Brian Smith and Mike Ford will both be interested observers at the Stade Félix Mayol as the England management team continues its build up to the November internationals.

Wilkinson is widely tipped to be England’s starting fly-half in those games – presuming he doesn’t get injured before then – but the management pair will also have several other players on their radar during the Pool 3 match.

England captain Steve Borthwick is expected to make his competitive return after his recent eye injury and Toulon’s Tom May will also be out to impress in light of the current dearth of fit backs.

Borthwick’s injury was inflicted by former French international Olivier Azam during a Guinness Premiership match against Gloucester, and the latter has now had his 12-week ban upheld after losing his appeal.

The RFU’s appeals panel reasoned that Azam’s offence only merited an eight-week ban, but extended that to 14 in light of his previous history. The Gloucester player had only just returned from a nine-week ban for eye-gouging, but his subsequent 14-week ban was reduced to 12 because he pleaded guilty.

That means he will miss Gloucester’s next three Heineken Cup matches, including this weekend’s clash with Top 14 outfit Biarritz.

Former Stade Francais favourite Juan Martin Hernandez has revealed that he was asked to leave by the Paris giants due to financial concerns.

Hernandez, who joined the Natal Sharks in the summer, told L’Equipe he was happy at Stade Francais at the time and was not seeking a move away. “At the end of last season Stade Francais asked me to consider the possibility of leaving the club. I was surprised,” he admitted.

“They explained that the club was in financial restructuring and that I was one way of getting money. I was ready to stay,” added Hernandez.

‘El Magico’ went on: “While I still had no news from Paris came the proposal for the Sharks. It became my number one option. They gave me the opportunity to discover another type of rugby, other competitions, another country and another culture. It was a big challenge and I like it.”

Hernandez said he opted for South Africa because its domestic structure was similar to both France and Argentina. “I think that here I am going to continue to learn on one of the toughest competitions in the world, the Currie Cup. Then there will be the Super 14. That’s all I was looking for,” he said.

Elsewhere in France, it appears that Bourgoin full-back Florian Denos, 24, is on his way to high-flying Castres as they seek the strengthen their playing squad.

The former France U21 international has utilised an escape clause in his contract allowing him to leave by October 31^st after all of Bourgoin’s players accepted a wage cut earlier in the season to help stave off bankruptcy.

The player’s agent insists nothing has yet been signed, but did admit that negotiations were ongoing. “There are still several details to settle before the transfer becomes a reality,” he told Midi Olympique.

Meanwhile, Racing Métro’s Tongan winger Mani Vakaola is facing an internal disciplinary hearing after being arrested for drink driving on the eve of the club’s Top 14 game against Montpellier on September 26^th. A breath test revealed Vakaola had a reading of 1.2g of alcohol per litre of blood.

Colomiers coach Roland Pujo has resigned following the club’s 13-13 home draw with Aix-en-Provence in ProD2 at the weekend.

Pujo announced his resignation in the changing room after the draw and his request was initially turned down by club chairman Alain Carré, but the head coach stuck to his decision and was finally granted his wish on Monday.

“With or without me the club must move forward. But I feel that something has broken since the start of the season,” said Pujo.

President Carré initially said he would “do anything to keep this man in whom I trust”, but later relented.

“I accept his resignation, but I regret I did not get what I wanted. I really appreciate Roland, a man who has gone out of passion rather than business,” he confirmed.

The former Heineken Cup finalists are currently 15^th out of 16 in ProD2 and facing another season-long battle against relegation to the amateur ranks of Fédérale 1.