Latest news with #Top14
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
French rugby team gets boost ahead of All Blacks clash
France has reached an agreement with the Top 14 to allow some of the best players to join the national team for the summer tour against the All Blacks in New Zealand. Originally, France was expected to field a largely second-string squad due to the proximity of the Top 14 final to the Test series, which begins on 5 July. Under the agreement, up to five players from the two Top 14 finalist clubs can be included in the 42-man squad, provided they haven't had excessive playing time during the season. French rugby federation vice-president Jean-Marc Lhermet said the agreement struck a balance between sporting performance and player protection. Key players like Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud are unlikely to travel due to heavy workloads, while Antoine Dupont is still recovering from an ACL injury.
Telegraph
29-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Racing's €500,000 price tag could scupper Owen Farrell's early Premiership return
Racing 92 are believed to be demanding a transfer fee of €500,000 for Owen Farrell which could block hopes of the former England captain returning to the Premiership in a player/coach role next season. It is understood that Saracens had originally left the door open for Farrell to return to the Premiership club in a coaching capacity next year when the former England captain moved to Racing on a two-year deal at the start of this season. Telegraph Sport revealed on Monday that the 33-year-old was keen to accelerate his return to England at the end of this season. It is thought he wants to begin his transition into coaching early and amid concerns of the state of his body given the gruelling demands of the Top 14 season. With Kevin Sorrell, Saracens' long-standing backs coach, set to leave at the end of this season, a position has potentially opened up for Farrell to take his first steps in a coaching career, while continuing his playing career at the club where he spent 16 seasons before his move to France. Racing are understood to have already had approaches for him from Premiership clubs, including Gloucester and Leicester Tigers, but any potential hopes of an early return to Saracens however hang in the balance. Racing were reportedly able to successfully demand a hefty transfer fee when Siya Kolisi rejoined the Sharks after just one season in Paris, but no Premiership club is likely to be prepared to pay the €500,000 fee being demanded to secure Farrell's early release given his age and age and injury history. Gloucester have since recruited Ireland fly-half Ross Bryne from Leinster for the start of next season and Leicester have been linked with former Wallaby fly-half James O'Connor. Farrell's return to the Premiership would theoretically make him available to play for England, as the Rugby Football Union overseas rule currently prohibits players based at foreign clubs from being selected for the national side unless in exceptional circumstances. Farrell, who has won 112 caps for his country, decided to leave the Premiership club last year after stepping back from international rugby following the 2023 World Cup for mental health reasons. Whether England's all-time leading points-scorer is keen to return to the international stage is not certain, but his availability would be regarded as a major boost for head coach Steve Borthwick. At the time of Farrell's decision to take a break from playing for England after the pressure of international captaincy, including being booed by his own fans, became overbearing, Borthwick applauded his courage. 'Let's be clear, we're all hoping at some stage he will come back into the England team.' He is also under consideration for a late call-up into the British and Irish Lions squad for the tour of Australia this summer, but that could hang on his fitness. He has been suffering from concussion since Racing were defeated by Lyon in the Challenge Cup semi-final earlier this month and is not expected to play this weekend.
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Saracens boss plays down Owen Farrell return rumours: ‘Pie in the sky'
Saracens boss Mark McCall has played down rumours connecting Owen Farrell with a possible return to the Premiership club, describing them as 'pie in the sky'. Reports in France suggest that the north London side are negotiating over a release fee to bring Farrell back to England after a single season at Racing 92. The 33-year-old has struggled for fitness and form since arriving in Paris at a club that has endured a difficult Top 14 campaign, with Stuart Lancaster, his former England coach, axed earlier this year. Farrell left Saracens last summer after making more than 250 appearances to sign a two-year deal in France having already put his international career on hold, though a return to a player-coaching role has been mentioned. But McCall, director of rugby at Saracens, refused to comment on the reports, suggesting that Farrell remains under contract. 'It's just not worth answering, to be honest, because as far as I know he is under contract at Racing and has a year left,' McCall said. "There are so many of these stories that come out. As you know from me down the years, there is no point talking about something that is so pie in the sky. It's better for me not to comment." Farrell's departure last season left Saracens scrambling after the 112-cap England international expressed a desire to seek a new challenge. Racing 92 are thought to have paid a release fee of around €500,000 (£419,000) to secure his signing, and could well look to secure financial compensation themselves if the fly half leaves his deal early. While Saracens secured Fergus Burke, English-qualified but since a member of Scotland squads, to fill their fly half hole, the club would still potentially be in the market for another play-making option, particularly with veteran Alex Goode retiring at the end of the campaign. They are not alone in seeking a No 10 in a tricky transfer market - Gloucester have signed Ireland international Ross Byrne to bolster their options with Gareth Anscombe on the move, while Leicester have so far been frustrated in their pursuit of several top 10s with Handre Pollard returning to South Africa. A move into the Saracens coaching staff once his playing career is concluded has long been mentioned as a possibility for Farrell, who won six Premiership titles and three Champions Cups with the club. Saracens have confirmed that long-standing backs coach Kevin Sorrell will leave the staff at the end of the season, with Goode seemingly set to be offered a coaching role. McCall would be surprised if Farrell's future did not also lie in coaching, following in the footsteps of father, and British and Irish Lions boss, Andy. 'I would be very surprised if he didn't commit to coaching, to be honest," McCall said. "Rugby is in his skin. He has got a great IQ and a passion and love for it, like his dad [ Andy Farrell ]. I would be absolutely amazed if that wasn't what he wanted to do. "But I can tell you it won't be him who will be our next attack coach. He hasn't been interviewed. He is a player for now, and has 14 months left on his contract with Racing."
Irish Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Gordon D'Arcy: The greatest danger to Leinster could come from within
As Champions Cup finals go it was a reasonably well contested affair and part of the charm of the result was that it saw a new name engraved on the trophy, that of Union Bordeaux Bègles (UBB). While it didn't break up the French hegemony in terms of dominating European rugby over a handful of years now, it did admit a new club to the inner sanctum. That's an important consideration in the greater scheme of things. Bordeaux are a relatively new club, founded in 2006 through the merger of Stade Bordelais and Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde and represent the nouveau riche of French rugby. On Saturday Union Bordeaux Bègles confirmed that they are now a major player in European rugby . Bordeaux demonstrated what is achievable when two tribes come to a table to negotiate a singular pathway in rugby terms. It's not always an easy outcome. The model failed to take root in Wales, with hugely debilitating consequences for the sport as regional identities failed to inspire lasting loyalty. In contrast, Bordeaux's rise has been underpinned by a clear sense of place and purpose: a strong supporter base, a core of French players and coaching structures that were dialled into the club's ambitions to be able to compete in the Top 14 and Europe. It was predicated on getting the right people and players in situ and then providing them with the requisite support. READ MORE UBB's progress has been based on a steady progression, top six finishes in the Top 14 since 2020, losing the domestic final to Toulouse last season and now, Champions Cup winners. Converting potential into trophies matters, not least because it reinforces that the work being done is properly attuned to the end goal. For all talk of development, culture or process, it's silverware that validates a project. Unsurprisingly, they've quickly turned their focus to the Top 14. Historically, teams chasing a double face a very tough assignment. The emotional and physical toll of one final often leaves sides flat in the weeks that follow. You have to come down the mountain before you can start climbing again. You really have to be mentally and physically resilient when you embark on that journey to peak for a second time. Damian Penaud will have to get himself up again for Bordeaux-Bègles' next match. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho Leinster are on the opposite side of that coin, the last occasion they managed to win a trophy of note was the 2021 URC title. Since then, they have morphed into the 'nearly men', a tag no one wants. This season's URC comes with a 'now or never' ultimatum, a watershed moment that has the potential to lift the pall of disappointment. The province's obsession with the Champions Cup has left them susceptible to taking their eye off the URC prize. Once again, they have a shot to change that narrative. To not seize the opportunity would feel significant. Key players are ageing. The discrepancy in standard between some frontline players and those that covet that status is, in some positions, a little wider than you'd like. As we've seen so often in sport, windows close faster than anyone anticipates. It's important to stress, Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber aren't the ones who will decide whether Leinster lift silverware this season. That might sound counterintuitive, even unfair, considering the hours they pour into preparation. But at this stage of the season with the sun beating down on battered bodies, only the players can propel Leinster to outright success. The loss to Northampton wasn't a blip, based on the trail of tears in Europe over previous campaigns. That defeat to Saints exposed something we don't normally associate with Leinster teams − a lack of urgency. For long stretches, Leinster looked flat, hesitant, as if they were waiting for someone else to win it for them. The following week against Glasgow in the URC? More of the same, a team with more gears than a Bugatti Veyron but stuck in second. Andrew Porter, RG Snyman and Leinster may have to look within themselves to find a way through their remaining URC opponents. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho This isn't a systems issue. Leinster's model is as detailed and well-drilled as any in Europe. Their support lines, defensive shape and breakdown presence all bear the mark of top-class coaching and organisation. But none of that matters when the mentality isn't right. And now comes the uncomfortable bit. This isn't about refining a kick strategy or analysing lineout options. This is about each player looking inward, having that hard conversation with himself. On paper, Leinster are still favourites to win the URC. There's one caveat. How badly do they want it? When things go wrong, and they will at some stage, what happens then, in the 65th minute, when the lungs are burning, and the scoreboard is tight? Where do players look? What do they do? That's not something a coach can instil. That's internal. That's yours alone as a player. There are clear and present threats to Leinster's aspirations. Glasgow will back themselves if they earn another shot at the Irish province. Munster are lurking and have been here before, excelling in adversity when they won the title. The South African sides, as ever, click into gear when trophies come into view. But the greatest danger to Leinster might come from within. Carrying the psychological baggage of the Northampton defeat could prove fatal; the little voice expressing doubt can get very loud when you're struggling in a match. Leinster's occasional starter Jordie Barrett in action against Glasgow. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Those moments, that's where great teams, truly great teams, find a way to push through. Leinster have yet to answer whether they are still in that category. They have the talent, the depth, the experience. But you must meet those assets halfway with the required conviction. The URC run-in offers every incentive − home advantage, a partisan crowd and familiarity. But those can become pressure points too. Just like against Northampton, the sense of 'we should win this' can quickly become 'we must not lose this'. That's when the shoulders tighten. That's when instincts freeze. And that's where the coaches' influence ends. If this group is to right the wrongs of recent seasons, it won't be because Leo delivered a rousing speech or Jacques unveiled a new defensive scheme. It will be because the players accepted individual responsibility. It will be because the squad leaders demand standards, not hope they appear opportunely. Leinster will want to be on active duty for the next three weekends. To accomplish that is a test of character as much as playing capacity. The most important work won't happen in a team meeting or on the training pitch; it'll be framed by what takes place after looking in the mirror.
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Owen Farrell wants Premiership return
Owen Farrell wants to leave Racing 92 early and return to play in England, Telegraph Sport understands. The former England captain has suffered a difficult first season in the Top 14, where he has struggled with injury setbacks and coaching upheaval following the sacking of head coach Stuart Lancaster in January. Racing are understood to have already had approaches for the 33-year-old from Premiership clubs, including Gloucester and Leicester Tigers, for England's all-time leading points-scorer. An emotional return to his former club Saracens, where he spent 16 years, would also become a possibility if he was released from his contract a year early. Farrell, who has won 112 caps for his country, decided to leave the Premiership club last year after stepping back from international rugby following the 2023 World Cup for mental health reasons. A major sticking point to any move, however, would be if Racing demand a sizeable transfer fee for him to be released. Racing had to pay around £500,000 to secure Farrell's release from his Saracens contract in February last year. It is unlikely that any Premiership club would be prepared to pay such a figure, especially given Farrell's unfortunate run of injuries this season.
