L'Equipe: Michalak a target for Leinster.

thomond2006

Any truth in this?

Taken from Michalak's wiki page:

Following Felipe Contepomi's decision to sign a four year deal with Top 14 club Toulon, French sporting newspaper l'Equipe have reported that Michalak has become a target for Irish club Leinster who see him as an ideal replacement for their talismanic out-half.

Original Page:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Michalak

robgloster

If its true would be a good signing.

Stev_o

If true what a waste, another province decides to import a merc at a key position at the lack of investing in a Irish qualified player for the same position.

Podge_irl

Michalak is playing scrum half these days is he not?

Would be a ****ing awful signing if true. Last thing we need is another flaky outhalf

chupacabra

I call BS until i actually see an article from L'Equipe. Wikipedia is the last place you should expect to find realistic sources.

Serenity Now!

thomond2006 wrote: »

Any truth in this?

Its l'Equipe. Ask Ronan O'Gara what they're like when it comes to little things like 'truth'

funky penguin

chupacabra wrote: »

I call BS until i actually see an article from L'Equipe.

Even then, I still call BS till Michalak is in the RDS wearing a Leinster jersey, missing conversions.

gcgirl

If Leinster manage to get Michalak playing for them There will be quite a few more Fans attending The RDS !!lol

anonymous_joe

Michalak'd be kinda rockin. Would solve a few problems we have.

Jackz

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Michalak'd be kinda rockin. Would solve a few problems we have.

And create a bunch we never had. . .

ch2008

This is a joke. The last thing we need is Michalak. Might as well get carlos spencer. Or even Serevi while we're at it. We could walk out to circus music, it would be perfect

razorblunt

Michalak would be a terrible signing for Leinster, might be handy as a sub to bring on, but way too flaky to be starting 10.

DonkeyPokerTour

funky penguin wrote: »

Even then, I still call BS till Michalak is in the RDS wearing a Leinster jersey, missing conversions from in front of the posts.

FYP

Would be a terrible signing for Leinster, you need a solid out half, not one that always destroy a team. On his good days its the opposition, The problem is on his off days the team he'll destroy is Leinster.

castie

Replacing like for like then after multiple collapses of your current outhalf

garbanzo

Would be terrible to see "Flaky Freddie" signing for Leinster. Get yer man Ian Keatley on the fast track conveyor belt back from Connacht into the Number 10 slot.

stephen_n

That's a signing that would really help our consistency problems alright :pac:

jayteecork

Contempomi going to Toloun for 4 years?

Thought he was going back to Argentina to be a doctor.

siltirocker

stephen_n wrote: »

That's a signing that would really help our consistency problems alright :pac:

Turned down a two-year Leinster deal and signed a one year ext. w/Fionn Carr at Connacht!

Ian Keatley, , , Johnathan Sexton without the foul play, poor kicking and temper!

[Jackass]

Serenity Now! wrote: »

Its l'Equipe. Ask Ronan O'Gara what they're like when it comes to little things like 'truth'

I don't recall anyone claiming lies were said.....Just out of order printing it...........

I think Michalak would be a good signing if his principle role was scrum half. He gives a kicking option that enables Sexton to play and also covers 10 if needed. Would prefer him to Reddan, put it that way.

Serenity Now!

[Jackass] wrote: »

I don't recall anyone claiming lies were said.....Just out of order printing it...........

For printing what exactly? Yep...lies about gambling and extra-marital affairs :rolleyes:

toomevara

Serenity Now! wrote: »

For printing what exactly? Yep...lies about gambling and extra-marital affairs :rolleyes:

+1. A scurrilous rag, wouldn't use it to wipe me nethers...

anonymous_joe

Serenity Now! wrote: »

For printing what exactly? Yep...lies about gambling and extra-marital affairs :rolleyes:

Did O'Gara ever pursue legal action against them?

(I know French newspapers have a degree of extra protection than Irish or English ones in relation to libelling people, but even so.)

demonreedler

Leinster should have made a decent effort to get Keatley on board. Keatley and Sexton, two young 10's, contending for the start, would have been a clever re-build.

Signing a 'superstar' on big bucks like that eejit Michalak, only gives a struggling young player another excuse to settle for a place as back-up.

BTW ...what's wrong with Reddan, can't be worse than the current incumbent, old waltzing Matilda with his 1,2,3 steps .......... (been waitin all year for that):o

dingbat

For the record, and for those who might not know what they're talking about, l'Équipe is one of the most respected publications in the world.

anonymous_joe

dingbat wrote: »

For the record, and for those who might not know what they're talking about, l'Équipe is one of the most respected publications in the world.

Thing is, the only two times we've heard about it lately would have been the Lance Armstrong thing, where they raised a fairly important issue, but in the process questioned Saint Lance of Armstrong, who let's face it was on a team where everyone else has been done for drug cheating. But he's a hero, and he had cancer, so you're not allowed say these things.

Then the O'Gara thing, as far as I know, most Irish journalists, people in the know, etc were all well aware of the rumours and however true they were or were not. They didn't print them because that wouldn't go down well with their readers. L'Équipe had no reason not to print them, given that France were due to play Ireland. And judging by O'Gara's performance it worked. Certainly what they did was nasty and sneaky, but if the boot had been on the other foot so to speak, I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't have complained too loudly had an Irish paper done that to a French star.

Anyway, I can barely read L'Équipe, but any time I have it's been far less emotive and much more intelligent than the vast majority of the British and Irish press on matters of sport. Their analysis of rugby and football is fantastic. Only downside is my ever worsening French. :pac:

ALH-06

demonreedler wrote: »

Leinster should have made a decent effort to get Keatley on board. Keatley and Sexton, two young 10's, contending for the start, would have been a clever re-build.

No, neither of these players have proven themselves at the highest level. In fact, a handful of good performances aside, both have yet to properly prove themselves at Magners League level.

I'd love to see these two develop into world class 10s, but a team with Heineken Cup aspirations can't rely only on two rookie outhalves.

demonreedler

ALH-06 wrote: »

No, neither of these players have proven themselves at the highest level. In fact, a handful of good performances aside, both have yet to properly prove themselves at Magners League level.

I'd love to see these two develop into world class 10s, but a team with Heineken Cup aspirations can't rely only on two rookie outhalves.

But how are they to get the experience other than to play. Otherwise you buy in your talent every campaign and let others develop the youth?? Ireland doesn't have the depth for that. Personally I'd rather suffer a few losses and watch young players learn, than watch a bunch of over-paid mercenaries.

Also, I don't think Sexton has had a fair crack of the whip in the Magners. Maybe you have to accept a period of transition as you bring on young out-halves ...... open to correction but O' Gara became regular munster starter @ 22/23? Carter at around age 12 !!!:)

Serenity Now!

dingbat wrote: »

For the record, and for those who might not know what they're talking about, l'Équipe is one of the most respected publications in the world.

Its a sports gossip paper. Always has been and always will be.

dingbat

Serenity Now! wrote: »

Its a sports gossip paper. Always has been and always will be.

Sorry fella, you're just making yourself look pretty silly with a comment like that. Come back to us when you've actually spent time reading it.

Serenity Now!

dingbat wrote: »

Sorry fella, you're just making yourself look pretty silly with a comment like that. Come back to us when you've actually spent time reading it.

Well, considering my previous job before coming back to Ireland and taking the job I'm in now, I'd say I've "spent time reading it", fella.

Sangre

If Leinster were to sign an outhalf they need a solid, dependable kicking outhalf. In the mould of O'Gara or a fit Wilkinson. Let our outside backs do the magic stuff, let our outhalf kick his points and make territory.

Basically I'd want a good distributor and kicker, not a flaky running one.

dingbat

Serenity Now! wrote: »

Well, considering my previous job before coming back to Ireland and taking the job I'm in now, I'd say I've "spent time reading it", fella.

Fair enough, then I simply disagree with your opinion of what is a venerable publication.

demonreedler

Lad's this thread is about Leinster possible signings, not about L'equipe .... take it outside ......

Back to the rugby ....... and I agree with the last poster who said a solid, dependable, almost boring out-half with no pretensions to 'dynamism' is what's required asap, ditto the scrum half.

flyswatter

He might create loads but he's a poor kicker out of hand and a dodgy placekicker.

[Jackass]

Serenity Now! wrote: »

For printing what exactly? Yep...lies about gambling and extra-marital affairs :rolleyes:

What exactly makes you think the gambeling debts were lies?

Also, wouldn't you find it strange how something so untrue could be printed in a national news paper without legal action....

No lies were printed there my friend. The issue was never with the accuracy of the reporting (I'm talking about gambling here, nothing else), the issue was with the fact that this was being printed about an Irish player in a French national newspaper (also as pointed out, amongst the most respected pieces of journalisim on the planet and far FAR from the Sunday world or the Star etc. - more like New York times etc.) and the fact that his personal life should not be banded around a national newspaper like that as it's not "in the public interest" particularly not the French public interest whom he would have little or nothing to do with - which is why it was viewed as a cheap shot to unsettle the player before playing France - and by god did it work.

RuggieBear

let's not go into all these rumours again please.

thomond2006

RuggieBear wrote: »

let's not go into all these rumours again please.

+1, that ship has sailed.