Top 14: Biarritz manager Darrieumerlou is
replaced by former forwards coach Rodriguez
11 November 2008
Biarritz manager (sporting director) Georges
Darrieumerlou has resigned, being replaced by former
forwards coach Laurent Rodriguez.
Pressure has been mounting on the Basque club
following another inconsistent season, with matters
apparently coming to a head after the recent home reverse to
local rivals Bayonne.
The coaching duo of Jacques Delmas and Jack
Isaac remains in place for the time being but one of
Rodriguez’ main tasks will be to assess the effectiveness
(or not) of that combination.
The former international was part of the
successful Biarritz coaching set up when they won the
championship in 2002, and subsequently went on to work with
Pau and Brive.
Darrieumerlou explained that he resigned
because his working relationship with Delmas had
deteriorated over the past six months. “I can not continue
like that,” he said.
Elsewhere, there was further good news this
week for defending champions Toulouse with
confirmation that Freddie Michalak is back in full training
following his return from South Africa, while winger Vincent
Clerc is also on the mend.
Clerc has been out for seven months following
ligament damage in his left knee but the French
international is now back in non-contact training.
The Top 14 leaders were also being linked
with a trio of young players this week, including
Montpellier’s Louis Picamoles, as the transfer rumour mill
whirred into action.
According to French rugby paper Midi
Olympique the Red and Blacks are trying to tempt Picamoles
to the club along with Toulon’s 20-year-old lock Yoann
Maestri and Leicester’s 24-year-old French international
hooker Benjamin Kayser.
Castres scrum-half Sebastien
Tillous-Bordes has been called up the French squad to
play the Pacific Islanders in Sochaux following injury to
Morgan Parra.
Parra was ruled out after fracturing a finger
in France’s 12-6 victory over Argentina on Saturday.
Tillous-Bordes, 23, is still nursing an
injury himself and admitted he was “a bit surprised” but
“very happy” at the call.
He sat out Castres’ match with Montpellier
last week due to a thigh strain but said he was hopeful of
being fit enough to take his place with ‘Les Bleus’.
He was the only change in the 23-man squad
announced by Marc Lièvremont.
Meanwhile, Toulon hooker Phil Fitzgerald
has earned an international recall after being named in the
Scotland ‘A’ squad to face Georgia at Firhill on Friday.
The Toulon stalwart has been called up at the
age of 31 and 11 years after winning four under-21 caps in
1997.
National head coach Frank Hadden said he had
watched Fitzgerald three times already this season and that
he was the logical choice given Fergus Thomson’s current
injury.
Finally, Perpignan centre Jean-Philippe
Grandclaude has been ruled out for two to three weeks
after injuring his right ankle in training.
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