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Toulon owner rules out new deal for 'kid with troubles' O'Connor
By Peter Thompson
Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal believes James O'Connor is "a kid with troubles" and said his contract will not be extended after he was reportedly charged with being in possession of cocaine.
Former Australia utility-back O'Connor and ex-New Zealand international Ali Williams were jailed after being arrested in Paris early on Saturday.
Toulon released a statement saying O'Connor's alleged use of drugs "conveys a negative image far from the values ??that the club defends" and Boudjellal said the 26-year-old will be sanctioned by the Top 14 side.
O'Connor, who this month spoke of his desire to make a Wallabies comeback, is in the final year of his contract and looks set to move on at the end of the season.
"He won't escape a suspension," Boudjellal told Le Figaro. "He's a kid with troubles, he's 26. I’m not going to kill him either."
"Whatever decision I take, I will take everything into account, and I'll try not to damage the kid."
With regards to his contract situation, Boudjellal stated: "We're not at a stage where we would extend it. We'll try to manage this season, but I do not want to overburden him."
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Latest Comments
Why bother claim he was in it for the long term for two World Cups then? It made no sense.
Go to commentsI know the article is about player ratings, but as I read it, especially the number of players who were in camp but didn't get into a match day XXIII, never mind the run on XV, I interpret it as "coaching ratings", and I am sorry but Steve Borthwick and his team do not score very highly in that regard. Picking George Ford against NZ after a month off due to a quad injury was downright incoherent, and whilst the RP rating reflects how he performed, the blame must go on the coaching staff not the player.
At the risk of being accused of being an arrogant Englishman, I think the England head coach job, should it become vacant, would attract a number of proven international coaches. Another option could be to put someone in above SB as "Director of Rugby" or similar, to mentor an inexperienced coaching group that should not have been allowed to assemble in the first place, in my view.
Short version: England must finish in the top 3 in the 6N, or else change should be mandatory.
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