Big spending Top 14 side Toulon’s two high-profile close season signings, former Wallaby fly-half Matt Giteau and veteran England lock Simon Shaw, trained for the first time on Monday.
Giteau, 29 and capped 92 times by Australia, was a shock omission from the Rugby World Cup squad and he was much missed as first choice fly-half Quade Cooper had a disappointing tournament.
Despite being not required for the Cup Giteau could not join Toulon until the end of his contract with the Australian Federation.
“I don’t know what to expect. But I’m very excited. It’s been a long time since I played and I am really hungry to get going,” said Giteau, whose great grandfather was French.
“My last match was the friendly against Samoa (the Wallabies lost 23-22 in July).
“I am in good shape and I hope to be able to play against Castres on November 26.
“As regards the World Cup, that is in the past even if I would have loved to have been there,” added Giteau, who is on a three year contract and rejoins boyhood friend and former Wallaby Matt Henjak.
Giteau was at a bit of a loss when asked where in France his great grandfather had come from.
“My great grandfather moved to Australia, many many years ago. I don’t know exactly where he came from, he arrived in Sydney.”
IronAwe
Guest
"What is not to like?" The camera work. Other than that, it's pretty good.
Football United
Guest
you've got to be joking. as a national competition it's the best in the world and produced the most world cup players and the top Heineken cup teams they play would likely beat most of the super rugby.
kovana
Guest
The Top football Club comp in France Ligue 1 still pulls in huge crowds.. But it has been declining in crowd averages over the past seasons. Just a look: Ligue 1 Crowd avg. 2008 - 2009 = 21,050 2009-2010 = 20,089 2010-2011 = 19,742 A decline of 3.1% per season. Top 14 Crowd avg: 2008 - 09 = 12,735 2009-10 = 13,959 2010 - 11 = 15,119 An increase of 9.4% per season. If... IF things continue like so.. The top 14 could have crowd averages eclipsing those of the Ligue 1 in 3 seasons.. or the 2013-2014 season.
Crazy Horse
Guest
I thought we were rid of that prima donna. I hope your not going to make a habit of this.
panatellas
Guest
Matthew Skellet Toulouse (not to be confiused with Toulon) are called by the English press the 'Barcelona' of rugby given the number of times they have won the Heineken (European) Rugby Cup, The French squad that almost beat the All Blacks in the final and played much better than Australia against the All Blacks included 10 players from Toulouse - Poux, Servat, Millo-Chulski, Picamoles, Dusatoir (the outstanding player of the World Cup and IRB player of the year), Doussain, Skrela, Heymans, Clerc, and Medard. Other outstanding Toulouse players such as Poitreanau, Fritz, Basteraud, Lamboley, Beauxis, and Nyanga were not selected in the French squad. I would doubt that any Super 15 team could beat them. Toulouse are the richest rugby club in the world (an annual budget of 29 million euros) far outstripping any rivals from the world of rugby league - the Brisbane Broncos - or Super Rugby - the Stormers from Capetown. They are backed by the biggest sponsors in France. To say French rugby is a joke is the height of ignorance. 15 million people in France watched the RWC final at 10.00 on Sunday morning. That's the equivalent of 5 million Australians watching - a figure never ever approximated watching any TV broadcast - sport or not. The Top 14 in France has moved from averaging 3000 people per game in 2001 to 15,000 per game in 2011. France is the only country in the world where the previously dominant sport in the country - football (soccer) - is likely to be overtaken in terms of crowd averages in the next 10 years by another sport - rugby - football attracts around 20,000 now.
Blandy
Guest
Gits taking it with humility. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
p.Tah
Guest
Good luck Gits
p.Tah
Guest
That's why he tweeted Danny Weidler saying he may move back to the NRL
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Ian Whitchurch You Sir, are a numpty.
Bayxxx
Guest
Sledge: top 14 produced way more international players in the World Cup than any other National competition.....including just about all of the World Cup finalists France. If you watched the competition, it is total Rugby with uncompromising forward battles combined with fast, skillful backs(much like those here) What is not to like? -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Mungehead
Guest
According to wikipedia, never Edit: Reading the notes, wikipedia got those details from statsguru. Cheers roar for bringing back the "edit your comment" feature.
drop kick
Guest
If wrestling in mud with yogi bear paid as much...
thurl
Guest
....The friendly against Samoa....Hahaha ...noone told the Samoans
dunc
Guest
did he ever score a try against the all blacks?
Sledgeandhammer
Guest
Top 14 - the worst rugby competiton in the world. Can't believe players waste their time in France, would be better staying home wrestling in mud with yogi bear.
Seru
Guest
Yeah he's there he's played 30 min against Montpellier and that's it. He started in bernard laportes first game and was dragged after 30 and hasn't been seen since. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Overpriced and overrated. I just hope Toulon don't send him back here to try and make trouble again when they find out jhat a complete dud they have signed and be blessed :-)
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
Is big Willie Mason still there?
Brett McKay
Expert
Ian, to be fair, Giteau was on some kind of planned training stand-by for the duration of the RWC, and would still have been paid under the terms of his ARU contract. Had it not been a RWC year, he almost certainly would have been granted a release to head to France early, just as George Smith did the year before, and plenty more have done in the past..
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
"Despite being not required for the Cup Giteau could not join Toulon until the end of his contract with the Australian Federation." Rugby Union. Stopping men making a living since 1905.