Is anyone aware if Julien Touxagas will be at the Dragons next season? many thanks

No, normally signing with Carcassonne

well done phil4.13 over the Stanley Gene prediction - are you still confident about BG ?

Thanks Sanj, but its only what my "fly on the wall" reports & I pass on. Concerning BG, the latest is if it don't happen for this season or during the course of it, BG will coach next season!

Stanley will apparently sign a two month initial deal with Villeneuve and both parties will see how it goes on from there - I just wonder how Stan will communicate with the players as player/coach ? will JR be around to help out ? - the majority of the fellow players are french so it will be intriguing to see what happens - i'm looking forward to the first match at the french 'Magic Weekend' on 24/25 sept to see him play at that level against Avignon which is somewhere between Championship/1 level in GB - I thought he was off to the York Knights in 2011 ?
Re BG - according to one of the TO players Gilles D will be in charge in every sense - he has insisted that Carlos the prezzie keeps his nose out of anything to do with rugby so he's trying to be his own man - let's just hope he changes his coaching methods a tad.I don't think Carlos wants to pay GDs off until his contract expires.BG would be a positive move for TO tho' speaking with him not too long ago (he LOVES Toulouse by the way !) the present job set-up suits him especially with his youngest lad Bradley just getting established at the Wigan juniors and is just at the 'wrong' age to not be around for his lad - that's the impression I got anyway.

Its strange to hear your comments about Zalduendo Sanj as I've just heard the same thing about Guasch today. Apparently most of the weekly team selections have been heavily influenced by him this season, crazy!

Would love to be at Magic weekend at Lezignan too but will be downunder at the time. I hear that 2 of the games will be screened on orange so I will hopefully catch them online.

As for 36yr old Stan, his assistant coach David Despin speaks good English so I think between them they will be ok.

I too think that BG would be great for TO & for France. Having spoken to various French players, they have nothing but praise for the man.

it's been quite a strange season for M.Guasch - from one disaster to another with the very occasional high points - I recall after the Cats v Wigan game at the bbq I just happened to be standing next to M.Guasch and the Wigan chairman who were discussing this and that (in very competant french I have to say).BG asked his Wigan counterpart "why have you been so successful this season after the indifferent season in 2009 ? How many players have you brought in to strengthen the side ? etc" The Wigan reply was "we have the same side but now have a competant coaching set-up" - BG was a bit lost for words...I think KW has had his fair share of bad luck tho' it can't help when your chairman is openly hostile towards you as he was that evening.BG completely ignored KW & family.
Looking forward to the Magic Weekend - the highlight should be Lezignan v Carcassonne - I don't know which games will be featured on Orange.
All the french or france qualified players have faith in BG as they should - i'm looking forward to the three internationals in october - the french should walk it tho' anything is possible over here !

Also read elsewhere that Guasch isn't too keen on having a few of his players play in the Euro cup & may not release them. Made enquiries & have been told that Bosc, Ferriol, Mounis, Gossard & Fakir are the ones in question.

Elsewhere, Chris Walker definitely quitting Dragons, off home next week

blimey ! bet BG will be most unchuffed at that prospect - these are difficult players to replace and would make euro success tricky,to say the least !
CW did well the few times he played tho' his attitude towards staying in france seemed to change when he discovered his best mate Brett Finch signed for the Warriors and not the Dragons as was widely expected earlier in the season