Abendanon: I could be on way back to England
“I have family and friends in England and would have to listen to any interest from there”
Nick Abendanon faces a decision on his future next month and has not closed the door on a return to the English Premiership. He crowned three deeply impressive seasons with Clermont in June by becoming a Top 14 champion.
And his performances in the Champions Cup have been so outstanding he has not only been named its Best Player but also the scorer of its finest try.
At the age of 31 next Sunday and with his contract running out at the end of this season, he knows his next two-year deal is of extreme importance for his young family.
Abendanon told The Rugby Paper: “I will be discussing my future with Clermont some time in September and, if they do offer me a contract, I will look at it very seriously.
“I have loved my time here and still do. I really enjoy playing with a great bunch of internationals whom I get on with very well.”
His much enhanced profile, though, could well turn him into a money-no-object marquee player with all English Premiership clubs allowed to sign two such stars outside the salary cap.
Abendanon added: “All things being equal I would most likely decide to stay in France if the offer was right, but I have family and friends in England and would have to listen to interest from there, too.”
Whatever the outcome of his imminent talks, no-one gave Clermont better value for money last season than Abendanon.
He was on the pitch longer than any of his team-mates, starting 25 of his 26 games for a total playing time of 1,969 minutes. Partly due to his versatility as a full-back or winger.
“To be honest,” he went on, “I did think I would be playing a little less but, with Scott Spedding on international duty with France and a few injuries cropping up, I was called on a lot.
“Given the choice, I would prefer to play at full-back where I have more time on the ball.”
That did not stop him scoring five tries in eight appearances on the wing, seven on the left and one on the right.
The most illustrious came during the Champions Cup final which Clermont lost to Saracens. Abendanon touched down a 100-metre try started by Spedding and relayed by four team-mates before flanker Peceli Yato sent him sprinting to the line.
An entry now in the European record books in which another English winger, Chris Ashton, also engraved his name as highest individual try scorer in the same game.
Abendanon said: “I think Chris will do well in France. We played against him in a friendly at Toulon. He came on for the second half, played well, scored a try and looked very sharp.”
Try-scoring is rarely a problem for Clermont who, however, had to settle for second best behind La Rochelle at the end of the regular season.
Abendanon explained: “We had the best attack in the Top 14. We like to throw the ball around and score a lot of tries, but we were very poor in defence.
“We are busy working on that now. The play-offs are all very well for making money but, personally, I would like to see the title going to the team that finishes on top.
“I know that would have meant us missing out on the trophy last season, but we would have won it the year before.
“We do have the team to win it again, but I still see La Rochelle as a big danger to us along with Montpellier with signings like All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden and Vern Cotter in charge.
“I believe French players need the high standards of international coaches to give them the inner toughness.
“That’s what the France national team require. They have the players, but they tend to get stuck in their ways of living.”
Clermont’s forwards will be coached this season by Bernard Goutta, who worked with team director Franck Azema when they won the Top 14 title together with Perpignan nine years ago.
Both have already warned their players about the fate of recent champions Racing, Stade Francais and Castres, who went on to have disastrous seasons.
Abendanon said: “That is one thing that has been stressed to us. We have seen what has happened to good sides in the past.
“We were lucky with injuries last season. Unlike other years when we have lost players like Wesley Fofana and Brock James at key times. So I hope that good fortune continues.”
Clermont fans saw a different side to Abendanon when they gathered to celebrate with their team the title they had long craved.
He appeared on a stage to sing an old American jazz number called
Minnie The Moocher and they happily joined him in the chorus.
They’ll be trusting the harmony they shared will last for three more seasons at least, but Abendanon is not able to assure them of that just yet.