LET'S NOT get carried away. Gael Fickou had a good game for Toulouse in their win over Leicester on Sunday, but was the 18-year-old’s try-scoring performance really that special? Sure,…

WITH THE 2012-13 Heineken Cup starting on Friday how healthy are the French clubs ahead of the opening round? Runaway Top 14 leaders Toulon play Montpellier on Sunday evening but…

IT IS a year since Lee Byrne won the last of his 46 caps for Wales, but the 32-year-old full-back hasn’t given up hope of hitting his half century this…

“MICHALAK IS back” screams the headline in this week’s Midi Olympique, alongside a photograph of Toulon’s Freddie, a player for whom the word ‘mercurial’ could have been invented. Michalak played…

Bakkies Botha

THEY SAY Lourdes is where you go in search of a miracle cure, but if you’re a thirty-something Englishman Toulon seems to be the place in France that has healing…

HE'S GOT the Vespa, he’s learning French and Aled Brew has even been bodyboarding in the famous Biarritz surf. Yes, the former Dragons’ wing is enjoying his new life in…

Chabal fan

By Gavin Mortimer, Rugby World writer FOR A man who two years ago was reputedly the highest paid rugby player in the world, Sebastien Chabal embarked upon the latest stage…

Luke Charteris

DOWN IN Perpignan Luke Charteris isn’t hard to miss. At 6ft 9in and 20st, and with that fair Celtic skin of his, he stands out a mile in the Catalan…

Gethin Jenkins

By Gavin Mortimer, Rugby World writer THE OLYMPICS are over and the football season is about to get underway. But don’t worry, it’s not all depressing news on the sports…