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France bound?
Andy Powell
Photo:
Eoin Mundow/Cleva Media |
The official transfer
deadline may have passed but two major signings have moved a
step closer following weekend negotiations.
Newly promoted SU
Agen are reported to be close to signing Wales
international Andy Powell from Cardiff Blues, while
Stade Francais are in discussion with veteran All
Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens.
Powell's capture by
Agen is being seen as the final piece of their summer
recruitment as they seek to strengthen for the challenge of
Top 14. The 28-year-old has previously played in France with
Béziers and would bring international savvy to the base of
the scrum.
Top 14 Transfers 2010/11
His stature within the
Welsh set up has fallen somewhat following his notorious
drink-driving escapade in a golf buggy last season, and a
fresh start across the Channel may be just what the British
Lions tourist needs to revive his career.
Agen had previously
show interest in signing Finau Maka, the former Stade
Toulousain player, but Carcassone have now won the race for
the Tongan's signature.
Negotiations between
Powell and Agen are said to be at an advanced stage, with
the final details likely to be sorted by the weekend.
Mehrtens, 37, is
currently out of contract at Racing-Métro 92, but new coach
Michael Cheika is seeking experienced cover for Lionel
Beauxis in the No 10 position.
Mehrtens showed last
season that he can still hold his own in Top 14 and a deal
could be signed later this week.
If he does cross the
capital then it will reverse a summer trend that has Racing
- who finished sixth last season - pinch two former Stade
Francais favourites in the shape of Mirco Bergamasco and
Juan Martin Hernandez. Ironically, it is the latter's
arrival that prompted Racing not to offer Mehrtens a new
deal.
In other transfer news the continuing stripping of
Montauban's playing assets continues unabated with Johan
Dalla-Riva the latest to confirm his exit from the
bankrupt club.
Dalla-Riva has signed a
two-year deal with ProD2 side Grenoble, where he will
be joined by former Clermont and Bourgoin scrum half John
Senio.
Elsewhere, four Top 14
sides returned to training on Monday with Stade Toulousain,
Biarritz, Brive and Toulon all reporting back for pre-season
training. It was an admittedly low key affair at Toulouse
however as only five players turned out for the Heineken Cup
winners, with Yann David, Virgil Lacombe, Pierre-Gilles
Lakafia, Yohan Montes and Yannick Nyanga comprising the
entire group.
The club's remaining
squad members have all been away on international duty and
will be allowed extra time to recuperate.
Over at Toulon,
meanwhile, the arrival of former All Black winger Rudi
Wulf has been confirmed after the player was overlooked
by New Zealand for the forthcoming Tri-Nations series.
That triggered a
release clause in his North Harbour contract and allowed him
to join up with Philippe Saint-André's ambitious squad.
