Toulon target free agent Taylor

Toulon target free agent Taylor

27th Jul 2015, 15:05

Share:

Option: Tom Taylor in action for the NZ Barbarians

Toulon are interested in signing Crusaders back Tom Taylor following Quade Cooper's decision to stay in Australia, according to reports.

Taylor had signed a three-year deal with Bayonne to join the side for the start of the 2015/2016 season.

However with Bayonne being relegated from the Top 14, Taylor has escaped his contract and is now a free agent.

Cooper was due to join to Toulon later this year but is now set to stay in Australia by signing a new four-year contract and buying his way out of his deal with the European champions.

La Provence suggest that Toulon may simply look to sign Taylor as a joker to cover during the Rugby World Cup period, with the publication also reporting that Mike Harris and Andrew Horrell will now be joining on short-term contracts at the same time.

Toulon have already signed 39-year-old winger Sireli Bobo as a World Cup joker to cover for the absences of Bryan Habana and Drew Mitchell.

 I hope that now that we know that both Carter and Slade (really unbelievable that he left the chance to be the Saders and AB nº10 incumbent for playing for the recently promoted Pau, or better said for their money) are going overseas, I hope the saders and the NZRU made whatever is in their hands to retain Taylor in NZ.
He's a very classy 10. Taking into account that now before him in the AB picking order there are just Cruden and Barret, and that one of them will go for the Olympics' sevens, he would very probably have to fight with Sopoaga for the bench spot. And if any injury come.......
For the saders it would be a huge boost. Volavola and Marty McKenzie are still unfinished products.

It's hard to keep good talent in NZ when there is so much competition but as you said Abasquefan he would not be too far from the top after the RWC. These young players are loyal to NZ but they do have to make money when they can as careers aren't that long & if your not confident you can make the ABs it over seas you go.

tom taylor will shine once he gets out of carters and slades shadow, it will be in the crusaders best interet to do everything they can to secure toms signature.
but we are talking about an organisation that thinks blackadder is the best way forward, and u cant trust that level of numbskullery.

IMO marty mackenzie is an unfinished product, but he and his brother for that matter, seem to get better and better every game.
in the cursdaers culture mackenzie could blossom into one of the flyhalves of the year.

one other name the saders should look at getting is former cheifs players robbie robinson.
he was magnificent when the cheifs won their 1st tittle, and while hes more famously known for playing 15, he is an exceptional flyhalf.
his career has been plagued with injuries and coupled with all the talent at the chiefs, saw him fall from thee cheifs squad, but hes still young, proven at super rugby lvl, and his hunger to succeed will be 2nd to none.

 late news say that very probably Stephen Donald will be the WC joker who's going to join Toulon.

Donald set for shock Toulon switch

And Canterbry announced their team for the next ITM cup and Tom Taylor is in it, which will probably means that he will stay in Xchurch next year.

The Canterbury team:

2015 Canterbury ITM Cup squad:

Nathaniel Apa, Dominic Bird, Jed Brown, Mitchell Drummond, Mitchell Dunshea, Sione Faletau, Ben Funnell, Jack Goodhue, Alex Hodgman, Milford Keresoma, Rowland-Keni Kotobalavu Jr, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Cameron McIntyre, Johnny McNicholl, JJ Manning, Ben Matwijow, Richie Mo'unga, Patrick Osborne, Reed Prinsep, Tom Sanders, Jack Stratton, Marshall Suckling, Tom Taylor, Rob Thompson, Siate Tokolahi, Tulolo Tulolo, Nick Werahiko, Luke Whitelock (c).

Injured (out for season): Scott Barrett

Current All Blacks: Dan Carter, Wyatt Crockett, Ryan Crotty, Andy Ellis, Owen Franks, Nepo Laulala, Richie McCaw, Joe Moody, Kieran Read, Luke Romano, Colin Slade, Codie Taylor, Matt Todd, Sam Whitelock.

14 AB players, the best pool in NZ (and the world)

@naruto,
I cannot either understand why the saders stick with Blackladder.
5 years without any title having the best or one of the bests teams should be reason enough for changing the coach but not getting into the finals this season and the way they did (finding no solution against the rushing defense of the big teams) should have been definitive.

And, yeah, I also think that Taylor "will shine once he gets out of carters and slades shadow". With the quality of the saders at flyhalf he was forced to play at 12 where nowadays stronger players are required at SR level and at 15 where he can play confortably but it's not his natural place.
With M. Mckenzie from the bench they could form a quite awesome pair of organizers.

ABF
It would be very interesting to see which players are next year in the Super 18 squads.
I think Blackadder escaped the executioner's noose because so many of his players were injured or performing sub-par at the best of times.   He should have received the same treatment as was done iro Coetzee, Ludeke and Drotske - go and fail elsewhere.
         

 some of the players who could be in next year's Super 18 squad are J. Goodhue and T. Sanders. Worthy to follow them this ITM cup.
Goodhue was outstanding in the last U20 WC playing at wing even though he's an outside center. Tevita Li got all the attention but IMO Goodhue has a lot more rugby nous.
The saders need to increae their center's stock and he could be a good back-up for Crotty and Freuan.
Sanders was outstanding in the little time he had last season. Let see if he can have more time this next ITM cup to show what he can offer at the backrow