Cardiff Blues say they would love to re-sign Leigh Halfpenny if the Toulon owner, Mourad Boudjellal, cancel the injured Wales full-back’s contract. The outspoken Boudjellal has revealed that an “investigation” is being conducted into whether Halfpenny, who has yet to play for his new side in the Top 14, was already suffering from groin trouble before his move to France this summer.
Rather than receiving sympathy from Boudjellal following his pre-season injury, Halfpenny is discovering that French club rugby operates very differently. Injuries have suddenly left Toulon short of goal-kickers and a weekend home defeat by Stade Français seems to have stretched the owner’s patience already.
“Today we must address this issue because we need a world-class goalkicker. We’re awaiting the medical update,” Boudjellal told the Varmatin newspaper. “It would have been another two or three weeks but the problem we have now is we think he may have arrived at Toulon with that injury.
“Now we have the impression that he was injured when he signed for Toulon. If this is the case, we haven’t ruled out terminating his contract. We pay enough for players. We don’t feel like preparing Halfpenny for Wales just for the Rugby World Cup. We’re conducting an investigation. I will know the whys and hows this week.”
The list of clubs who would be prepared to employ Halfpenny is headed by his former employer, the Cardiff Blues, and, potentially, the Welsh Rugby Union. Since Halfpenny opted to sign a two-year agreement with Toulon a deal has been struck between the WRU and the regions and Warren Gatland is among those who would gladly welcome the British Lion back to Wales.
The Blues’ chief executive, Richard Holland, said. “Cardiff Blues offered Leigh Halfpenny a contract prior to his departure to Toulon and we would be interested if he became available on a dual contract or a regional deal.”
Holland told Wales Online. “We will be speaking to his representatives to find out the state of play regarding his contract situation and we will take things from there.
“We would be extremely keen to have back a player of Leigh’s calibre and I am sure it would excite our supporters. If the reports are true, we are keen to explore this.”
Halfpenny, 25, suffered a dislocated shoulder during Wales’ Six Nations defeat against England in March and subsequently underwent surgery.
With Toulon having just announced the signing of Argentina’s Juan Martin Hernandez, Boudjellal will shortly have a full-back replacement but the injuries to Frederic Michalak and Matt Giteau, along with Jonny Wilkinson’s retirement, have only served to highlight further Halfpenny’s unavailability.
Bath face being without their South African flanker Francois Louw until December at the earliest after he was ruled out of the remainder of the Rugby Championship with a pinched nerve in his neck. Louw ill be sidelined for eight weeks making him doubtful for the Springboks’ autumn tour. Ruan Pienaar has also been sidelined for between four to six weeks with knee ligament damage.
The England wing Jack Nowell has made a successful comeback after knee and shoulder surgery, scoring two tries for Exeter Braves in Monday’s 45-7 win over London Welsh in an A league fixture. Nowell has not played since being injured playing for England in March.
