Transfers rumours

[Big Ewis]

I guess it's best that he returns. He's fairly good at Racing but I'm sure he means more to an Irish club than he does here. He'll have had his little French adventure with partner in crime O'Gara - and btw ppl make fun of these two all the time when Sexton kicks for goal with ROG whispering stuff to him, why not, if it gives a kicker confidence, it's the little things sometimes... - made some good cash, and can return a hero back to his home nation like the second coming of Christ.
Fact is, he hasn't had a big impact at all, esp. considering he was the highest (or 2nd ?) paid player in all of France. He's rarely in the highlights, not near the top in statistical categories, and more tellingly is just never in the conversations amongst the local fans in this country. You hear foreigners come up all the time, Hosea Gear, Giteau, Wilko, Saffer forwards...etc...and French fans are aware of an Irish player like SOB for e.g., but Sexton just hasn't had an impact at all here.
Even Rugbyrama made a Top 5 flyhalves with Sexton outside of it only as an honorable mention.
Maybe he'll have a more settled season this year and needed a little time, and it should be said Racing were dysfunctional the first half of last season, but Sexton always looked like a spectator more than an implicated actor during those stretches. I do question his commitment, although it's not like he just didn't give a fk either.

 

[Gavin]

I think Madigan is going to be pushed into the 12 shirt now for good. He's too talented to be Sexton's understudy and seeing as we're likely to lose D'arcy at the end of the year we need an established player in the centre. He'll have less game management responsibility there which has always been his weakness and he should be able to utilize his passing and stepping skills to good effect.

A 9-10-12 axis of McGrath, Sexton and Madigan has me quite excited now.

As long as Madigan gets some constant time on the pitch I would be extremely happy with that axis. I was worrying that Sexton returning would see Madigan back on the bench which is not what Irish rugby needs.

McGrath, Sexton, Madigan and Te'o sounds that a fantastic combo. Add to that Leinster's strong back-three, exciting times are ahead.

 

[munstermuffin]

While I agree with everyone it'd be great to have him back and it'd be beneficial to Ireland and Leinster. (My belief is IRFU let him go thinking Madigan would step up and well at 25 I don't think he's going to be a top top 10). But a little birdie is telling me the Independent (known for this) are being very very wide of the mark and nothing is done yet. I'm not saying he won't be coming home but previous headlines they've spread were -
Zebo in Toulouse talks (only few days after he signed new 3 year deal)
Luke Fitz signed for Munster,
Keith Earls to L. Irish
D. Ryan on 2 year deal with Perpignan
SOB to Toulon
Tommy Bowe signs for Munster.

My point is their track record is rarely accurate.

 

[TheSaffycen]

I guess it's best that he returns. He's fairly good at Racing but I'm sure he means more to an Irish club than he does here. He'll have had his little French adventure with partner in crime O'Gara - and btw ppl make fun of these two all the time when Sexton kicks for goal with ROG whispering stuff to him, why not, if it gives a kicker confidence, it's the little things sometimes... - made some good cash, and can return a hero back to his home nation like the second coming of Christ.
Fact is, he hasn't had a big impact at all, esp. considering he was the highest (or 2nd ?) paid player in all of France. He's rarely in the highlights, not near the top in statistical categories, and more tellingly is just never in the conversations amongst the local fans in this country. You hear foreigners come up all the time, Hosea Gear, Giteau, Wilko, Saffer forwards...etc...and French fans are aware of an Irish player like SOB for e.g., but Sexton just hasn't had an impact at all here.
Even Rugbyrama made a Top 5 flyhalves with Sexton outside of it only as an honorable mention.
Maybe he'll have a more settled season this year and needed a little time, and it should be said Racing were dysfunctional the first half of last season, but Sexton always looked like a spectator more than an implicated actor during those stretches. I do question his commitment, although it's not like he just didn't give a fk either.

It must be hard though, you come from a different culture and you're immediately playing rugby in a new setting and with guys you've never met in a different language. He is a great player and could be the best fly half in the world, he has no real weakness and is a leader on the pitch. Also alot of the foreign guys looked poor, Ranger looked like the best player in the world and then went too Montpellier and looks average. It takes time and who knows, maybe he'll be the best 10 this year or crap again.

 

[Tony Manx]

It must be hard though, you come from a different culture and you're immediately playing rugby in a new setting and with guys you've never met in a different language. He is a great player and could be the best fly half in the world, he has no real weakness and is a leader on the pitch. Also alot of the foreign guys looked poor, Ranger looked like the best player in the world and then went too Montpellier and looks average. It takes time and who knows, maybe he'll be the best 10 this year or crap again.

I agree with you....I do not think he has stood a chance with many new players and new management staff, it was always going to take time to settle in and become accustomed to everyone around him. He is a really, really good player with potential to be a great in due time and I would not write him off at Racing.

 

[gaston le gaff]

I think its difficult to comment unless you know the guy personally and know how he feels, if you go by journalists and they talk only of what they want you to hear and rarely what the player is thinking. I interviewed Rene last week (its on Montpellier's site) and from what he said he is now settled and enjoying life, and so this season his rugby is showing exactly that, he is now playing nearer to his potential than last season, very difficult for him especially when he arrived half way throught the season, so much easier when you do the 6/8 weeks pre season with the rest of the squad.Sextons case is different as he is in Paris and is nowhere the same as living in the Provinces, anyone and everyone can get lost in Paris, its not France as you normally see France, and can be a very lonely place.All our players especially the new arrivals live in close proximity to each other and spend much time together socially, not always possible in a massive city like Paris. There is also the fact he may just not like it different cultures different languages etc, local boy lost in the big city O'Gara cannot solve all his problems. Although he has been playing good rugby recently it did take him a while to adapt, which of course is normal, not everybody comes to the Land of Milk and Honey and stays!!!! even with the big bucks it's not for everyone!!!!!

 

[TheSaffycen]

Also Sexton was probably tired from playing with the Lions through the summer. Ranger at the time was possibly the best player in the world, he was just incredible, now I cant wait too see him killing it for MOntpellier this year.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Did Sexton not gradually improve as the season went on? I never watched the games but read that he had quite the impact in Racing's good form at the end of the season but maybe it's the case of Irish media telling us what we want to be told as Gaston said. Sexton is a great player and will excel wherever he plays given the time and attention he needs and he showed in the 6n this year that he's comfortably the best 10 in Europe, he's got a season left in Paris and it would surprise me if he wasn't remembered fondly by the Racing faithful by the end of it.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Of course he improved at the end of the last season but as it was his first it was not memorable, and they let Wisniewski go, but the more i read the more it looks like you are getting your Golden Boy back in the beautiful Emerald Isle, what's more it's better for everyone if he is not a happy bunny at Racing. He played pretty well in the 6 Nations and everybody here was wondering why his performances as the season rolled were not that brilliant as he is a quality player. France is just not for everyone!!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Rugbyrama says to today.................excuse the google translation!!

It is now a near certainty, Jonathan Sexton (pictured) will leave the Racing Metro in June to return to Ireland side of Leinster , as confirmed by L'Equipe on Tuesday.
While a four-year contract is evoked ( see article ), The Irish Times reveals the reasons for the return.
From a family point of view, following the birth of their child in June, the couple wished to return Sexton in Ireland close to their families. International opener has also mentioned there is little hard to raise her child away from his family.
In sporting terms, the requirements of the Top 14 and the number of high games also had an impact on his decision, which he had the greatest difficulty in the autumn of last tests. With Leinster, where the European Cup is privileged, and it will play fewer games and be able to prepare for meetings with the XV Clover.
Finally, the IRFU offering him a four-year contract (like the club Francilien), sportsmanship and financial future is well assured. The Irish Federation and Leinster, supported by sponsors to promote the return of the star in the country were able to offer a Sexton hard to refuse offer.

 

[Big Ewis]

It must be hard though, you come from a different culture and you're immediately playing rugby in a new setting and with guys you've never met in a different language. He is a great player and could be the best fly half in the world, he has no real weakness and is a leader on the pitch. Also alot of the foreign guys looked poor, Ranger looked like the best player in the world and then went too Montpellier and looks average. It takes time and who knows, maybe he'll be the best 10 this year or crap again.

Nah, that's just over-complacent. Fact is a majority of the really "great" players adapt whether they play in their home neighborhood or in...Tibet. The thing here is I blame Racing for not being the great club they claim to be, in that they really do just buy players and shove em in the roster and sit back and go "okay, you got the money, now...you know...play !".
You look at the culture in Toulon, the best club in Europe by a mile, you see it's a whole, whole lot more than just money-bait.
But this here isn't a discussion about that, it's the Transfers thread, I'll just address Sexton's case. Here's a post I made about Toulon in that regard recently:
http://www.therugbyforum.com/threads/33841-Top-14-Day-2?p=666681&viewfull=1#post666681

Sexton, he did have guys like O'Gara sidelined and then Mike Phillips or Roberts on the field. Lots of other guys who spoke English too. This should've been an enriching experience, living in Paris, isn't that smt in itself ? Playing with Saffers, Frenchies, and fellow UK ppl...playing in the Top 14, the strongest league in Europe if not more.

I do definitely criticize Sexton for having a soft belly and being too "overprotected" or "incubated" like. He was never comfortable there and well it's his nature to be home-bound and never want to look beyond that, okay, but then it's a flaw the great ones do not possess to not be able to cope with it regardless of personal preference. Because that's all it is, at the end of the day. Personal preference. He still breathes oxygen, eats (quite well, actually), hopefully poops alright and plays Rugby, which he's handsomely rewarded for. Nobody forced him to come originally, he took the initiative to.
What can I say ? Ya want to go back home, go back home...what ? what is there to say ?...disappointing.

 

[big ginger 8]

and fellow UK ppl

Well....


Anytime I watched Racing Sexton was pretty much the only good thing about them, he was trying to drive them on but it seemed a lot of them didn't care (particulary of course in Europe). Everything about them for large chunks was very aimless and there was no one who was getting over the gainline. Also if you ask any Welsh person especially with Roberts his performances at club level are in general sub par.

 

[Big Ewis]

they were a mess to start last year. Their H Cup campaign was comedic, simply and purely. No debate. But they did start pulling their shiit together towards the second half/last third of the season and did manage to knock Toulouse over in their own backyard in the 1/4F, of course Toulouse aren't what they used to be but still, and they did manage a fairly good score against Toulon in the Top 14 playoffs (better than anybody managed in the H Cup playoffs against the same Toulon) and limited them very well.
Sexton is good, and so he's going to look good anywhere. But he just wasn't the quality we've known him to be, and certainly paid him to be. And to be fair, he's not nearly the only guy who looked good for Racing, even during that horrible stretch. It's just they all looked good individually and not together.

But obviously if he's decided after Day 2 of Top 14 he's going back, then it's going to be a long fkng season for the Racing, their fans and he obviously will be having his head elsewhere and they still won't make the strides we all felt they would this year, I mean he's the starting FH, the brains of the operation. Disappointing, but the Racing club itself is clearly responsible for this as well. Couldn't give a percentage, 50/50 or one party's more to blame, but it's a real shame. At the same time, a great way to emphasize Toulon's genius and separate them from the rest. This is pure testimony that money alone can't buy success. Those are human beings, not robots, you need to account for that - however difficult they may be.

P.S.: going to upl and post a vid about Roberts talking about living in France soon. Not brilliant, but it's still insightful de facto.

 

[munstermuffin]

While it is more than likely going to happen. From guys in know all I can say is
1) It's far from done deal
2) It's dependant on IRFU allowing players be topped up privately. Munster and Ulster will agree to this if it's allowed for everyone. IRFU have to give green light.

 

[Big Ewis]

been watching lots of Top 14 from last year in the past few weeks, quite a few Racing games in my selection. It should be said up front they were very solid, constantly got TO ball, rucked with intensity and tremendous depth on the roster. That part was functional. It's the backline that was fecal. With Machenaud-Sexton-Andreu-Roberts-Chavancy-Imhoff-Hernandez, and guys like Benjamin Fall, Adrien Planté and occasionally Lapeyre, how the fk were they so sterile and dry on attack ? That's the backs coach for ya. There's a point I think they scored like 10 tries in 10 games, just fkn terrible.

 

[goodNumber10]

Karmichael Hunt & James O'C to Queensland Reds, to be confirmed today...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Karmichael Hunt & James O'C to Queensland Reds, to be confirmed today...

Good individuals but I can't help feel the Reds need to sign some world class forwards rather than splash (I am assuming here) on these high profile backs.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Leicester looking to transfer in a Backrow cover due to Mafi leaving and Matera injury.

Possible names being mentioned: Burger, Brussow, Thomson, L. Braid, Quirk are just some, (By currently mentioned that means dreamt up by me personally and haven't heard anything about a playing coming other than Leicester are looking the marketplace.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Digby Ioane --> Reds

Victor Vito --> Reds

Still soft as **** in the tight 5.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Digby Ioane --> Reds

Victor Vito --> Reds

Still soft as **** in the tight 5.

Can't see them happening for next season, Reds already announced their new signings today ahead of next season. Be interesting if Ioane did go back mind.