Top 14: Nallet and
Tillous-Borde set for Castres exit; Wallaby Giteau staying
put
08 December 2008
Relegation-threatened
Castres are facing a player exodus if reports in Midi
Olympique are to be believed, with French captain Lionel
Nallet and international scrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde
both wanting away.
Thirty-two-year-old
Nallet, who has 42 caps for the national team, is apparently
in talks with Montpellier – together with Sale’s Sebastien
Chabal – while Tillous-Borde (23) is soon expected to
confirm a switch to Brive.
The double loss will
only be partially compensated by the signing of Montauban
coaching duo Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers.
In a further blow to the
club - which is currently 13th in Top 14 - it was also
confirmed that fly-half Cameron McIntyre sustained a double
fracture of the jaw in their 33-3 Heineken Cup defeat at
Leinster.
The Kiwi fly-half is now
expected to be out of action for at least two months.
Elsewhere, it appears
that
Bayonne’s audacious bid to
lure Australia fly-half Matt Giteau will end in
failure.
The player himself
poured scorn on a projected megabucks move to France,
indicating he was more likely to switch his Australian
franchise team rather than move abroad. It seems the
forthright comments of the Australia Rugby Union (ARU),
which ruled out any possible ‘sabbatical’ deal, have had the
desired effect.
“I want to be playing in
Australia, but I can’t say where that will be,” Giteau told
the Sunday Herald Sun.
The Wallaby No 10 is now being tipped to
switch from the Western Force to the ACT Brumbies, although
he said his immediate priority was to rest.
“I need a break from
rugby. I need to freshen up and think about things away from
rugby,” he said. “While I’m away I’ll take a good look at
where I want to be.”
The move never seemed
likely once the ARU – to which he is contracted until 2011 –
ruled out a temporary move.
Giteau was hoping for a
similar deal to that agreed between the New Zealand Rugby
Union (NZRU) and its star player Dan Carter.
The All Black No 10 has
just started a six-month stint with Top 14 side Perpignan,
who he watched lose at Leicester Tigers on Saturday evening.
Carter took part in his
first training session with the Catalans on Monday morning
and is now likely to make his debut in the reverse Heineken
Cup clash with Leicester at the weekend.
French clubs generally
will be out for revenge after only two of their seven-strong
contingent managed victories at the weekend. This was in
sharp contrast to the six clubs from England’s Guinness
Premiership, which managed a clean sweep of wins.
Still, at least the
French have officially had the most player representatives
so far in the tournament with their 147 being 35 more than
England’s.
Wales (97), Ireland
(76), Scotland (54) and Italy (46) come next, with New
Zealand’s 38 being the largest number from a country not
directly partaking in the competition. There have also been
26 South Africans, 22 Australians and 16 Argentinians.
Finally, Newport Gwent
Dragons centre Marc Stcherbina has had a successful
neck operation after being stretchered off against Toulouse
in Saturday’s Heineken Cup match.
The 32-year-old
Australian was rushed to hospital after suffering damage to
a disc and a cracked bone.
“The operation has gone
well and he has movement in his arms and legs,” said Gethin
Jenkins, the Dragons’ chief executive.
“He will undergo further
tests before a decision will be taken on when he will be
returned home to Wales. Our main priority is his long-term
wellbeing,” added Jenkins.
Stcherbina was treated
on the pitch for 10 minutes after a second-half collision,
before being taken on to hospital in Toulouse.
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