James Harrington

Bayonne win battle for home semi-final

15 May 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Away from the bright lights of the European semi-finals, the regular season of France’s second-tier ProD2 drew to a close on […]

ProD2 call for system reset to aid recruitment

8 May 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Biarritz’s long-inevitable relegation from the Top 14 was finally confirmed last weekend when they lost 48-13 at home to Castres, 24 […]

All to play for as it begins to get serious

1 May 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON Like any other league, the business end of the Top 14 season is played in a haze of permutations and possibilities on a […]

Beauxis: Time to hang up my boots

24 April 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Arguably the most wonderfully and frustratingly French of French fly-halves, Lionel Beauxis, confirmed he will call time on his 19-year professional career […]

No respite as the race for play-offs ramps up

17 April 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The rugby season in Europe’s top three leagues gets confused at this time of year, as we head into the business […]

Toulon must do their maths to avoid points deduction

17 April 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TOULON’S end-ofseason run-in – and their points total for next season – may be complicated by JIFF rules. Under current rules, […]

Toulon fans in uproar at Carbonel departure

10 April 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Even by Toulon’s unusual standards, this season has been an extraordinary tale of failure and redemption. But, while confidence is mounting […]

Barlot gets the better of big rival Mauvaka

3 April 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Castres Olympique hooker Gaetan Barlot scored his third Top 14 try of the season yesterday, scoring a personal point in a […]

Les Bleues inspired to follow the men’s lead

27 March 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN A little over 24 hours after England’s statement win over Scotland in the first match of the 2022 Women’s Six Nations, […]

No time to rest as pressures mount up

20 March 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN This should have been a weekend off for those Top 14 and ProD2 players not involved in Super Saturday –a chance […]

Biarritz’s top-flight dream all but over

13 March 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Promotion and relegation matters returned firmly to the forefront of Top 14 rugby minds, after bottom side Biarritz lost 45-17 at […]

Lock star Jolmes is latest UFO to appear

6 March 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The French for UFO is OVNI – which stands for objet volant non identifié. It is a term that has, over […]

Juggernaut Joseph has found his smile at Pau

27 February 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN This has been a bleublanc-rouge letter week for former France U20 phenomenon Jordan Joseph. It started last Saturday, with a fullblooded […]

Lemaitre puts his faith in Mignoni

20 February 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Toulon president Bernard Lemaitre pulled something of a recruitment rabbit out of his hat this week, as he confirmed current Lyon […]

Toulouse suffer fifth defeat in a row

13 February 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN No Top 14 matches were originally scheduled for this weekend – the second of the Six Nations – as clubs were […]

Overseas players facing the squeeze

6 February 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN It turns out the week leading up to the first round of the Six Nations – the week Covid limits were […]

France must deliver… and Galthie knows it

30 January 2022 1 comment

FRANCE Fans expect this to be best year yet under Galthie, writes James Harrington Talisman: Antoine Dupont is expected to be fit for the opening […]

Relief as Dupont returns to action

30 January 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Forty-nine days after he last played rugby, scrum-half, Antoine Dupont returned to action last night, alongside international half-back partner Romain Ntamack, […]

Galthie’s surprise UFO lands his chance

23 January 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France coach Fabien Galthie revealed his squad selection for Les Bleus’ first training camp ahead of the 2022 Six Nations on […]

Dupont is suddenly a doubt for Six Nations

16 January 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN No matter what Leinster thought about the situation when the news broke, European rugby officials took one of just two reasonable […]

Galthie: We have means to take title

9 January 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France coach Fabien Galthie will announce his 42-player squad for the Six Nations a week on Monday, a day before Eddie […]

New Covid rules test powers of persuasion

2 January 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN After much of the second round of European competition was called off before Christmas because of Covid- 19, it was inevitable […]

New deals depend on Six Nations silverware

26 December 2021 2 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Two years, or 20 matches if you prefer, is how long it has taken Fabien Galthie and his staff to transform […]

Coly looks destined to be rival for Dupont

19 December 2021 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Depending on your point of view, the fact that France’s so-called ‘golden generation’ shows no sign of disappearing any time soon […]

Mid-table Racing on top of the JIFF chart

12 December 2021 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON THE argument that the French Top 14 is a haven for overseas megaplayers is increasingly hard to defend – to the point where, […]

New loans aiming to return with interest

12 December 2021 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN What do Top 14 back rows Jordan Joseph and Martin Devergie, hookers Guillaume Marchand and Bastien Soury, scrumhalf James Hart, centres […]

Mercurial Teddy’s off in search of Test rebirth

5 December 2021 2 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France international winger Teddy Thomas wasn’t even in Racing 92’s squad for this weekend’s Top 14 defeat at Castres – yet […]

Mercer in top form as Eddie looks on

28 November 2021 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The Top 14 returned after a three-week international break for two rounds ahead of the start of the European competitions, with […]

Success of Ruiz puts refs in hot demand

21 November 2021 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN You’d be forgiven for thinking – especially after World Rugby’s sanction against Rassie Erasmus following his video rant after the First […]

Peace at Biarritz as row starts in Bayonne

14 November 2021 2 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Top 14 side Biarritz look set to remain where they belong – in the heart of the Basque Country – following […]

Players get a breather in season marathon

7 November 2021 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The relief on the faces of those players playing Top 14 rugby in France this weekend when the final whistles blew […]

Azema in for Collazo at Toulon – at a price!

31 October 2021 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Two stories have gripped French rugby this week – the changing of the coach at Toulon, and the possibility of a […]

Ntamack at 12 with Jalibert 10 is the plan

24 October 2021 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN After this weekend’s Top 14 matches, Fabien Galthie’s chosen 42 will head to FFR’s spartan ‘Marcatraz’ headquarters for the pre-November internationals […]

A lot rests on Kolbe’s shoulders – and knee

17 October 2021 2 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Toulon have welcomed a few global superstars down the years – but it’s difficult to imagine any of them have generated […]

Japan cash could force marquee men u-turn

10 October 2021 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Fears over the future contracts of France’s internationals have raised the spectre of a marquee player system in the Top 14 […]

Toulouse looking to splash the Kolbe cash | James Harrington

3 October 2021 1 comment

Summer recruits scored 32 of La Rochelle’s 59 points against Biarritz last weekend to the delight, no doubt, of Ronan O’Gara and his coaching team. […]

Quesada’s prediction over Stade comes true

26 September 2021 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Stade Francais’ head coach Gonzalo Quesada insisted this week that he was thoroughly aware of the state of the club he […]

Dominici trophy will offer clubs a respite

19 September 2021 2 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Toulon meet Stade Francais in the weekend’s final Top 14 match this evening. The Sunday night game doesn’t usually get much […]

Fly-halves on move are talk of the town | James Harrington

12 September 2021 1 comment

Clubs’ recruitment and retention plans never stop. No sooner have they closed the book on squad hires for one season, than they’re looking to fill […]

Kolbe saga could lead to transfer windows

5 September 2021 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Cheslin Kolbe’s midcontract switch from Toulouse to Toulon raised a few eyebrows in France. The deal itself is not a problem […]

Ronan O’Gara’s diamonds can come up trumps | James Harrington

29 August 2021 0 comments

James Harrington previews the new Top 14 season and sees promise in La Rochell’s hopes of banishing heartbreak in the final

Threat to pro rugby in Biarritz is very real | James Harrington

22 August 2021 0 comments

On paper, there was little out of the ordinary about Friday’s preseason friendly between impending Top 14 rivals Biarritz and Bordeaux. Fifteen days out from […]

Council steps in to take care of Beziers after Emirati takeover collapse | James Harrington

15 August 2021 1 comment

Thirteen months ago, you probably recall, a proposed mega-money takeover of French ProD2 side Béziers dominated the rugby headlines on the French side of the […]

Brookes in to power up Toulon set-piece | James Harrington

8 August 2021 0 comments

A Toulouse-like revival at Toulon doesn’t look set to happen this season on paper

Pau-bound Daniel Ikpefan braves the crossover | James Harrington

1 August 2021 2 comments

After falling out of favour at Toulon, Ikpefan gets a shot at starring elsewhere in the Top 14 at Pau

Fighting talk from Galthie should put fear in rivals | James Harrington

25 July 2021 3 comments

How Fabien Galthie is building depth with France whilst also being ’90 per cent’ sure of his squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup

Ibitoye on the move again after relegation | James Harrington

18 July 2021 2 comments

A relatively quiet transfer circus this year round in the Top 14, writes James Harrington

France are suffering a recurring nightmare | James Harrington

11 July 2021 0 comments

A tough loss for France to deal with in Brisbane – but they’ve been here before, writes James Harrington

Can French ‘third string’ spring more surprises? | James Harrington

4 July 2021 3 comments

Against seemingly evermounting coronavirus odds, France’s July tour of Australia is still set for Test takeoff – it may not quite have passed the abort […]