All change at Stade Francais with Heyneke Meyer in charge
“Our physical preparation will be colossal. Contrary to what people are saying we want to develop a fast game”
-Heyneke Meyer
Heads are rolling in Paris. Not quite as many that once did so literally during the bloodthirsty days of the French Revolution. But, all the same, Stade Francais have sent a batch of nine contracted players to their own version of the guillotine as surely as though they had carted them to the scaffold.
Not a single aristocrat amongst them this time, but plenty of sporting class. Insufficient, however, for a fabled club whose new billionaire owner signed their demise with a flourish.
A fate as inevitable as befell those sentenced by the historic tribunal judges. Condemnation without defence or appeal allowed.
Doctor Hans Peter Wild is nowhere near as soft as the drinks that have flavoured his vast fortune. He cut 26 players from his squad for this season.
Among the nine with years still on their contracts were wingers Romain Martial and Marvin O’Conner as well as scrum-halves Charl McLeod and Terry Brouhraoua, who fumed: “I had two years left on my contract. There is no class in today’s rugby, no human touch. It’s just a business for them.”
Their brusque ejection from the payroll, much to the despair of their families, has had social media boiling with indignation.
It is normal for a busy turnover each summer but unprecedented for so many sackings in the Top 14.
Martial showed some understanding, however. He said: “Last season was a disaster. We stayed up only because Oyonnax lost at Castres on the final day. The club needed to take a new turning.”
Wild pronounced on his arrival last summer he would make Stade one of the best clubs around. Just like they were when winning a record 14 titles, five of them this century. He did not expect to be involved so soon in a desperate fight against relegation.
His answer has been to open his chequebook and spend heavily on confirmed stars like centre Gael Fickou, lock Yoann Maestri and Aussie flanker Talalelei Gray, all of whom he enticed from Toulouse at great expense.
Argentine fly-half Nicola Sanchez and Lyon prop Stephane Clement also joined Stade this summer to help fill gaps left when a handful of good players left disillusioned in the wake of a botched merger with Racing.
One positive point is that Sergio Parisse, the captain who led the successful rebellion against that move, will lead them into the new season.
It has been left to club president Hubert Patricot to explain the ruthless logic behind the cancellation of contracts.
He said: “We recently strengthened the club with internationals knowing we had lost six or seven a year ago without replacing any.
“These top-level signings made us take a look at different contracts in order to stay within the limits of the salary cap.”
Stade have hired vastly-experienced South African team boss Heyneke Meyer, briefly at Leicester ten years ago, to oversee their recovery operation.
Patricot added: “We have ambitions. Dr. Wild wants us to be champions within the next five years and Heyneke Meyer wants to make us one of the best clubs on the planet. We have had to change certain things in order to do that.”
According to South African flyhalf Morne Steyn, Meyer’s style may not be too thrilling for fans who grew to love the razamatazz of ex-president Max Guazzini’s glorious reign. Success, though, may come at that price.
Steyn, who would have joined Brive if they had not been relegated, said: “Meyer is a hard worker and expects his players to be the same. He likes teams who favour the physical challenge, the collisions and the contacts.
“You keep the ball and you go for- ward. Okay, it won’t be the most expansive rugby for the fans, but I swear Meyer is a brilliant coach and will put Stade back at the top of the bill within three years.
“When he arrived in Pretoria, the Bulls were in the same situation as Stade Francais. A few years later, we won the Currie Cup and the Super Rugby title.”
One thing is for sure. Stade should be well served at 10 where Steyn will face competition from Sanchez and French international Jules Plisson.
Looks like there will be much pain before they see any gain, too. Meyer has run a battery of physical tests on his new charges and is not happy with the results.
He said: “Our physical preparation will be colossal. Contrary to what people are saying, we want to develop a fast game. But, for the moment, the players are not ready, not sharp.
“I know this because I have had the results of their tests before my eyes and they do not meet international standards.”
Meyer, backed by compatriot coach Pieter de Villiers and Irishman Mike Prendergast, says his approach wins him the affection of his players.
He explained: “When I coached the Bulls, my players were all very sharp and played for their coach. I treated them as I would have liked my three sons to be treated.
“When Bakkies Botha played his 100th Test for the Springboks, he chose me to present him with his shirt. Just after Bryan Habana ended his career at Toulon, he sent me the boots he had worn for his 100th match”.
Sadly for some former Stade players, though, the course of true love there did not run so smooth.