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Wallabies scrum-half Jake Gordon will join Toulon as cover during the Rugby World Cup, the French Top 14 club has announced.
Gordon, 30, made the most recent of his 20 Wallabies appearances in November but was overlooked by Eddie Jones for the Rugby Championship.
Earlier this year, Gordon signed a new deal with Rugby Australia until 2025, when the British and Irish Lions tour takes place.
The Waratahs No.9 will arrive on the Cote d’Azur on a temporary basis with Baptiste Serin away with the France set-up preparing for the World Cup, which begins on September 8.
“Jake is an experienced international scrum-half,” Toulon head coach Pierre Mignoni said in a club statement.
“He will bring his leadership, his vision and his physical qualities,” he added.
The Roar earlier reported that Gordon’s Wallabies team-mate Noah Lolesio could also join Toulon on a short-term deal.
Three-time Champions Cup winners Toulon start their Top 14 season on August 19 with the league taking a three-week break during the World Cup held in France after three rounds of domestic games.
Gordon has slipped to fourth in the pecking order with Australia behind Nic White, Tate McDermott and Ryan Lonergan and has accepted his World Cup dream is over.
Johnny Sexton will learn over the coming days if his Rugby World Cup is to be affected by the outcome of his misconduct hearing.
Ireland’s captain had a complaint lodged against him following his behaviour towards match officials in the wake of Leinster’s 27-26 Heineken Champions Cup final defeat by La Rochelle on May 20.
Sexton did not play in the game at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium due to his continuing recovery from a groin injury.
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But he went on to the pitch after the match and became involved in what appeared to be a heated exchange with South African referee Jaco Peyper and other match officials.
The disciplinary hearing that took place on Thursday lasted six hours and the PA news agency understands that the decision is to be communicated to Sexton and Leinster over the coming days before being made public.
Ireland’s opening World Cup warm-up match is against Italy on August 5, followed by appointments later that month with England and Samoa.
Their first World Cup game sees them tackle Romania in Bordeaux on September 9, so a suspension for Sexton – who is to retire after the tournament – has the potential to affect his availability.
The new giant picked for the All Blacks, Tamaiti Williams, could have a career in the NFL according to his Crusaders teammate Codie Taylor.
Williams, who was raised in Perth but returned to his country of birth at 16, is 1.96m tall and weighs 139kg – down 10kg on his starting weight on debut in Super Rugby.
“I don’t think I’ve seen someone with that stature and skillset in the world around his ability to play with the ball, and his explosiveness and footwork for a big man,” Taylor told Stuff.
Tamaiti Williams. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
“I’ve always joked he should go to the NFL and have a crack because he’d go all right, I reckon. It’s been impressive. but that stuff doesn’t just happen. He’s obviously been gifted with good genes, but he’s got a great mum and dad behind him, and he’s had to put in some hard work to get there.”
Williams is set for a debut off the bench against the Springboks on Saturday.
“I had to have a hard look at myself and my fitness,” he told reporters. “I’ve has mentors like [Taylor]. I asked him what I had to do. He said you’ve got to get fit. I had a big off-season, and came in and just wanted to train every day, and get better.
“It’s good being big but if you’re big and can’t get around you can’t do anything. It’s been about getting more involved in the game, and being big. To get my hands on the ball more I’ve had to be fitter.”
Williams described the reactions of his family when he told them of his call up. “I called my parents first. Mum (Natalie) just cried, Dad (Johnny) didn’t say anything. My fiancee cried too. It’s taken time for them to let soak in, but they’re happy.”
”It means a lot [to represent them],” he added. “My uncle is Eric Rush. He was a big mentor for me, especially at school in Auckland. He would text me saying you’ve got to keep pushing for the people in the Far North. It means a lot for my family.”
© AAP
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