Toulon in turmoil
10 Oct 2008
French rugby’s big spenders Toulon’s nightmare introduction to the big leagues continued when they were whipped 56-3 by Northampton in the European Challenge Cup.
Coach Tana Umaga’s side have lost four of their seven Top 14 matches and drawn one to date, and have now started their European campaign in the worst possible way.
Umaga will point to the fact that he had rested the majority of his leading players, including South Africans Ross Skeate, Joe van Niekerk and Tiaan Liebenberg. But billionaire owner Mourad Boudjellal, seated in the stands, was reportedly visibly unhappy at yet another defeat.
In April of this year keo.co.za reported that Boudjellal had approached current Leicester Tigers coach Heyneke Meyer about the possibility of taking over from Umaga, during a lean spell for the southern France club. Meyer declined but Umaga will no doubt be feeling the heat after a similar run of results.
22 Comments
10 Oct 2008, 09:11 am
Ha ha! Big spending Dragons. Buying overpriced over-the-hill players comes at a price.
10 Oct 2008, 09:17 am
Why does he not buy Jake White as coach. Lots of Saffas in the Toulon team, so there should be cynergies. Tana obviously not that good a coach. Jake not coaching at the moment. Or would coaching a non-national side be “beneath” Jake?
10 Oct 2008, 09:23 am
If Tana considers Joe van Niekerk and Tiaan Liebenberg as two of his leading players, no wonder the “snotklap” Toulon received from Northampton.
10 Oct 2008, 09:23 am
Jake might be just the answer.
10 Oct 2008, 09:38 am
The WP of France.
10 Oct 2008, 09:50 am
#5 PissAnt:
Must hurt to say that
10 Oct 2008, 09:54 am
#6 jondood:
Nah, years of disappointment numbs the senses.
10 Oct 2008, 10:08 am
this foreign legion side can’t buy championship??
10 Oct 2008, 10:27 am
I’m live in Northampton and am a big Saints fan and absolutely loved this victory last night. For side that were relegated 2 seasons ago they’re certainly on the up again, and with Carlos Spencer at the helm and playing so well I really think the Saints are in for a good season.
OH WHEN THE SAINTS…GO MARCHING IN…OH WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN!!!!
10 Oct 2008, 10:29 am
#9 Yetirat:
shut up..your comp is second divison
10 Oct 2008, 10:44 am
What did they expect? They have the crapest tight five in the league.
Spent his money on a coach with no coaching experience, a injury prone rugby league player who has never played union, and some over the hill big name players!
10 Oct 2008, 11:17 am
This was a Toulon second team taking on a Northampton first team and the owner expects to win?
10 Oct 2008, 11:20 am
I am tired of this sensational ****. Get your facts right. Mourad Boudjellal is not a billionaire, he’s a millionaire. It doesn’t really matter because he’s damn rich anyways.
10 Oct 2008, 11:31 am
#10 greatest13gerber:
It is not my comp, loser!
I know its bloody 2nd division std but that doesn’t stop me supporting them. I watch what little Currie Cup Sky decide to show on TV here which is mainly Valke games and I’ve supported Province every game they’ve played. That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy some local rugby whilst living on the mud island!
10 Oct 2008, 12:29 pm
#14 Yetirat: Yeti,it was a great Saints effort but thank God Spencer was not playing,he is an absolute liability,every game they have started wit him they have lost
10 Oct 2008, 13:44 pm
#14 Yetirat: Don’t get too fussed, g13 is the resident moron.
10 Oct 2008, 19:07 pm
he should do what chelsea did, buy every other teams best players, spend like 30millions on a whole new team and after one season they will be unbeatable…then continue to buy opposition players who perform well against you and let them play for your reserves. buy more top players and put them in your team in a rotation system until they become average then sell them off cheaply! I can do management i can!
10 Oct 2008, 19:26 pm
Some more big-spending flops! From what I’ve heard, Tana is really out of his depth. Perhaps it would have been better for him to begin his coaching career in New Zealan, rather than in an environment like France
11 Oct 2008, 04:53 am
tana is gone
11 Oct 2008, 14:14 pm
Tana is only about 36 years old.He is a bit young to be coaching at this league,especially as its his first crack at coaching.Give hime a few more years and who knows
11 Oct 2008, 17:24 pm
#13 Ned:
To be rich he must be at least a multi-millionaire. Hell a million dollars doesn’t buy a decent apartment in Shaghai!
It’s not Tana’s fault. They played a much understrength team. They have injuries. Being a Kiwi he should be able to make up for it though. There are now more professional Kiwis playing abroad than at home, and the wannabe Deans is trying to steal the rest.
12 Oct 2008, 02:47 am
#21 AiDoc: Umaga is a joke coach and his hiring is symptomatic of the haphazard and amateurish way Boudjellal has gone about bringing Toulon back to the forefront of French rugby. Hire a proper coach and hire players who are willing to break themselves for the club not a bunch of showponies
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