Top 14: Jean-Jacques Crenca sacked by Toulon
27
October 2008
Forwards
coach Jean-Jacques Crenca has become the first casualty at
Toulon, but possibly not the last, following their poor
start to the season.
The
former French international was sacked by the Top 14
strugglers on Monday, less than 48 hours after they slumped
to a 21-17 home defeat against 13th-placed Castres.
Crenca
will be replaced by former youth team coach Aubin Heuber,
but the focus will inevitably now turn again on Tana Umaga’s
position as head coach.
The
former All Black has been under pressure all season as
results have failed to match investment for the ambitious
newcomers. Being bankrolled by a comic millionaire might
sound like fun, but Mourad Boudjellal expects returns on his
investments and his patience is clearly wearing thin after a
run of poor results that included consecutive hammerings –
by Northampton and Bristol - in the European Challenge Cup.
More
worryingly for Toulon they have now lost three Top 14 games
on the spin, including Saturday’s home reverse, leaving them
hovering just two points above the drop zone and the
prospect of an immediate return to ProD2.
That
would be a financial disaster for Boudjellal after spending
millions attracting the likes of Jerry Collins, Joe Van
Niekerk and Sonny ‘Bill’ Williams.
Consecutive away trips to Montauban and Toulouse are
unlikely to brighten the gloom in the coming fortnight and
Umaga must now be wondering how long he has left to turn
things around.
Boudjellal has backed his head coach for the time being but
the rumours that have linked a number of well-known coaches
to Umaga’s post already this season – including Australian
John Connolly - look set to continue.
|
