Rugby. Jokers in Toulouse and Lyon, Mercer, Pro D2… The latest transfer info
By Writing Rugby
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Toulouse. A joker targeted to replace Cyril Baille?
This is the bad news of the offseason of the Toulouse stadium. The international left pillar Cyril Baille was performed on Friday at the level of an adductor and should be out of the field for about 2 months. To make up for his absence, Toulouse would be eyeing a medical joker and it could be the Argentinian international pillar (32 years old; 68 caps) Francisco Nahuel Tetaz Chaparroaccording to the website Rugby Transfers.
Except that the player Benetton Treviso (Italy) is currently retained with the Argentinian selection to dispute the Rugby Championship 2022 and will not be available until the end of this competition, on September 24. Passed by the Stade Français, Lyon, Newport or Bristol, he would be the third Argentine in the Toulouse workforce, after the center Santiago Chocobares and the versatile three-quarter Juan-Cruz Mallia.
Lyons. A courted Tongan pillar
Another French international on the flank, the right pillar of Lyon, Demba Bamba. Operated on a knee following a cartilage lesion, he is unavailable for 6 months. To compensate for this loss in size, the new manager’s LOU Xavier Garbajosa prospecting on the international market in search of a good pick. According Midi-Olympicpriority track leads to Tongan international Feao Fotuaika (29 years). Of Australian origin, he has 25 Super Rugby games with the Queensland Reds and honored his first two caps in July with Tonga.
This file should know its outcome in the coming days while other CVs are still under the elbow of Lyon recruiters. He could already be the second medical joker hired by the LOU, after the New Zealand opener Fletcher Smith (27), landed from the Green Rockets Tokatsu (Japan) to compensate for the absence of the All Black Lima Sopoaga, activated with a patellar tendonitis of the left knee and away from the pitches for four months.
Montpelier. Zach Mercer to return to England
According The Telegraphthe third center line of Montpellier, Zach Mercer, is expected to return to England in July 2023. He is expected to move to Gloucester, but the MHR have not given up hope of keeping him. According to the British daily, the English international (25 years old; 2 selections), who greatly participated in the first shield of Brennus won by the Cistes against Castres last season, would already be finalizing the details of his future commitment with Gloucester. The Cherry and White have approached the former Bath player for several months and are on the way to seeing their wish granted. This expected return to the country, on 1uh July 2023, will ask Zach Mercer to be eligible for the XV de la Rose and therefore to participate in the World Cup in France, in 13 months.
On the side of Montpellier, Philippe Saint-Andre and his staff are preparing for the departure of their number 8, even if they have not yet given up their arms: “He is fulfilled here”, reacted “PSA” at the microphone of Free lunch. “We told him to continue. But the England coach asked him to come back. I would understand Zach’s choice to leave, even more so when there’s a World Cup on the horizon. It’s a shame, the English realize that he is good when he is in Montpellier (laughs). “Almost four years after his second selection, in November 2018, the native of Leeds should therefore wear the jersey of the XV of the Rose in less than a year.
Mont de Marsan. A Fijian arrives
Stade Montois formalized this Monday, August 8, 2022 the arrival of Fijian center or winger Misaele Petero. The 26-year-old comes from Israel, and more specifically from the Tel Aviv club, with which he played in a Rugby Europe Super Cup semi-final last season.
Biarritz. A Welsh center as reinforcements…
Friday August 5, the club of Biarritz (Pro D2) formalized the arrival of the versatile Welsh three-quarters Tyler Morgan (26 years). Trained at Newport RFC, he then played for 7 seasons at the Dragons (2013-2020), before joining the Llanelli Scarlets, from 2020 to 2022 (19 games; 1 try). Welsh international at XV (5 caps) and VII (13 caps), he can be assessed as well in the center as on the wing.
… Francis Saili at an impasse
The New Zealand Center Francois Saili, who still has two years left on his contract at Biarritz Olympique, does not yet know what his sporting future will be like during the 2022-2023 season. Even if he obtained a good exit from the leaders of Biarritz, after the relegation of the Basque formation in Pro D2, no Top 14 club has, for the moment, bought back his two years of contract. Bordeaux Bègles, Lyon and Stade Français would be informed, but no club has finalized the operation, for the moment, and the first two clubs mentioned would not even be targeted.
The reason would be financial, with the leaders of the BOBP who would ask for colossal compensation to release the player from the All Blacks (2 selections). the French Stadium would not be ready to buy out the two years of contract at the asking price and would try another option, demanding a 12-month loan from Francis Saili. This would allow Biarritz to reduce its payroll since the Stade Français would take its full salary, and the New Zealand center could in this case honor its last year of contract if the soundtrack returned to the Top 14 at the end of the 2022-2023 season.
Aurillac registers 2 new recruits
According to Rugby Travel Academy (AFS)the club ofAurillac (Pro D2) recorded the arrival of two new reinforcements, the South African hooker Matthew Bowden and the Namibian third line Rian Grove (19), who signed a two-year Espoir contract in Cantal, i.e. until 2024.
Joffrey Michel signs for Saint-Jean-de-Luz (National 2)
On Friday August 5, the Basque club of Saint Jean de Luzpromoted to National 2, formalized a recruit of choice, in the person of rear experimentation Joffrey Michel (35 years). A native of Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône) and trained at RC Châteaurenard, before starting his classes at the Castres training center, he has 223 professional matches, with Perpignan, Montpellier and Oyonnax. Able to evolve at the back and on the wing, even in the center, the ex-international France 7 was free since the end of his commitment with Oyonnax.
Mined by injuries in recent seasons, Joffrey Michel hopes to finally chain the matches and win all his experience at the SJLO. Basques who enlisted the third line on loan Gabriel Souverbie (21 years old), on loan from Pau, and the Spanish second line Gorbei Allende Larrea (21), on loan from Biarritz.
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