Toulon's latest signing Gavin Henson said the opportunity to rekindle his career alongside Jonny Wilkinson was just too good to turn down.

The Wales international has made the move to France after just four appearances for  Saracens following his 18-month sabbatical, but has now targeted a World Cup berth if all goes well with Toulon.

Henson, who turned 29 earlier this month, has agreed a five-month deal with the Cote d'Azur club, with the carrot of a longer contract should he impress head coach Philippe Saint-André between now and the end of the season.

"It was just a massive opportunity for me. I couldn't really pass up on," he told BBC Wales. "looking at a clause in my contract as well, and plus Philippe was really keen for me to play at 12 at Toulon and start straight away, so more or less start playing next week," he added.

Toulon are scheduled to play at home against Top 14 strugglers Brive next weekend with Henson set to make his playing debut at the Stade Félix Mayol if he can prove his fitness following a calf injury.

The former Ospreys star confirmed he would begin training with his new team-mates on Monday, and could play against Brive in the fly-half position given that Wilkinson is away with England and Felipe Contepomi has a back injury.

Henson said he would be happy to play anywhere Saint-André asked to, although he added that the opportunity to eventually line up outside Wilkinson would be "amazing".

Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths told the BBC it was "unfortunate" that Henson was leaving the English club after just four games, but added that he wished the player well and denied his original capture had just been a publicity stunt.

"If Gavin feels his career lies somewhere else then under the terms of the arrangement we have with him he's perfectly entitled to do that," said Griffiths.

Toulon have agreed that Henson will be released for any Wales training camps and internationals, should he earn an international recall, but their latest signing will not be eligible to play for them in this season's Heineken Cup after featuring as a substitute for Saracens already.

The 31-times capped international made just one start for Saracens during his brief time with the London club, but Toulon head coach Saint-André will be hoping the player can make the same sort of impact in France that Wilkinson did after joining from Newcastle following an injury-plagued period of his career.

Henson made his international debut as a substitute against Japan in 2001, the same year he won the IRB Young Player of the Year award. He also made one appearance on the British Lions tour of New Zealand in 2005, but has never played at the Rugby World Cup - having missed out in 2007 following an Achilles tendon injury.

He has previously been linked with a possible move to the Celtic Crusaders rugby league franchise, while more recently he has featured on ITV's 71 degrees North and BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing.

His high-profile relationship with Charlotte Church brought two children - Ruby and Dexter - but the celebrity couple split in May 2010 just two months after announcing  their engagement. 

Henson's transfer to Toulon means he becomes the third Welsh international to agree terms with a French club in the past week, following on from James Hook (Perpignan) and Lee Byrne (Clermont Auvergne). The difference with Henson, however, is that he would move across the Channel immediately as he joins up with the Heineken Cup quarter-finalists.

Top 14 League Table 2010/11

George Smith, one of Henson's new team-mates, has confirmed that he will depart Toulon for a lucrative deal in Japan at the end of the season. The 30-year-old former Wallaby captain has signed a three-year contract with Tokyo club Suntory - reportedly worth €800,00 per season - but he told The Canberra Times that he had improved as a player during his time in France and that he would highly recommend other Australian players to follow suit.

"It's very much up to the individual. Because it's such a global game players will always be interested in the allure of playing in different countries and a different culture. Since I've been here [in France] I have enjoyed every aspect of it. I've enjoyed the style of play and the lifestyle it provides," he said.

Smith, who was recently forced into playing as an emergency scrum-half due to injuries against La Rochelle, added that "a lot of individual skills flourish here as well".

He refused to be drawn on whether Toulon would sign either Rocky Elsom or Matt Giteau in the summer, but did add: "Everyone's name gets brought up in Toulon. Toulon is a team that gets regularly thrown up by news outlets because Toulon have pursued players and have had success with some and lost out with some. Being here at Toulon is a very different feel to what I previously thought of the place."  

Top 14 Transfers 2010/11

Elsewhere on the transfer front, Heineken Cup champions Stade Toulousain have confirmed they have signed Fijian winger Timoci Matanavou from ProD2 side Mont-de-Marsan.

Matanavou, who had also been courted by Biarritz, is currently the leading try-scorer in ProD2 with 10 from 17 games this season. The 26-year-old previously experienced Top 14 rugby with 'Les Montois' in 2008/9 - when he scored three tries in 12 games - while last season he managed nine in 20 league games after Mont-de-Marsan dropped down to ProD2.

Stade Francais have also been to market, confirming the acquisition of Munster's Paul Warwick for next season.

The 29-year-old Australian can play at fly-half or full-back and has agreed a two-year deal with the Paris outfit.

Warwick joined Munster from Connacht in 2007 and helped them win the Heineken Cup in 2008. The former Australia sevens international was offered an extended contract at Munster, but opted to join former Leinster boss Michael Cheika at Stade Francais instead.

Leading scorers in Top 14 2010/11

Confirmed Transfers For 2011/12

In:
SU Agen: Dewald Senekal ** (from Toulon)

Clermont Auvergne: Lee Byrne (from Ospreys); David Skrela (from Stade Toulousain); Regan King (from Llanelli Scarlets); Gerhard Vosloo (from Brive); Benjamin Kayser (from Castres)

Montpellier: Rémy Martin (from Bayonne), Agustin Creevy (from Clermont Auvergne), Lucas Amorosino (from Leicester Tigers), Yoan Audrin (from Castres), Jean-Baptiste Peyras (from Bayonne)

Perpignan: James Hook (from Ospreys)

Stade Francais: Paul Warwick (from Munster)

Stade Toulousain: Timoci Matanavou (from Mont-de-Marsan)

Toulon: Gavin Henson ** (from Saracens)

Out:
Biarritz: Ayoola Erinle, Fabien Alexandre (to Grenoble)

Castres: Cameron McIntyre

Stade Toulousain: Byron Kelleher (possibly to Bayonne)

Toulon: George Smith (to Suntory, Japan)

** Gavin Henson joins Toulon with immediate effect, and likewise with Dewald Senekal to SU Agen.