Adam Ellis casts an eye over the moves made in the Top 14 as it abounds with even more star talent
A gen
IN: Malino Vanai (Montauban), Walter Desmaison (Mont-de-Marsan), Laurence Pearce (Mont-de- Marsan), Xavier Chauveau (Racing 92), Raphaël Lagarde (Racing 92), Dylan Hayes (Angouleme), Clement Martinez (Biarritz), JJ Taulagi (Mont-de-Marsan), Pierce Phillips (Worcester Warriors), Julien Jane (Bayonne), Nathan Decron (BordeaViux- Begles), Jordan Puletua (Beziers), Joel Sclavi (Angouleme)
OUT: Antoine Miquel (Toulouse), Quentin Bethune (Stade Francais), Facundo Bosch (La Rochelle), Clement Laporte (Lyon), Denis Marchois (Pau), Julien Hériteau (Toulon), Jake McIntyre (Clermont), Fouad Yaha (Catalans Dragons), Yohan Montes (Provence), Xerom Civil (Carcassonne), Yoan Tanga-Mangene (Racing 92), Tamaz Mchedlidze (Rouen), Christaan van der Merwe (Carcassonne), Opeti Fonua (Layrac), Ricky Januarie (Chateauroux)
Bayonne
IN: Hansie Graaff (Massy), Alofa Alofa (Harlequins), Andres Gorin (Massy), Brandon Fajardo (Colomiers), Jean-Baptiste de Clercq (Oloron), Jean Monribot (Toulon), Edwin Maka (Racing 92), Mariano Galarza (Bordeaux), Viliamu Afatia (Bordeaux), Census Johnston (Racing 92), Mat Luamanu (Harlequins), Malietoa Hingano (Stade Francais), Djibril Camara (Stade Francais), Michael Ruru (Melbourne Rebels), Callum Wilson Angouleme (short-term deal)Br
OUT: Bandisa Ndlovu (Sharks), Juan Pablo Orlandi (retired), Tristian Tedder (Toulouse), Julien Jane (Agen), Alexandre Gouaux (Aurillac), Kyle Whyte (LondonScottish), Benjamin Thiery (retired), Gregory Arganese (retired), Maxime Marty (Toulouse), Bastien Fuster (Rouen)
Bordeaux-Begles
IN: Remi Lamerat (Clermont), Ben Botica (Oyonnax), Yoram Moefana (Colomiers), Maxime Lucu (Biarritz), Santiago Cordero (Exeter Chiefs), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Francais)
OUT: Luke Jones (Melbourne Rebels), Baptiste Serin (Toulon), Irakli Tskhadadze (Brive), Romain Lonca (Biarritz), Leroy Houston
The revolving door of international talent coming into the Top 14 continues to take up lucrative deals, but that didn’t stop Mathieu Bastareaud’s departure Stateside from stealing the headlines.
As one of the most notable players in world rugby, the France centre described his one-year move to Rugby United New York as the chance for ‘a new adventure’ having played his entire club career in the Top 14.
Bastareaud quit international rugby after being left out of Jacques Brunel’s 37-man training squad to prepare for this autumn’s Rugby World Cup, with his move to the fledgling Major League Rugby already confirmed.
Admitting ‘the blue page has been turned’, Bastareaud has since concluded a short-term deal to play for Lyon until the third season MLR begins in January 2020.
Now 30, the Les Bleus veteran spoke openly to Toulon fans in a video where he expressed a desire for something new in his career after spending eight years at Stade Mayol.
“As you have seen I will leave the club this season, it is a reflexion of a decision made with my family. “Of course, I have an opportunity to do something in these four months here (at Toulon). But I preferred to take on anoth- was a decision I made long before May.
“I just needed a change of air, to see something else. I wanted to thank you for your embrace and I will never forget you.”
With ‘Basta’ moving to the Big Apple, former teammate and European Player of the Year winner Steffon Armitage is also set to compete in the MLR after ending an eight-year stint in France spread across time with Toulon and Pau to join San Diego Legion.
Armitage was the subject of media hysteria in the lead up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup when then-England head coach Stuart Lancaster was pressured by some over the selection policy which restricted France-based players from the EPS squad.
This following the openside flanker’s outstanding season in domestic and European rugby in 2014, as Toulon completed the double in claiming their first bouclier de Brennus in 21 years and their third-consecutive Heineken Cup triumph.
Toulon are no longer the only club building squads as extravagant as the yachts moored at Cote d’Azur marinas, as the Top 14’s new TV broadcast deal worth £305m kicks in next season.
Lyon
IN: Demba Bamba (Brive), Vivien Devisme (Brive), Tanginoa Halaifonua (Massy), Clement Laporte (Agen), Xavier Chiocci (Toulon), Kilian Geraci (Grenoble), Patricio Fernandez (Clermont), Badri Alkhazashvili (Provence), Josua Tuisova (Toulon)
OUT: Lionel Beauxis (Oyonnax),
Manuel Carizza (retired), Delon Armitage (retired), Deon Fourie (Grenoble), Virgile Lacombe (retired), Albertus Buckle (retired), Adrien Seguret (Mont-de-Marsan), Quentin Delord (Brive)
Montpellier
IN: Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Jamie Mackintosh (Pau), Anthony Bouthier (Vannes), Handre Pollard (Bulls), Kahn Fotuali’i (Bath), Caleb Timu (Queensland Reds), Lucas de Connick (Biarritz)
OUT: Yvan Watremez (Biarritz), Romain Ruffenach (Biarritz), Alexandre Dumoulin (Pau), Julien Tomas (retired), Yannick Arrboyo (Beziers), Chris Kuridrani (Kagifa), Ruan Pienaar (Cheetahs)
Pau
IN: Denis Marchois (Agen), Alexandre Dumoulin (Montpellier), Ben Smith (Highlanders), Tonga Siegfried Fisi’ihoi (Stade Francais), Luke Whitelock (Highlanders), Lucas Pointud (Toulouse), Dominiko Waqaniburotu (Brive), Samuel Marques (Brive), Mohamed Boughanmi (La Rochelle)
OUT: Jamie Mackintosh (Montpellier), Thomas Domingo (retired), Julien Blanc (Brive), Sean Dougall (Valence Romans), Matt Tierney (Castres), Peter Saili (Valence Romans), Laurent Bouchet (Grenoble), Steffon Armitage (San Diego)
Racing 92
IN: Ali Oz (Grenoble), Kevin Le Guen (Angouleme), Dorian Laborde (Montde- Marsan), Francois Trinh-Duc (Toulon), Yoan Tanga-Mangene (Agen), Theo Velten (Angouleme), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Scarlets)
OUT: Xavier Chauveau (Agen), Raphaël Lagarde (Agen), Pat Lambie (retired), Ole Avei (Angouleme), Edwin Maka (Bayonne), Dimitri Szarzewski (retired), Census Johnston (Bay- (Biarritz), Greg Peterson (Newcastle Falcons), Mariano Galarza (Bayonne), Nathan Decron (Agen), George Tilsley (Perpignan), Lucas Lebrand (Biarritz), Viliamu Afatia (Bayonne), Brock James (La Rochelle
Brive
IN: Mesake Doge (Timisoara Saracens), Kitione Kamikamica (Vannes), Hayden Thompson- Stringer (Saracens), Setareki Bituniyata (Massy), Vano Karkadze (Aurillac), Julien Blanc (Pau), Quentin Delord (Lyon), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Mitch Lees (Exeter Chiefs), Nico Lee (Cheetahs)
OUT: Petrus Hauman (retired), Demba Bamba (Lyon), Vivien Devisme (Lyon), Luka Goginava (Angouleme), Felix Le Bourhis (Carcassonne), Dominiko Waqaniburotu (Pau), Samuel Marques (Pau), Ken Bikadua (Surenes), Damien Lagrange (Provence), Loick Jammes (Provence), Benjamin Petre (Albi)
Castres
IN: Hans N’Kinsi (Grenoble), Thomas Fortunel (Montauban), Filipo Nakosi (Toulon), Bastien Bourgier (Toulouse), Karena Wihongi (Carcassonne), Matt Tierney (Pau)
OUT: Thibault Lassalle(Oyonnax), Yannick Caballero (retired), Yohan Le Bourhis (Oyonnax), Scott Spedding (retired), Yohan Domenech (Rouen), David Smith (Narbonne)
Clermont Auvergne
IN: George Merrick (Harlequins), Jake McIntyre (Agen), Mike Tadjer (Grenoble), Rudy Paige (Cheetahs), JJ Engelbrecht (Stormers), Faifili Levave (Mitusbishi DynaBoars)
OUT: Remi Lamerat (Bordeaux), Michaël Simutoga (Grenoble), Argentina Patricio Fernandez (Lyon), Dorian Laverhne (Provence), Damien Chouly (Perpignan), Flip van der Merwe (retired), Corentin Astier (Montauban), Benjamin Kayser (retired), William Hutteau (Vannes) onne), Joe Rokocoko (retired)
La Rochelle
IN: Reda Wardi (Beziers), Facundo Bosch (Agen), Brock James (Bordeaux)
OUT: Hikairo Forbes (Provence), William Demotte (Grenoble), Steeve Barry (Biarritz), Benjamin Noble (Angouleme), Mohamed Boughanmi (Pau), Ryan Lamb (retired), Eric Marks (Vannes)
That sudden flow of cash has seen the southern hemisphere plundered for some its very best Test stock: All Blacks full-back Ben Smith signing for Pau and Argentina captain Pablo Matera handed a monster deal by billionaire- backed Stade Francais.
Pau’s audacious scoop for World Cup-winner Smith also comprised a bid to bring Hurricanes flanker Ardie Savea to the Pyrenees club, but the forward turned down the offer to re-sign with the NZRU having recently become a father.
Instead, it was Smith’s Highlanders teammate Luke Whitelock who signed on the dotted line and will be a feature of the Pau back row.
Both Pau and Agen were two clubs marooned above the precipice of relegation last year; not exactly under threat from strugglers Grenoble and no-hopers Perpignan but not exactly viable for a genuine shot at finishing within the top six either.
As Pau have spent big, Stade Francais have spent bigger in landing standout Jaguares flanker Matera.
The former Leicester Tiger was awarded the player of the match accolade in the 19-3 Super Rugby final defeat to the Crusaders. TRP understands Matera’s three-year deal with the Parisian club slots him in among the top five highest-earners in the league.
A price worth paying after stalwart Sergio Parisse announced he would be leaving Stade Francais after 15 years to join Toulon.
Stade Francais
IN: Christopher Vaotoa (Montauban), Quentin Bethune (Agen), Pablo Matera (Jaguares), Pierre-Henri Azagoh (Massy), Sami Mavinga (Newcastle Falcons), James Hall (Oyonnax), Sefa Naivalu (Queensland Reds), Thierry Feuteu (Alcobendas Rugby), Fabien Witz (Massy), Joris Segonds (Aurillac), Loic Godener (Grenoble), Quentin James (Perpignan), Ruan Combrinck (Lions), Lionel Mapoe (Lions)
OUT: Siegfried Fisi’ihoi (Pau), Piet van Zyl retired, Alexandre Flanquart (Bordeaux), Tony Ensor (Oyonnax), Morné Steyn (Bulls), Laurent Sempere (retired), Sylvain Nicolas (retired), Malietoa Hingano (Bayonne), Djibril Camara (Bayonne), Sergio Parisse (Toulon), Denis Coulson (Carcassonne), Elies El Ansari (Massy), Jimmy Yobo (Aurillac)
Toulon
IN: Christopher Tolofua (Saracens), Baptiste Serin (Bordeaux), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Nehe Milner-Skudder (Hurricanes), Duncan Paia’aua (Queensland Reds), Julien Hériteau (Agen), Bryce Heem (Worcester Warriors), Thomas Hoarau (Beziers), Theo Dachary (Biarritz), Masivesi Dakuwaqa (Western Force), Gabin Villiere (Rouen), Gervais Cordin (Grenoble), Beka Gigashvili (Grenoble), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais)
OUT: Guilhem Guirado (Montpellier), Xavier Chiocci (Lyon), Eric Escande (Grenoble), Malakai Fekitoa (Wasps), Francois Trinh-Duc (Racing 92), Jean Monribot (Bayonne), Josua Tuisova (Lyon), Filipo Nakosi (Castres), Mathieu Bastareaud (Rugby United New York), Darly Domvo (Biarritz), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Jonah Placid (Western Force), Juandre Kruger (Bulls)
Toulouse
IN: Antoine Miquel (Agen), Tristian Tedder (Bayonne), Bastien Chalureau (Nevers), Rory Arnold (Brumbies), Maxime Marty (Bayonne), Werner Kok (South Africa Sevens)
OUT: Pierre Gayraud (Grenoble), Piula Fa’asalele (Perpignan), Lucas Pointud (Pau), Richie Arnold (Yamaha Jubilo), Alexandre Manukula (Colomiers), Bastien Bourgier (Castres)
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