Michalak to play for Toulon

Back in the Top 14 after Super Rugby duty with the Sharks, Frédéric Michalak is eyeing a place in the France squad when he debuts for Toulon.

Michalak, capped 54 times for Les Bleus, has been lured from his beloved Toulouse to play for Toulon - the Mourad Boudjellal-funded Mediterranean club which already boasts ex-England talisman Jonny Wilkinson and Australian playmaker Matt Giteau among their ranks.

The 29-year-old fly-half has been in impressive form of late, having helped guide the Sharks to the Super Rugby final against the Chiefs. It didn't end well, however, with the South African outfit going down 37-6 in Hamilton.

Michalak is now back home, where he is hoping to tranfer his new-found form on the Super Rugby stage to the Top 14 and then - if things go his way - the Test arena.

"The France team is one of my goals and it's for that reason I wanted to come back to France," said Michalak.

Michalak is not certain to be a starter for Saturday's away match at Perpignan, with Toulon still awaiting a licence. But Toulon coach Bernard Laporte said he wanted him to "be competitive as soon as possible".

"I don't feel tired, but I want to respect the life of the squad that has suffered during pre-season training. I'll play when the coach decides," said Michalak.

"Bernard is someone who helped bring me to the highest level with the France team. He knows me well, I know his desire to win, to take players as far as possible."

All Blacks open The Rugby Championship season with a win

New Zealand opened their Rugby Championship account with a 27-19 win over Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

It was a tale of two halves. The Wallabies first took an early lead but The All Blacks did enough in the opening forty minutes of the match to bag four competition points as they kicked off the inaugural championship with a hard-fought victory.

The All Blacks scored two tries, both from set scrums which were the best moments in the match. The match ended with the Wallabies uncomfortably close to the All Blacks, who were the better side. That way it was so close is probably testimony to Wallaby resoluteness.

The scrums were a mess, line-outs were better. Wallabies handling errors were too many to grant them a good game. The All Blacks won the turnovers and in the first half enjoyed the quick ball. For some reason Will Genia preferred slowing down the game and it worked against his side. The Wallaby try came when he allowed his team to play quickly.

The second half became a battle of the boots as Carter and Barnes exchanged penalties. But, even after drawing the second half 9-9, the Wallabies weren't able to bridge the gap.

The result also means Richie McCaw and his merry men have taken a giant stride towards holding onto the Bledisloe Cup which has been in their possession since 2003.

Man of the match: All Blacks flanker Liam Messam repaid his coaches' faith by carrying his impressive Super Rugby form to the Test arena, while halfback pair Aaron Smith and Dan Carter proved once again to be a lethal combination. But the player who stood head and shoulders above the rest was Israel Dagg. The star full-back caused havoc whenever he touched the ball, bagged a try for his efforts and set up another.

Moment of the match: You just can't keep a good Dagg down! With only centimetres to work with, Dagg's 13th-minute touchdown after skinning his opposite number on the outside takes the cake.

Villain of the match: Despite an improved second half from Australia, they were unable to atone for Kurtley Beale's critical blunders in what was an error-prone performance by the full-back who will carry some self-inflicted psychological damage to Eden Park after letting in both of New Zealand's tries.

The scorers:

For Australia:
Try: Sharpe
Con: Barnes
Pens: Barnes 4

For New Zealand:
Tries: Dagg, Jane
Con: Carter
Pens: Carter 5

Yoh! Lions suspend Mitchell

The Golden Lions Rugby Union has suspended coach John Mitchell with immediate effect following complaints from the players regarding his management style.

The players have long been frustrated at Mitchell’s man management, which often features vitriolic criticism and unusually punishing training sessions, especially after performances he deems unsatisfactory.
One such session, on Monday, was the tipping point for the players. A source described it as ‘bordering on inhumane’ while another spoke about the players’ anger at being ‘treated like children’. Both confirmed that such poor man management has been an outstanding feature of Mitchell’s reign (there was a similar player revolt at the end of Mitchell’s stint with the Western Force).

Strauss took up the players’ cause with Lions president Kevin de Klerk, who said on Friday that ‘the nature of the complaints is so serious that we have suspended him, pending further investigation.’
Assistant coaches Carlos Spencer and Johan Ackerman will take control of the team for their remaining Super Rugby matches.

With the Lions in a financial crisis it is unlikely that they will be able to afford to fire Mitchell. They will hope the New Zealander walks away without seeking compensation for early dismissal, or that he will be open to negotiating a fee that would suit both parties.

This latest incident simply deepens the troubles of the already embattled franchise. With the Kings guaranteed inclusion in Super Rugby in 2013, the Lions, who have won just two matches this season, face relegation.

Saru has insisted that a solution will be reached that won’t see any South African franchise relegated. However, the Cheetahs have already indicated they are not open to a merger, while Sanzar, the governing body that oversees Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship, has stressed that no additional team will be accommodated under the current format.

Another Top 14 Season upon us....

Talk about a jam-packed 2012/2013 Rugby season, there's 29 rounds of rugby (including the knock-out phases) to go through and also remember that theres also Eropean fixtures, 6 Nations and June Tests to consider.... That  isn't much right?

Its going to be a lengthy season, at least ten teams have legitimate hopes of making the top six and qualifying for the Heineken Cup.

So let's take a look at who has what it takes to go all the way :

Champions of the last two seasons and France's most decorated club, Toulouse must once again be considered favourites to defend their title. Despite having the league's biggest budget, Guy Novès seldom splashes out in the transfer market but his recruitments are always from the top drawer. The return of Yoann Huget from Bayonne and the arrival of heavyweight youngsters Antoine Guillamon (Lyon) and Edwin Maka have left the squad as strong as ever. William Servat's conversion from hooker to forwards coach will be closely watched. The policy of turning former players into coaches has worked well in the past and in young Christopher Tolofua, Toulouse have a quality replacement on the field.

Beaten in the semi-finals of both the Heineken Cup and the Top 14 when they looked unstoppable, Clermont are a safe bet to be in the mix at the business end of the season. Despite their knack for breaking records, they have formed a habit of stumbling at the final hurdle. All that matters now in the Auvergne is silverware and Vern Cotter's side certainly have the necessary firepower. Keep an eye on fan favourite Napolioni Nalaga, who returns after a stint with the Western Force in Super Rugby.

Losing finalists in June, Toulon have once again gone on a major shopping spree in their bid to finally bag a trophy. Masoe, Durand, Michalak, Armitage x 3, Mermoz, Sheridan, Jenkins... the big names continue to arrive in the Var. They now have all the players required to compete on both the European and domestic fronts. Another year without silverware will be considered a major failure.

There have been a few major shifts behind the scenes at Racing-Metro where former Argentina international Gonzalo Quesada has taken over from Pierre Berbizier, whose old-school bully approach was no longer appreciated by many players. Sixth place last year was not good enough considering the money spent. The arrival of Dimitri Szarzewski, Mathieu Bélie, Luc Ducalcon and Sakiusa Matadigo will add some new blood to the squad but the departures of new big names - notably François Steyn - might leave the Parisians a little short of the requirements for the title.

After making the play-offs for three straight years, the perennial nearly-boys of the Top 14, Castres will hope to finally have a crack at the final. Relatively quiet on the transfer front, CO have compensated for the departure of Chris Masoe by signing former Springbok loose forward Pedrie Wannenburg. Also keep an eye on former Hurricanes pivot Daniel Kirkpatrick and full-back Brice Dulin, who arrives from Agen after making his Test debut in June.

Three former champions in a period of rebuilding, Perpignan, Stade Français, Biarritz have announced grand objectives for 2013.

After their worst season in years, 2009 champions Perpignan have made headlines by signing a few big names - especially Tongan try-machine Sona Taumalolo - but they have seen a large chunk of the squad exit for greener pastures.

Stade Français have totally changed their coaching staff as they seek a revival of fortunes after failing to make the play-off for three consecutive years. For once they've looked in-house and former flank Richard Pool-Jones has been charged with the task of bringing silverware back to the capital.

Montpellier have been punching above their weight for a few seasons thanks to a dynamic coaching team. Many feel Fabien Galthié was unlucky not to get the France job and their staff will be even stronger with the addition of Mario Ledesma as forwards mentor.

Bubbling under, ....

Agen and Bordeaux-Begles defied the predictions of many last season and finished relatively comfortably in mid-table. One of the oldest clubs in the country, Agen are taking their time about building for the future but are making constant, steady progress. Scotland tighthead Euan Murray will stabilise the scrum while South African lock Ross Skeate brings plenty of experience.

Former France legend Raphaël Ibanez has taken command at Bordeaux-Begles, who will be aiming to improve their defence but will expect to produce a few more upsets.

A number of big-name signings disappointed last season but Bayonne have grand ambitions and have flung their cheque book around once again. Former Wallaby Mark Chisholm will lead the Basque team this season. Keep an eye on 21-year-old sensation Marvin O'Connor, who has been tipped for big things.

As is always the case, the newly-promoted sides will struggle to make the step up from the ProD2.  Grenoble however, have promised to play attractive rugby and have legitimate ambitions of avoiding the drop after winning their way back into the top flight for the first time in seven years. After convincingly winning the ProD2, the core of their squad has been maintained although former Toulouse number eight Shaun Sowerby and Perpignan fly-half Nicolas Laharrague will add significant strength to their team.

Mont-de Marsan are no strangers to the top flight but are unlikely to stay up after winning promotion in a shock play-off win over Pau at the end of last season. Scottish international Scott Murray will be their star this season.