In years gone by, the big-name signings of the Top 14 would be splashed across the rumour mill by now. But this has been far from a normal year – and French recruitment would probably have looked very different even without the global pandemic.
The biggest news on the French rugby transfer market today is not even on the playing side of the game – no marquee names have put pen to paper this year – but on the coaching side.
Three clubs at the double-digit end of the table created recent management vacancies when they got rid of their head coaches. Agen were the first, parting ways with Christophe Laussucq, after nine defeats in their opening nine games.
They quickly filled their vacancy, bringing in former Toulouse coach Regis Sonnes who had been consulting with France U20s after leaving Ernest Wallon at the end of last season. Regis Sonnes, a hugely talented coach and thoroughly decent person, has been unable to stop the weekly hemorrhage of points and Agen, at the foot of the table with two points and 15 defeats in 15 outings, are clearly already looking to a spell in the ProD2.
The second was Pau, who relieved co-managers Nicolas Godignon and Frédéric Manca of their duties just before the European break in early December after a run of six straight defeats. An interim coaching team led by forwards coach Paul Tito, scrum coach Thomas Domingo and backs coach Geoffrey Lanne-Petit have eased worries slightly with key wins, but the club remains 11th, worryingly close to 13th place, the relegation play-off spot.
But they have recruited very smartly. From next season, Sébastien Piqueronies – currently in charge of France’s age-grade internationals – will head the coaching team. He’s the man responsible for developing the pathway that has allowed Fabien Galthie to create that France team everyone’s been talking about recently.
Pau have yet to confirm any other signings for next season, but five players are already known to be on their way out, and another 13 senior squad players are at the end of their contract, along with 17 academy contracts.
Expect Piqueronies to focus his attention on the younger players, the ones he is more likely to be able to mould in his own double world championship-winning image.
Then there’s Montpellier. France has long had its share of magpie presidents, dating back to the days Max Guazzini put the razzmattazz into Stade Francais.
Mohed Altrad is the latest in that line, forever in search of the next big thing without considering whether they actually fit. While Pau worked quickly and quietly to get one of the most exciting young coaches in France right now, Altrad pitched his Montpellier project at established names of the moment since sacking Xavier Garbajosa at the beginning of January.
First, there was Michael Cheika, who had been on Altrad’s wishlist for quite some time.
The billionaire said in an interview with L’Equipe that a number of well-known foreign coaches – namechecking Cheika, as well as former coach Jake White and Stuart Lancaster – had declared an interest in the hotseat. But interest in all three appears to have cooled, after Altrad declared his preference for a French coach.
His first target was reportedly Pierre Mignoni, who is under contract at Lyon until 2023. But both club and coach gave that idea short shrift. “The door is double-locked and there is no reason to open it,” said Lyon’s president Yann Roubert.
Mignoni admitted he was flattered, but that’s about as far as his interest went. So, attention shifted to Clermont’s Franck Azema, who’s also under contract until 2023 and unlikely to go anywhere soon. With Altrad’s French options rapidly running out, Cheika may come back into the equation.
Montpellier – temporarily at least – consigned Bayonne to the relegation play-off spot when they finally broke a seven-match losing streak, beating Stade Francais 31-6, courtesy of a brace from Vincent Martin and a breakaway score from Cobus Reinach.
Mignoni’s current side are on a bad run of their own. On Friday, he watched from the sidelines of Clermont’s Stade Marcel Michelin as his Lyon players –including new arrival from Leicester Jordan Taufua – lost a dour affair 26-18 to rack up their sixth loss in seven games.
Tomorrow, Castres face Bayonne in a must-win game for both strug gling sides, while Victor Vito returns to action for the first time since October as La Rochelle – with the top of the table in their sights – travel to injury and Six Nations-hit Racing 92.
And finally… That Top 16 plan didn’t last long. On Wednesday, outgoing LNR president Paul Goze slammed the door on plans to expand the French top flight to 16 teams.
At a meeting of club presidents to agree salary-cap compensation to clubs whose players are called up to the France squad, Goze took the opportunity to shut down talk by the likes of Bayonne boss Philippe Tayeb, who had been pushing for the expansion, saying that it created the image of an unstable brand at a time when the LNR was inviting tenders for potentially lucrative Top 14 TV broadcast rights.
By the time Goze’s second presidential term ends, in March, the new TV deal should have been hammered out.
