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Heading south: Lionel Beauxis
Photo: Michael Paler |
European champions
Stade Toulousain have, as anticipated, completed the
signing of France fly-half Lionel Beauxis from
Stade Francais.
Beauxis is a direct
replacement for departing fly-half David Skrela, who is
joining Clermont Auvergne.
The 25-year-old, capped
18 times by France, has agreed a three-year contract that
will see him return down to the region of his origin.
Beauxis was born in
Tarbes and started his career at nearby Pau, before his
five-year sojourn in the capital with Stade Francais.
Now he moves to French
rugby's other Stade, following the footsteps previously
trodden by Skrela, as he seeks to move on to the next stage
of his career.
Elsewhere, Racing-Métro 92
have won the race to sign Brive's French
international Fabrice Estebanez.
The ambitious Paris
club have been notably quiet in the transfer market so far,
but the capture of Estebanez would be a significant signing.
Estebanez announced
some time ago that he would be leaving Brive at the end of
this season and the dual international can play either at
fly-half or in the centres.
Racing appear to have
the fly-half slot covered with the presence of Juan Martin
Fernández and Jonathan Wisniewski, but there's no doubt
Estebanez's versatility is a quality much prized by coaches.
The 30-year-old made
his debut for 'Les Bleus' during November's internationals,
becoming the country's first dual-code international for 57
years having previously been capped 20 times by the French
rugby league side.
No official
announcement has yet been made, but AFP quoted a Brive
source confirming the deal this week.
Estebanez's departure
follows those of Gerhard Vosloo (to Clermont Auvergne),
Alexis Palisson (to Toulon) and Shaun Perry (to Worcester
Warriors).
But it's not all
one-way traffic at the relegation threatened Limousin club,
with Biarritz duo Arnaud Mignardi and Yann
Fior set to arrive, on condition that Brive retain their
Top 14 status. Twice-capped Mignardi, 24, is being signed as
a direct replacement for Estebanez, while Fior, also 24, is
a winger.
Top 14 League Table 2010/11
Brive have also
concluded a deal to sign Aurillac's South African
back-rower Petrus Hauman, 23, who will cover for the
loss of fellow Saffer Vosloo.
Elsewhere, Wales
scrum-half Mike Phillips has denied rumours he was
set for a summer move to France.
Phillips, 26, had been
tipped to follow fellow Ospreys James Hook and Lee Byrne to
play in Top 14 next season, but the British Lions scrum-half
said he would honour the remaining three years on his
current contract before possibly crossing the Channel.
"Talk of me leaving is
nonsense," he told the Western Mail. "I have a contract with
the Ospreys that has three more years after this one and
that is that really," he added.
But Phillips did say he
fancied a spell in France down the line. "I would love to go
out there and experience it, who wouldn't?" he said.
"It wouldn't be about
money, more the lifestyle and being able to look back on
your career having done something different. They have
massive stadiums, full of fans for every game and that would
be great to experience as well," added Phillips.
