European club makes a play for under-fire Wallaby Tolu Latu

Under-fire Wallaby Tolu Latu could end up playing next season at one of the European clubs previously coached by Australian boss Michael Cheika.  

The 26-year-old Wallabies and Waratahs hooker tarnished his reputation in recent times, Rugby Australia serving him with a breach notice for his drink-driving and driving while suspended offences on May 16.

Latu was sentenced in court after pleading guilty to mid-range drink driving and driving while suspended. He was dealt a three-month driving suspension for each offence, and fined a total of $1,300 for both offences. He was further ordered to pay court costs and have an interlock device fitted to his car.

At the conclusion of the court proceedings, the Rugby Australia Integrity Unit found determined that Latu had committed a mid-level breach of the professional player code of conduct and has issued a sanction that includes a four-match suspension and a fine of $5,000.

While Latu is in the Wallabies squad for the Rugby Championship, which kicks off at the weekend in South Africa, and will likely make the cut for the World Cup finals in Japan, his hand in contract negotiations with Rugby Australia has seemingly been weakened by his off-field antics.

That has left a former European suitor of Cheika poised to pounce as Midi Olympique, the French bi-weekly rugby newspaper, are speculating Latu will be one of the final pieces in Heyneke Meyer’s Top 14 recruitment jigsaw at Stade Francais.   

Last week, when asked if his squad counted too many South African players, the Stade boss replied: "With Paul Alo-Emile, Sefa Naivalu, Hugh Pyle and Tala Gray, I have more Australians in the squad than South Africans. Why do they only talk to me about my (South African) compatriots, and what will it do to harm that?”

Latu, who shares playing time in the Australian squad with Tatafu Polota-Nau, would arrive in Paris in November if a deal goes through.

Stade already have three hookers in place, Laurent Panis, Rémi Bonfils, and Lucas Da Silva, but they have recently Laurent Sempere, their most-used hooker last season who has now joined the coaching staff at the club. 

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