-André has also
gone back to his old club Sale Sharks to snaffle Dean
Schofield.
Brive, on
the other hand, have opted for a radical change of
recruitment policy after two seasons of buying almost
exclusively from abroad. The reduced financial input of
Daniel Derichebourg, a change of head coach - Ugo Mola
succeeding the sacked Laurent Seigne - and failure to
qualify for next season's Heineken Cup has resulted in a
reduction of both the club's budget (down between 15-20%)
and its playing staff (from 37 to 32).
England
centre Riki Flutey has returned to London Wasps after
failing to make an impact - except on the club's budget -
and Brive's recruitment has been suitably low key as a
result. Argentine winger Horacio Agulla has departed for
Leicester Tigers, South African prop Scott Zimmerman has
joined the Racing revolution, while Arnaud Pic is off to
Oyonnax. Ireland's Christian Short has also been released.
In their
place have come have come Bourgoin's Pablo Cardinali,
Montauban's Régis Lespinas, Stade Toulousain duo Mathieu
Bélie (who was on loan at Montauban) and Julien Ledevedec,
and Nice's Julien Caminati.
Two sides
experiencing sharply contrasting close seasons are Bayonne
and Montauban, with the former apparently trying to spend
its way back to success, while the latter is seemingly
powerless to hold on to its players after declaring
bankruptcy - and thus relegation to ProD2.
Seven
Montauban players have already departed - including Vilimoni
Delasau to Stade Toulousain - while Bayonne have confirmed
10 new arrivals - including former All Black Troy Flavell,
Bourgoin fly-half Benjamin Boyet and the Stormers' Joe
Pietersen.
Elsewhere,
Biarritz have united the Lund brothers in Basque country
after signing Erik from Leeds to play alongside Magnus,
while Perpignan and Stade Toulousain have both been measured
in their confirmed transfers so far. Defending champions
Perpignan have snapped up Albi's impressive scrum-half Kevin
Boulogne, while Stade have continued their penchant for
pocketing future stars by tempting Boulogne's highly-rated
wing compatriot Pierre-Gilles Lakafia.
Clermont
Auvergne have confirmed the arrivals of Waikato number eight
Sione Lauaki and the Crusaders Ti'i Paulo, after a seemingly
successful mid-season trip back home by Kiwi coach Vern
Cotter.
And it's not
just players who have been busy swapping club's, as Cotter
himself is aware having signed up Perpignan backs coach
Franck Azema to replace the departing Joe Schmidt. Stade
Francais will welcome current Leinster boss Michael Cheika,
while Albi's long-serving Eric Béchu has resurfaced at
Montpellier and Bayonne have tempted in Dax's Thomas
Lièvremont.
The
comprehensive list of what's already been confirmed is shown
below, but it's bound to be updated as further moves are
announced in the coming weeks. ProD2 champions SU Agen will
undoubtedly be looking to strengthen, along with the
division's play-off winners, while rumours continue to swirl
about possible arrivals in Perpignan and Stade Francais.
We wait with
baited breath...