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18th May 2009, 6:00 WST
The Western Force have sounded out French World Cup fly-half Frederic Michalak as a possible replacement for Matt Giteau.
The Stormers’ Peter Grant is the Force’s preferred option to wear the No. 10 jersey next year but Michalak is also on the wish list for a successor to Giteau, who played his last game for the Force in Saturday’s 33-28 win over the Highlanders at Subiaco Oval.
The Force finished the regular season in eighth place with a 6-1-6 record. A tense final round yielded some close games but no upsets, with the Bulls and Chiefs earning home semifinals next weekend against the Crusaders and Hurricanes respectively.
Australian teams finished outside the top four, with the Waratahs missing out on for-and-against points difference, four to be exact. Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is therefore likely to name his national squad by Wednesday.
The flamboyant Michalak played in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, finishing second only to Jonny Wilkinson in the points scoring standings in the Australian tournament and, although used as a replacement when France hosted the event two years ago, made the late break which set up Yannick Jauzion’s decisive try in the quarterfinal upset of New Zealand. He has 50 Test caps.
The 26-year-old played nine games for the Sharks last year before returning to his home club of Toulouse on a supposed three-year deal. But a number of clubs, including Irish powerhouse Leinster, are reportedly talking to his agent.
A Force insider stressed that Grant remained the priority but contingency plans were needed to ensure the recruitment of a top-class fly-half, not least because teenage sensation James O’Connor will not decide where he will play next year until he knows who will be the Force’s playmaker.
Grant is waiting to hear if he is wanted by Springbok coach Pieter de Villiers and whether his Currie Cup team, Western Province, will still allow him to turn out in the domestic competition should he play his Super 14 rugby in Perth.
This could be possible after 2010 because the new Super rugby deal still being kept under wraps is expected to be quarantined from the Currie Cup.
The Force are certainly amenable to the idea, particularly with coach John Mitchell suggesting after Saturday’s game that the next few years will involve a much greater movement of players between southern hemisphere nations without being barred from their national teams.
Whereas the fly-half conundrum is likely to remain unsolved for weeks, the Force are expected to soon add a heavyweight to their pack in the form of Wallabies prop Matt Dunning.
The 115kg Dunning sat out Super 14 this year with an Achilles tendon injury.
DAVE HUGHES
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=142102
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Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
Originally Posted by laura
