Top 14: Toulon president Boudjellal admits
Henry was on his hit list
27 November 2008
Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has
admitted that he initially targeted All Blacks coach Graham
Henry to work as a temporary consultant alongside Tana
Umaga.
Boudjellal revealed his intentions after
confirming that ex-Springbok coach Jake White would take up
the role instead, performing a “club audit” while he works
at Toulon between December 3-22.
No name, it seems, is too great for
Boudjellal to consider bringing to the Top 14 club, although
results on the pitch have so far proved elusive for the
big-spending outfit as they seek to consolidate following
last year’s promotion.
White’s imminent arrival follows a failed
attempt to recruit Australian John Connolly earlier this
month.
“Tana Umaga did not want to work with John
Connolly and as a replacement there were, in my eyes at
least, only two people possessing sufficient legitimacy to
give their opinion – Jake White and Graham Henry,” said
Boudjellal.
“The latter wasn’t free and he probably
wouldn’t have like to be an advisor to his successor! I have
therefore chosen Jake White,” the millionaire president
added mischievously.
“I think that when someone is a world
champion, it is because he theories that work.”
Boudjellal said White’s role was to give
“outside opinion” on how the club is structured and run,
specifically on the playing and coaching side. Quite how
this will work with Umaga remains unclear.
“To have all the elements necessary for this
audit, he [White] will be completely free to move around. He
will equally give advice to the technical staff,” said
Boudjellal.
“Tana Umaga is alone and
like everyone, he has some doubts. Having someone next to
him could help him. He isn’t in danger and like Aubin
Hueber, he has been informed of the arrival of Jake White.
“I am asking them just to listen to him and
take in what there is to take in,” he added.
Toulouse
could be without fly-half David Skrela for Friday evening’s
top-two clash with Bayonne. The international No 10, who had
a torrid match against Australia at the weekend, suffered a
minor adductor strain in training on Tuesday.
His absence could pave the way for
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde to return to action a week earlier
than anticipated.
Meanwhile, injured winger Vincent Clerc has
resumed training for the first time since damaging knee
ligaments in March.
Bayonne
have injury concerns of their own with Australian Manny
Edmonds a doubtful starter after picking up a leg injury.
Elsewhere, Laurent Rodriguez, sporting
director of Biarritz, has confirmed that forwards
coach Jacques Delmas has been suspended pending a meeting
with chairman Marcel Martin next week.
The Catalans have struggled for form this
season and go into their weekend clash with Stade Francais
on the back of three successive defeats, the last of which
was to lowly Toulon.
Better news was the return of American winger
Takudzwa Ngwenya following international duty in Japan. He
is expected to be in the squad to face Stade Francais.
Basement club Mont-de-Marsan have
suffered a serious blow with confirmation that fly-half
Benat Arrayet will be absent until mid-January with a
shoulder injury.
Montpellier
also have injury worries with news that hooker Mickael
Ladhuie and South African back row Warren Britz could both
be out for up to six weeks.
Ladhuie has a stress fracture of the pelvis
while Britz is suffering from hepatitis.
Finally, Stade Francais prop Rodrigo Roncero is free
to carry on playing after his ban appeal against was
postponed for three weeks.
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