In an ironic twist, even the referee was a foreigner: Argentinian Juan Silvestre officiated the game in English. In this case it involves Mourad Boudjellal, who has bankrolled the star-studded Toulon team through the millions made from his comic book empire, and Mohed Altrad, who made his millions in scaffolding and cement after a tough early life that saw him start out as a bedouin in the Syrian desert. There were a further eight foreigners on both benches in a sharp realisation of the globalisation of the Top 14, where clubs are funded by multi-millionaire owners. Toulon might have been missing the likes of Bryan Habana, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Ma’a Nonu, Leigh Halfpenny, Duane Vermuelen, Paul O’Connell, Frederic Michalak and James O’Connor, but they could still afford to field a star-studded team packed with experienced internationals.īernard Laporte named nine foreigners in his starting Toulon line-up – Montpellier coach Jake White plumping for a staggering 11. His genius and fallibility were both on show in the first-half: a no-look grubber setting up the second of Lachie Turner’s tries, but a forced one-handed sling pass leading to Montpellier’s intercept try through Julien Malzieu. “He attacks a lot and doesn’t hesitate to force the pass.”Ĭooper was little used by the Wallabies in the World Cup, but showed few signs of ring rustiness in his first run-out for the three-time European champions. “You can see with Quade that after just two training sessions, he’s very much at ease,” Toulon centre Maxime Mermoz said. I hope to continue the adventure here, there is no reason to leave.Australian five-eighth Quade Cooper enjoyed the ideal introduction to the Top 14 as he steered Toulon to a 52-8 thrashing of Montpellier on Saturday.Ĭooper flourished behind a dominant pack, Fijian winger Josua Tuisova scoring a second-half hat-trick as the home side ran in eight tries to one for a well-deserved bonus point.

'It's hard to beat playing for Toulon. It's gone well here now for four years. Sometimes you get the impression that people on the outside know better what's going on in my life than myself! 'Sometimes you can have talks in one way or another, but there was never anything more advanced. I had a clause for which the release date has now passed. I don't know where tomorrow will take me, but for now I'm still here! Mermoz told Rugbyrama: 'There's still one year on my contract. In fact Mermoz, who has 35 caps, sees no reason to leave the Stade Félix Mayol anytime soon. The 29-year-old who previously turned out for Toulouse and Perpignan did however start in his side's Champions Cup quarter-final loss to Racing 92, bringing their run in Europe to an end.ĭiscussing his future, Mermoz revealed that he was another year on his deal but more importantly that a time limit on a clause on his contract allowed him to leave earlier had now expired. Mermoz has been forced to battle for a starting spot in the side with fellow international midfielders Ma'a Nonu and Mathieu Bastareaud. France centre Maxime Mermoz has said that he is more than happy to stay at Toulon next season.

Mermoz toulon