FFR President Pierre Camou has spoken out against the league’s plan to hold its Championship final on June 6, claiming that it has reneged on a previous agreement to play it on the last weekend in May.

The issue has been complicated by the LNR’s recent decision to host an extra round of play-off matches next season – with the teams finishing from third to sixth set to play a ‘quarter-final’ prior to a ‘semi-final’ play-off featuring the top two.

The reformed play-offs have been pushed through by LNR president Pierre-Yves Revol, but Camou is reportedly unhappy at the extended season as it impacts adversely on France’s summer touring squads.

New Zealand and Australia are already unhappy that France has sent under-strength squads to tour in recent years due to domestic play-off commitment, and both have threatened not to host future tours unless France’s strongest possible team is selected.

“At the end of last season a letter signed jointly by the FFR and the LNR has set the dates for the final of Top 14 in 2010 and 2011 to the last weekend of May,” Camou told Midi Olympique. “I will not surrender,” he added emphatically.

With Camou refusing to back down it now seems likely the LNR will be forced into one of two solutions: (1) to insert a midweek league fixture into the proposed schedule or (2) to play a third round of Top 14 fixtures during next season’s Six Nations Championships – they are already set to clash with the France-Italy match on March 14 and France-England match on March 20.

The latter proposal is unlikely to find favour with league broadcasters Canal+, which already suffers a downturn in audience numbers during international weekends. That would make a midweek fixture the more likely outcome, although that too has its opponents – most notably in the form of Proval, the players’ union.

Reports in France are speculating that former Stade Francais coach Fabien Galthié could be in line to take over at Montpellier.

The club’s president Thierry Pérez confirmed he and Galthié had been friends for some time due to their work together on LNR committees and refused to rule out the possibility of their relationship taking on a more professional aspect.

When Perez was asked if Galthié could be on the bench next season he replied cryptically “maybe”.

Montpellier sacked long-time coach Didier Nourault back at the beginning of March and are currently meandering in ninth position in Top 14 without any hope of qualifying for next year’s Heineken Cup.

On the playing front Clermont Auvergne flanker Alexandre Lapandry is set to miss the end-of-season play-offs due to the Under-20 World Cup taking place in Japan from June 5-21.

Lapandry, who is France’s captain, has no choice in the matter due to IRB regulations stipulating that players must be released by their clubs.

Clermont have been in cracking form of late and are hoping to finally overcome their play-off hoodoo after losing nine out of nine Top 14 finals they have contested. In an effort to reverse that trend they have engaged the services of sports psychologist Eric Blondeau.

Judging by results on the pitch Blondeau’s influence appears to be positive so far, with Brive the latest to feel the force as they went down 52-7 at the Stade Marcel Michelin on Saturday.

And the battered Brivistes were nursing more than just bruised egos this week following confirmation that number eight Alex Popham and flanker Gerhard Vosloo are both now doubtful for next weekend’s must-win trip to Montauban (and beyond) after picking up knee injuries against Les Jaunards.

Another club nursing wounded pride this week is Bourgoin, the European Challenge Cup semi-finalists who were crushed 61-10 at Bayonne on Saturday – the biggest defeat in Top 14 this season.

The loss, combined with victories for Toulon, Dax and Mont-de-Marsan, has hauled Bourgoin back into the relegation mire – a situation they believed they were already clear of due to back-to-back league wins against Montpellier and Dax.

“Everyone thought we were safe, but that is not yet the case,” said Bourgoin coach Xavier Pemeja. “It was a very, very bad day for us,” he admitted as he contemplated next week’s trip to a smarting Stade Toulousain.

To make matters worse the club has also been told it must find €2m by April 30 to satisfy the DNACG, the league’s financial watchdog.

On a more positive note they have opened negotiations with FC Auch Gers captain Stephen Saint-Lary as the financially crippled ProD2 outfit continues to be asset stripped.

Prop Alexandre Barozzi is also in line to leave – with Biarritz his apparent destination – while lock Olivier Caisso is being targeted by Tarbes. Four other players, including fly-half Frederic Couzier, have already agreed to join fellow ProD2 side Colomiers in the summer as Auch continue to head towards bankruptcy.

Finally, Dan Carter has hinted again that he fancies a return to Top 14 at some stage in the future – probably with Perpignan, and possibly after the 2011 World Cup.

“I would really like to play back in France,” he told Midi Olympique. “At the moment I am under contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) until 2011.”

The crocked All Blacks fly-half is still in Perpignan as he continues his rehab following an operation to repair his ruptured Achilles, and admitted the past couple of months have been “quite difficult” despite the support of family and friends in France.