Toulon swoop to sign Michalak
French playmaker Frédéric Michalak will be leaving Durban on the Indian Ocean and heading for Toulon on the Mediterranean.
The 29-year-old halfback has signed a three-year contract with Mourad Boudjellal’s ambitious club.
He will join in 2012 and hopes to be in line for the French side at the 2015 World Cup. He has not played for France since March 2010 but new national coach Philippe Saint-André wants to see him in action in the Top 14.
Michalak’s signature is Boudjellal’s early Christmas present to the club, which already has star inside backs Jonny Wilkinson and Matt Giteau on its books.
“Nothing has been signed but there is a verbal agreement on a contract for three years,” Toulon President Mourad Boudjellal told AFP.
“I think he will be a Toulon player next season,” added Mourad.
He has been impressed by the chance to play with Jonny Wilkinson and Matt Giteau. We need four to five players of a very high level and, if he signs, Fred will be the start of that.”
With Wilkinson dominant at flyhalf, Boudjellal said that Michalak would feature at scrumhalf for Toulon.
“It’s a good thing,” said Toulon coach Bernard Laporte, who used to coach Michalak at national level.
“We have been talking for a month. He is a name and this will be his last sporting challenge.
“He will come and play at scrumhalf, he knows that. His age and experience will help him in this position.”
Earlier this year Michalak spoke about returning to France but made it clear that it would not be to Toulouse, the city of his birth and the club that brought him up.
Michalak made it clear that he would honour his contract with the Sharks before returning to France.
His current contract in Durban ends at the end of the 2012 Super Rugby season. The regular season ends in mid-July of next year before the play-offs get underway.
