James Harrington

Boost for finances as recovery continues

7 May 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE Commission des Championnats professionnels de l’Autorité de régulation du rugby – the new name for the financial auditors of the […]

Toulouse look set to lead from the front

30 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN As the French Top 14 takes a week’s break for the Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals, here’s a look at the […]

Azema is on his way back to Perpignan

23 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Franck Azema is to end his coaching partnership with Pierre Mignoni at Toulon after just one season to return to his […]

Kolbe the latest to consider his future

16 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Heading into the business end of France’s Top 14 season, more than on-pitch matters remain up in the air – quite […]

Non-stop season to challenge the best

9 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN No-one has ever denied – no-one has ever been able to deny – that the French rugby season is an ultra-marathon […]

Parra has his eye on a final flourish

2 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN For a while, it looked as if Morgan Parra’s season – and possibly his career – had ended with an unwelcome […]

So, are the coaching changes worth it?

26 March 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Changing boss mid-season is never a decision taken lightly – which makes it unusual that there has been such a high […]

I’m off to the farm after this, says Jessy

19 March 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France have had a quietly dramatic week in the lead-up to the Women’s Six Nations, which kicks off for Les Bleues […]

Jelonch’s injury the latest to hit France

12 March 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FRANCE international Anthony Jelonch has had surgery to repair the ACL rupture he suffered midway through the first half of Les […]

Sofa, so good for the TV audience

5 March 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The impending World Cup and being home to the second-best international side on the planet are having a positive effect on […]

Michalak takes up Racing 92 challenge

26 February 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Racing 92 this week confirmed that Freddie Michalak will join the staff as attack coach on a three-year deal from June, […]

Time is running out for Castres

19 February 2023 2 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Pierre-Yves Revol, president of Top 14 strugglers Castres, was in no mood to mince his words this week as he laid […]

Hot seats which are always on the line

12 February 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Who’d be a high-level coach? They’re loved and hated, praised and criticised in equal measure on a near-daily basis. Their reputations […]

Bordeaux look set for season of turmoil

5 February 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Bordeaux lost to Stade Francais in Paris last night in the final match of the 17th round of the Top 14 […]

Laporte’s shadow still hangs over game

29 January 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Politics at the top of the FFR overshadowed the return of the Top 14 this week, which – nine months out […]

Gibbes given his marching orders after Tigers mauling

22 January 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Christophe Urios will take charge at Top 14 side Clermont on Monday, after the “breathing space” afforded his predecessor Jono Gibbes […]

France must wait for Meafou

22 January 2023 0 comments

Remember last year’s Patrick Schickerling incident? When Exeter’s Namibian front row thought he had qualified to play for England through residency, having arrived in the […]

Triple top! Galthie has tough ‘to-do’ list

15 January 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Delight: Fabien Galthie celebrates beating England to secure the 2022 Grand Slam PICTURE: Getty Images FRANCE coach Fabien Galthie has three […]

Clermont snatch it to take heat off Gibbes

8 January 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN CLERMONT coach Jono Gibbes, no doubt, breathed a huge sigh of relief, as his side came from behind to beat basement […]

Convicted Laporte ‘suspends himself’

31 December 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN PICTURE: Getty Images AS 2022 gives way to 2023, and about three weeks after he was convicted of corruption charges, the […]

Top clubs finding it tough in Europe

23 December 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Reigning Champions Cup title holders La Rochelle and 2021 winners Toulouse have been notable exceptions but Top 14 clubs have not, […]

Conviction that spells the end for Laporte

18 December 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Bernard Laporte’s future as president of French rugby’s governing body has to be untenable after he was found guilty of corruption […]

Kpoku on alert as he gets set for Saracens

11 December 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Raring to go: I’m massively excited about our match against my old club, says Lyon’s Joel Kpoku PICTURE: Getty Images Two […]

Clermont face fight to hold on to Penaud

4 December 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Star player: Damian Penaud is one of the hottest properties in French rugby PICTURE: Getty Images Damian Penaud is one of […]

Toulon’s Kolbe has Japan in his sights

27 November 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FIFTEEN months ago, news of Cheslin Kolbe’s switch from Toulouse to Top 14 rivals Toulon delivered an electric shock to what […]

Lucu gets chance to show what he can do

20 November 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Opportunity: Maxime Lucu steps up for France in today’s match against Japan PICTURE: Getty Images When an international side has a […]

Urios falling out of favour as Marti looks at options

13 November 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Under pressure: Bordeaux head coach Christophe Urios overseas training and, inset, Laurent Marti PICTURES: Getty Images A YEAR is a long […]

Bayonne turning home into a fortress

6 November 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN HEADING into the three-week international break, two Top 14 teams in particular will be pretty happy with their opening 10-game block. […]

The going now gets tough for Toulouse

30 October 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN IT’S very much a case of so far, so good for Top 14 leaders Toulouse, who headed into this ninth weekend […]

Davidson’s departure puts Mela on the spot

23 October 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Of the three words in Arnauld Mela’s week-old job title ‘interim head coach’ at Top 14 side Brive, the first one […]

Lancaster bombs out Giroud at Racing 92

16 October 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Injury concern: France may be without full-back Melvyn Jaminet for the autumn internationals PICTURE: Getty Images The announcement this week from […]

Labit and Ghezal set to link up in Paris

9 October 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France attack coach Laurent Labit is set to replace Gonzalo Quesada at the head of Stade Francais – and is expected […]

Melikidze makes it count for Bordeaux

2 October 2022 2 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN SATURDAY’S Top 14 match between Bordeaux and Stade Francais was not one for the annals – persistent rain, a slippery ball […]

Verdict on corruption charges is awaited

25 September 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Tuesday, December 13. That’s the date a Paris court delivers its verdicts on FFR President Bernard Laporte, vice president Serge Simon, […]

Jalibert in line to join Barrett at Racing 92

18 September 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France international fly-half Matthieu Jalibert’s unfortunately timed early-season travails continued on Saturday, amid renewed questions over his future at Bordeaux and […]

Racing 92 hit hard by Vakatawa retirement

11 September 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN For Racing 92, this is the first weekend after the unexpected retirement before. A matter of days after the club’s French […]

Toulouse will take title, say coaches

4 September 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Toulouse will win the Top 14 title at the end of another tight season – according to a survey of the […]

Concern as refs switch to other side

28 August 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Another of French rugby’s leading gamekeepers turned coach this week, as Top 14 referee Maxime Chalon put down his whistle and […]

Transfer market that never sleeps

21 August 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Accepted wisdom has it that the shortest period of time is the New York Second – helpfully defined in the Urban […]

Tide has turned on overseas galacticos

14 August 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN IT is a truth long universally accepted that the Top 14 is a pension-liner for big-name overseas players. The roll-call of […]

Toulouse spoilt for choice at full-back

7 August 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN How do you solve a problem like three current international full-backs competing for the only available 15 jersey at one Top […]

Broncan: We want to invest in youth

31 July 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Pre-season is now underway for all Top 14 sides apart from champions Montpellier, who officially return to camp on Monday. Some […]

Fofana, one of the stars of 2006, to bow out

24 July 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Clermont star Wesley Fofana this week became the latest Top 14 player to join the annual line of those permanently signing […]

Top eight to follow in Spring’s footsteps

17 July 2022 24 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Young Racing 92 fullback Max Spring earned careful praise from France head coach Fabien Galthie after a mixed performance on debut […]

Clash of the champions will open new season

10 July 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Two blockbuster matches are scheduled for the opening weekend of the 2022/23 Top 14 season as European champions La Rochelle entertain […]

Galthie in no rush to sign up his coaches

3 July 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON – FRENCH COLUMN FFR President Bernard Laporte was ready to offer Les Bleus’ head coach Fabien Galthie a new, extended contract if he […]

All eyes on Mercer as he rules in Paris

26 June 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN There’s no doubt the better side won Friday’s Top 14 final. Montpellier’s 29-10 win over Castres at Stade de France was, […]

France star Woki still weighing his options

19 June 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN No sooner have France’s Top 14 clubs just about closed the book on recruitment for the year then speculation begins on […]

World Cup will be won and lost in the run-up

29 May 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Fifteen months out from the 2023 World Cup, the rugby debate in host nation France is getting around to the workload […]

Racing 92 play down any move for Jones

22 May 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Try double: Matthieu Jalibert helped Bordeaux book their place in the play-offs England head coach Eddie Jones set the rugby rumour […]

James Harrington

Recent Posts

Search