Saturday Round-Up

Hernandez merry go-round: Juan Martin Hernandez is rumoured to be in talks with Montpellier head coach Fabien Galthie over a shock move to the club in the coming weeks, if reports emanating out of France are to be believed. Due to link up with Bernard Laporte at Toulon in the new calendar year, Hernandez is being lined up as a very short term option for Galthie’s outfit until the close of 2013, after news emerged of Francois Trinh-Duc’s broken leg against Oyannax last weekend. With just 21-year old Enzo Selponi the sole recognised flyhalf in the Montpellier squad as they enter a crucial period both domestically and in the European Champions Cup, Galthie desperately needs a quality operator at ten. Away from the option of Hernandez, the club have supposedly reached out to Clermont in hope of securing the services of third choice ten Mike Delany, but to no avail, along with Mario Ledesma approaching former Argentina star Felipe Contepomi, who is currently playing amateur rugby in his homeland. With European rugby already upon them, Montpellier will be hoping for a resolution in the coming days.

Armitage afforded release: Toulon head coach Bernard Laporte has insisted he has spoken to English boss Stuart Lancaster and reiterated that star back rower Steffon Armitage will be released for all of England’s training camps, should he be selected. With reports emerging this week of a potential move to Bath nearing completion, only to be felled at the final hurdle due to a breakdown in the financial agreements between both club owners, Laporte says he still holds aspirations for his man to play for England once more. Under current regulations, England are unwilling to select from a pool outside of English shores, due primarily to the fact that English training camps fall outside of the IRB window. However, with Laporte’s latest statement, that obstacle would no longer matter in the case of Armitage and when you factor in that Toulon are willing to allow the open side return to England on a short term contract, provided there is a guarantee of selection for the World Cup, the door is well and truly open for an Armitage return. With competition rife however, with the likes of skipper Chris Robshaw, James Haskell and Matt Kvesic all supposedly ahead of Armitage in the pecking order, Lancaster refuses to make such a guarantee to Laporte and co, with it looking more and more likely that one of the game’s finest exponents in a seven jersey will not feature at next year’s showpiece event.

Ryan Sheady