A New Giant awakens in French Rugby

kornboy130 · Post by **kornboy130** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:12 pm

stole from the planet rugby website:
Racing Metro - Ze Stade has warned us they were on the way up - but on the way up THIS FAST? look at these signings (including stades own gangster Auradou apparently).
The club is in proD2 (second division), but the new chairman said he wants the club to access the first division before 2008.

The budget is 9 M€... £6m... which is even more than the avaerage premiership club over here can afford. So next year, we will see a really, really big team... for such a level.

Look at this :

New players :

Jeff Dubois (Toulouse)
David Auradou (Stade Français)
Andrea Lo Cicero (L'Aquila, ITA)
Carlo Festuccia (Parme, ITA)
Sireli Bobo (Biarritz)
Michel Dieudé (Clermont)
Thomas Lombard (Worcester, ANG)
Franck Tournaire (Narbonne)
Simon Raiwalui (Saracens, ANG)
Tevita Vaikona (Saracens, ANG)
Laurent Sempere (Perpignan)
Jonathan Wisniewski (Colomiers)
Marc Giraud (Toulouse, prêt)
Johnny Leo'o (Canterbury Crusaders, NZ)
Rua Tipoki (Canterbury Crusaders, NZ)
Brent Ward (Canterbury Crusaders, NZ)
Fabien Fortassin (Tarbes)
Soane Toevalu (Toulon)
Kas Lealamanua (Biarritz)
Sylvain Dupuy (Perpignan)

And according La gazzetta dello sport, Pierre Berbizier (who will stop coaching the italians after the world cup) could sign as coach.

Rumours says that Castaignede and Magne are waited... but i think that's [made up].

Next year will be great, with both Toulon and le Racing fighting to access the top 14...

nwnreader · Post by **nwnreader** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:22 pm

I reckon he could have the Archangel Gabriel, and still not get into the next division before 2008!!
I just hope his gathering of players can become a team/

kornboy130 · Post by **kornboy130** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:26 pm

nwnreader wrote:I reckon he could have the Archangel Gabriel, and still not get into the next division before 2008!!
I just hope his gathering of players can become a team/

i think they mean the 08/09 season the wish to spend in the top 14.

Ze Stade Fan · Post by **Ze Stade Fan** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:40 pm

I personnally think that their best signing is "Bibi" Auradou, our captain. Not the best player on this side of earth - although - but the soul of our club, the man that can raise the spirits of a whole team. Sometimes even from the sin bin as well, as he is really popular with French refs.

Toulon as well has got a crazy signing policy, and many people wonder if this kind of spending spree is gonna show any benefits. it already caused a real catastrophy : all the players who knew they'd be left in the shadow the season after dropped the case, and both Toulon and Racing Métro had to abandon their hopes of joining the elite, while the much more "folk rugby" Auch made a perfect season and joined top 14 with much less media attention.

Anyway, I can't wait for Racing Métro to climb up : I want a derby ! I'm sick of having to travel a minimum of 5 hours to the nearest elite rugby stadium !

Do you know that for us, playing Wasps is nearly the equivalent in train time to playing Toulouse ?

Crivvens · Post by **Crivvens** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:06 pm

Franck Tournaire, so thats where he's gonna be playing then. At least we'll know their weak link if we ever play them!

kornboy130 · Post by **kornboy130** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:26 pm

any ideas how they managed to lure auradou away stade? or was it just a brief case full of cash saying "spend your last few with us - its worth your while".

robwatts77 · Post by **robwatts77** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:31 pm

:censored: hell that is some shopping over the summer! was it me or did pichot turn down the chance to come her to go there or was that racing paris?

kornboy130 · Post by **kornboy130** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:32 pm

robwatts77 wrote::censored: hell that is some shopping over the summer! was it me or did pichot turn down the chance to come her to go there or was that racing paris?

Racing Paris = Racing Metro - same thing.
French press and french posters on planet rugby seem to think pichot is coming here instead... i guess its all in the air.

Ze Stade Fan · Post by **Ze Stade Fan** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:19 pm

kornboy130 wrote:any ideas how they managed to lure auradou away stade? or was it just a brief case full of cash saying "spend your last few with us - its worth your while".

This is YOUR fault! Auradou had already won the French Shield 4 times when he signed. He is now a 5-times winner. But Bibi Auradou wanted the H-Cup. The defeat on April first, plus Serge Blanco locking horns with Dr Millar about the future of the cup, our David just thought there'd be no more challenge ahead of him at Stade Français, and he went for greater glory at Racing Métro (which by the way is certainly NOT in Paris, even if they have a false claim on the name).

So at the time David signed there was no more H cup. Now David has got a challenge and some reasons to believe he's gonna make it, he leaves Stade in full glory. And the money is said to be very good.

But I saw my dear captain in tears at the Paris City Hall as he said to the lads "it'll be hard to find a group such as yours" and he wasn't drunk yet !

From second division to five shields! can you believe this ? Well, yes, you can, but it's Leicester in here! :mr.green:

kornboy130 · Post by **kornboy130** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:26 pm

ah well.. so thats Auradou is our fault, Pichot was almost our fault, Kayser is our fault and Hernandez (i pray) will eventually be our fault. Have i missed any others?

I also struggle to see how he can win a Heineken Cup in Pro D2... but hey? what can you do. It's a tough sport but who have Stade signed to replace the players leaving? The only person i remember signing for you was Simon Taylor - which is why it made it ever more unfair that you got to keep Parisse! you already have the best 2 :censored: number 8's in france! and now you want a third!? its like oliver! "please sir, please can i have some more number 8s?" :oP

but seriously - who HAVE stade signed.

boondock · Post by **boondock** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:39 pm

they have signed david gerard from saints too - not a superstar but good solid squad member nonetheless.

and rua topoki was my motm at the maori - canada game at the gardens the other week.

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:58 pm

Newcastle threw the cheque book at it and signed lots of great players. So did Saracens. And Bath brought in RL imports.

Fat lot of good it did them!!!

nwnreader · Post by **nwnreader** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:12 pm

Which RL imports at Bath? Jason Robinson did ok, as best my memory serves me, and Chav Walker - an RFU 'placement' - is coming on. Now if you had mentioned Henry Paul, Iestin Harris, Andy Farrell.....
When Mr Shepherd threw his checkbook to the wind and blew a fortune at Gosforth his gathering of players were successful, until other teams came together. Too many times a good team of average players has come through against 15 'stars'.

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:17 pm

Andy Robinson brought in short term contract players at Bath before RFU "encouraged" teams to employ the likes of Robinson, Paul and Farrel.

The team has it!!!

Ze Stade Fan · Post by **Ze Stade Fan** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:56 pm

- Clyff Milton, second row from Blue Bulls, SA
- David Attoub (right prop, from Castres)
- Frank Montanella (prop, from Auch)
- Pascal Papé, second row from Castres
- Denys Drozdz, second row from Brive

I can't see Pichot leaving for Racing Métro now that Loffreda is with you. I dunno where but I saw an very interesting interview of Loffreda talking about Argentinian spirit and how much they love and need to be together.

I dunno either who painted "remember who sunk the Belgrano!" on the door of the dressing room. Is that you, Bill ?

(sorry, moderator, this one is really tasteless) :o?