Brits abroad

[francoisfou]

Stade Français head coach, Karim Ghezal has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect, and current defence coach Paul Gustard is likely to have his responsibilities broadened.
Being appointed head coach hasn't been announced yet, but it would appear Gustard's name is in the frame as he won't now be joining the England set up.

[Puja]

Stade Français head coach, Karim Ghezal has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect, and current defence coach Paul Gustard is likely to have his responsibilities broadened.
Being appointed head coach hasn't been announced yet, but it would appear Gustard's name is in the frame as he won't now be joining the England set up.

Very peremptory from Stade after just four games, especially considering they finished second last season. Not sure how wise promoting Gustard is given his unsuccessful tenure as top dog at Quins, but it's entirely possible that he's grown as a coach since then.

I note Stade are just one bonus point behind Racing in the table. Burt'll be cursing them for giving Lorenzetti ideas.

Puja

[francoisfou]

Jack Willis is said to have accepted an extended contract to 2026 with Toulouse.

Sam Simmonds could be on his way to join brother Joe in Pau. As Billy Vunipola joined Montpellier this season, competition for the 8 jersey will be intense so that could be a good move for Sam.

[Mellsblue]

No one showing any signs of coming back. Perhaps we should chuck our lot in with the French rather than URC. We might even have a couple of clubs with stadia and budgets big enough for ProD2…

[Puja]

No one showing any signs of coming back. Perhaps we should chuck our lot in with the French rather than URC. We might even have a couple of clubs with stadia and budgets big enough for ProD2…

I mean, are we really especially needing anyone back apart from JWillis and possibly Marchant? Don't know we're especially missing out by not having Joe Simmonds or the twilight years of the Vunipolae.

I'm choosing to be optimistic and say that 2026 is a very specific date suggesting Willis is planning on giving himself a season in England to try and make the RWC squad.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

No one showing any signs of coming back. Perhaps we should chuck our lot in with the French rather than URC. We might even have a couple of clubs with stadia and budgets big enough for ProD2…

I mean, are we really especially needing anyone back apart from JWillis and possibly Marchant? Don't know we're especially missing out by not having Joe Simmonds or the twilight years of the Vunipolae.

I'm choosing to be optimistic and say that 2026 is a very specific date suggesting Willis is planning on giving himself a season in England to try and make the RWC squad.

Puja

Looking at it from a Prem vs Top14 & ProD2 viewpoint not Team England.

[Puja]

No one showing any signs of coming back. Perhaps we should chuck our lot in with the French rather than URC. We might even have a couple of clubs with stadia and budgets big enough for ProD2…

I mean, are we really especially needing anyone back apart from JWillis and possibly Marchant? Don't know we're especially missing out by not having Joe Simmonds or the twilight years of the Vunipolae.

I'm choosing to be optimistic and say that 2026 is a very specific date suggesting Willis is planning on giving himself a season in England to try and make the RWC squad.

Puja

Looking at it from a Prem vs Top14 & ProD2 viewpoint not Team England.

Ah. In which case, we'd be lucky to collect any of the leavings from their table.

Puja

[FKAS]

I mean, are we really especially needing anyone back apart from JWillis and possibly Marchant? Don't know we're especially missing out by not having Joe Simmonds or the twilight years of the Vunipolae.

I'm choosing to be optimistic and say that 2026 is a very specific date suggesting Willis is planning on giving himself a season in England to try and make the RWC squad.

Puja

Looking at it from a Prem vs Top14 & ProD2 viewpoint not Team England.

Ah. In which case, we'd be lucky to collect any of the leavings from their table.

Puja

Given the strength of the England age grade sides recently I'm not really fussed with the players coming back, it's the young talent that's going over there whilst still at academy age. That's the concern.

[francoisfou]

This weekend's Top14 Brits:
Stade Français: 10 Zach Henry
Montpellier: 8 Sam Simmonds, 20 Billy Vunipola

Vannes: 1 Mako Vunipola
Racing: 12 Sam James, 10 l'homme de glace, 4 Jr Kpoku, 22 Dan Lancaster

Castres: 3 Will Collier
Toulouse: 15 Blair Kinghorn

Bordeaux/Bègles: 4 Jonny Gray
Bayonne: still no Manu

La Rochelle v Lyon: no one

Perpignan v Pau and Clermont v Toulon: teams yet to be announced.

[francoisfou]

This weekend's Top14 Brits:
Stade Français: 10 Zach Henry
Montpellier: 8 Sam Simmonds, 20 Billy Vunipola

Vannes: 1 Mako Vunipola
Racing: 12 Sam James, 10 l'homme de glace, 4 Jr Kpoku, 22 Dan Lancaster

Castres: 3 Will Collier
Toulouse: 15 Blair Kinghorn

Bordeaux/Bègles: 4 Jonny Gray
Bayonne: still no Manu

La Rochelle v Lyon: no one

Perpignan v Pau and Clermont v Toulon: teams yet to be announced.

Perpignan: 3 Kieran Brookes
Pau. 9 Dan Robson, 10 Joe Simmonds, 3 Harry Williams

On Sunday evening:
Clermont
Toulon: 3 Kyle Sinckler, 6 Lewis Ludlam

[francoisfou]

Manu Tuilagi could finally make his Top14 début for Bayonne this weekend at home (at the Stade Anoeta, Saint Sébastien, the home of Spanish football team Real Sociédad) against La Rochelle. Former Newcastle winger, Mateo Carreras could also play his first match of the season.

[francoisfou]

Jack Maunder and Billy Searle are Agen’s halfbacks in these evening’s ProD2 match at home to Dax.

[francoisfou]

Courtney Lawes plays 7 this evening in Brive's home match against Biarritz for whom Jonathan Joseph (maybe back from injury?) will be on the bench.

Jonny May wears 11 for Angoulême at home to Provence who'll have Tiemana Harrison at 6, Jimmy Gopperth at 12 and Haydn Thompson-Stringer on the bench.

[TheNomad]

Is being out there really helping improve Arundell's game? The whole "he'll come back a better player" thing...not sure I totally buy into it.

Mercer was excellent before he went, and not obviously better when he came back. It's not like getting proper game exposure in the prem (and Europe) is harming the current group of England's backs, AND they're playing test rugby. Nor is not playing in France having any negative effect on the Ireland team! Is the Pro12 really much different in general standard to the Prem?

Think of his competition - are IFW, Freeman etc. really suffering because they're not playing in France? If they want to go for the cash, that's their call. But I'm unconvinced it's the right thing to do, when you consider that they're getting no test exposure while they're there.

He should come back soonish, or he'll miss some really important developmental years of test rugby. I'd guess they won't give him much positional variation out there either. Again, not good for development. Over here he'd get a go at full back too

[francoisfou]

Is being out there really helping improve Arundell's game? The whole "he'll come back a better player" thing...not sure I totally buy into it.

Mercer was excellent before he went, and not obviously better when he came back. It's not like getting proper game exposure in the prem (and Europe) is harming the current group of England's backs, AND they're playing test rugby. Nor is not playing in France having any negative effect on the Ireland team! Is the Pro12 really much different in general standard to the Prem?

Think of his competition - are IFW, Freeman etc. really suffering because they're not playing in France? If they want to go for the cash, that's their call. But I'm unconvinced it's the right thing to do, when you consider that they're getting no test exposure while they're there.

He should come back soonish, or he'll miss some really important developmental years of test rugby. I'd guess they won't give him much positional variation out there either. Again, not good for development. Over here he'd get a go at full back too

I’ve not seen any of Arundel’s matches this season and from what I’ve read, he’s not exactly been showing “international form”, so maybe you’re right in your comment, and if he were to come back he’d be fairly low in the pecking order too. The Mercer situation was quite different, in my opinion, as he was outstanding in the Top14, but probably chose the wrong club in England to try and put himself into Stevie Blunder’s shortlist of No8s.

[Puja]

Is being out there really helping improve Arundell's game? The whole "he'll come back a better player" thing...not sure I totally buy into it.

Mercer was excellent before he went, and not obviously better when he came back. It's not like getting proper game exposure in the prem (and Europe) is harming the current group of England's backs, AND they're playing test rugby. Nor is not playing in France having any negative effect on the Ireland team! Is the Pro12 really much different in general standard to the Prem?

Think of his competition - are IFW, Freeman etc. really suffering because they're not playing in France? If they want to go for the cash, that's their call. But I'm unconvinced it's the right thing to do, when you consider that they're getting no test exposure while they're there.

He should come back soonish, or he'll miss some really important developmental years of test rugby. I'd guess they won't give him much positional variation out there either. Again, not good for development. Over here he'd get a go at full back too

I’ve not seen any of Arundel’s matches this season and from what I’ve read, he’s not exactly been showing “international form”, so maybe you’re right in your comment, and if he were to come back he’d be fairly low in the pecking order too. The Mercer situation was quite different, in my opinion, as he was outstanding in the Top14, but probably chose the wrong club in England to try and put himself into Stevie Blunder’s shortlist of No8s.

Arundell's a difficult example though, because he's so young and so talented, but was being treated like the finished article by fans, press, and sometimes coaches when he 100% wasn't. It's not altogether surprising that he will go through a rough patch, especially in a struggling team, and probably not helped by people mounding heaps of pressure on him at such a young age. Declan Kidney was doing an incredible job of managing and developing him, IMO, and it's a shame that was interrupted by LIrish disappearing. Can't help but wonder if he may've been better going to be managed by van Graan at Bath, rather than being signed with the expectation of being fully-fledged superstar with Racing's galacticos.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah Arundel is a weird one, obviously capable of incredible moments but I don’t think he was particularly deserving of (m)any of his caps, to be honest. We just didn’t seem to have any other hopes of attacking effectively.

There was a huge amount of hype and pressure put on him and I can understand wanting to get away from that for a bit.

The way he gets talked about sometimes is ridiculous. He didn’t do anything wrong, but even I would have scored those 5 tries he got in his last game.

[francoisfou]

Top14 round 6 will be played today and tomorrow:

Racing: No Arundel! 12 Dan Lancaster, 10 Owen Farrell, 4 Jr Kpoku
Toulon: 3 Kyle Sinckler, 6 Lewis Ludlam, 18 Dave Ribbans

Bayonne: 12 Manu Tuilagi, 18 Alex Moon
La Rochelle

Montpellier: 8 Billy Vunipola, 15 Stuart Hogg
Vannes: a match off for Mako Vunipola

Pau: 9 Dan Robson, 10 Joe Simmonds
Castres

Bordeaux/Bègles: 18 Jonny Gray
Perpignan: 11 Ali Crossdale

Toulouse: No Blair Kinghorn (maybe dropped after two consecutive defeats for Toulouse) and Jack Willis still unavailable due to injury
Clermont

Lyon: Ko tomorrow and teams yet to be announced
Stade Français

[Puja]

Montpellier: 8 Billy Vunipola, 15 Stuart Hogg
Vannes: a match off for Mako Vunipola

I believe that the Vunipolae do not play against each other if it can be avoided, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was actually written into one or both of their contracts.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

It does seem strange that, given how many years they’ve had to do full intensity training against eachother, but I guess Billy is a bit of a weirdo anyway.

[Puja]

Apparently MakoV did end up playing for Vannes against Montpellier. Actual quote from BillyV after the game:

"It was very nice to see him, but it was very difficult to play against him. I wouldn't say I was trying to avoid him, but let's say I wasn't really trying to attack him."

Absolutely wild. I don't get how you could possibly play a game of rugby like that. Can't imagine that statement thrilling his employers either.

Puja

[francoisfou]

Montpellier: 8 Billy Vunipola, 15 Stuart Hogg
Vannes: a match off for Mako Vunipola

I believe that the Vunipolae do not play against each other if it can be avoided, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was actually written into one or both of their contracts.

Puja

Although not in the team that Vannes originally announced, it now appears that Mako did indeed play.

[francoisfou]

Clermont are in need of a top class fly half and according to Midi Olympique, they've have approached George Ford.
Probably pie in the sky because Ford has a contract with Sale until 2026 and will still have aspirations to play for England, but maybe it's an offer that can't be refused, if an early-release deal can be struck with Sale.

[FKAS]

Clermont are in need of a top class fly half and according to Midi Olympique, they've have approached George Ford.
Probably pie in the sky because Ford has a contract with Sale until 2026 and will still have aspirations to play for England, but maybe it's an offer that can't be refused, if an early-release deal can be struck with Sale.

I thought he signed a three year deal when he left Tigers and so is out of contract summer 2025?

[Puja]

Clermont are in need of a top class fly half and according to Midi Olympique, they've have approached George Ford.
Probably pie in the sky because Ford has a contract with Sale until 2026 and will still have aspirations to play for England, but maybe it's an offer that can't be refused, if an early-release deal can be struck with Sale.

I thought he signed a three year deal when he left Tigers and so is out of contract summer 2025?

Just googled and you are correct - it was a 3 year deal, but it's expected that he's on the verge of re-signing with Sale and, given that he moved from Leicester because he loves the north and wanted to put down roots there (and has just had his first kid and his dad and brother are both in the area), I can't see him going away to France.

Puja