Henjak squeezed out by Toulon
November 4, 2009 - 7:59PM
AFP
Former Wallaby Matt Henjak will look to bow out on a high with French rugby club Toulon after giving up his non-European Union playing licence to Argentinian Felipe Contepomi.
The fiery half-back has lost his licence to utility back Contepomi, who has recovered from a knee injury suffered in May.
The second of two foreign player licences is held by Argentinian Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.
Toulon has signed new halfback Fabien Cibray, 24, from Biarritz on an eight-month deal which likely spells the end of Henjak's one-season tenure at the French club.
The former Western Force No.9 had his contract torn up by the Super 14 club in February last year after a series of off-field indiscretions.
It is not know if Henjak seeks to continue his playing career in France or whether he is considering his options elsewhere.
Henjak's manager Greg Keenan could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, Castres and Clermont will come together on Thursday as they battle to maintain pressure on French champions and present leaders Perpignan in the latest round of matches.
Castres will be looking to get back on the winning track after losing top spot to Perpignan last Friday in a tightly-fought match and this one should also be nip and tuck affair and give Castres joint coaches Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit more idea of how realistic their title hopes are.
Perpignan, who lead Castres by a point with Clermont another point behind, face a tricky home match against Toulon while Toulouse will attempt to bounce back after a stunning loss to Racing-Metro last weekend.
Castres will be without the services of two of their main pillars in captain and French international scrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde, who underwent on Tuesday an arthroscopic examination of a painful shoulder which will see him miss the next four to eight weeks.
Also out is highly-rated prop Luc Ducalcon, who had been called up to the French squad for the three autumn tests but had to pull out with a knee injury that will see him miss the next three weeks.
Alexandre Albouy is likely to replace Tillous-Borde while if South African prop Michael Coetzee is unable to play then Carl Hoeft should step in to replace Ducalcon.
Clermont, forever the bridesmaid and never the bride when it comes to landing the French championship - indeed losing out to Perpignan last season - forged out a nailbiting 19-19 draw with Stade Francais at the weekend.
Perpignan will welcome back a quartet of players including fly-half Nicolas Laharrague, who was rested for last week's match against Castres against a Toulon side that is just five points behind them and unrecognisable from the expensively-assembled misfiring misfits from last season when they flirted with relegation.
Elsewhere, Stade Francais will not want to concede any more ground to the leaders - they trail Perpignan by eight points - but with a home match against tailenders Albi they should not have too many problems.
© 2009 AFP
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