Top 14 - Newswrap
Toulon desperate to keep Wilkinson
Scrum.com
September 20, 2010
Toulon fly-half Jonny Wilkinson fights four Clermont Auvergne defenders for the ball, Toulon v Clermont Auvergne, French Top 14, Stade Velodrome, Marseille, France September 18,2010
England's Jonny Wilkinson turned in another dynamic display for Toulon at the weekend © Getty Images
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Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal says he is willing to pay "any price" to extend the contract of England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.

The millionaire owner of the Top 14 side made his comments after watching Wilkinson play a crucial role in Toulon's 28-16 victory over champions Clermont at the Velodrome, with the on form No. 10 kicking 23 points. Speaking to Midi Olympique, Boudjellal claimed getting the Englishman to sign a new deal was the number one priority at the club.

"I want to extend [his contract]," said the colourful Toulon boss. "And I didn't wait until after Saturday's game to begin discussions. It's actually my main priority but I'm not very worried. The player wants to stay and his president wants to keep him at any price so we should come to an agreement quite quickly."

Buoyed by the hard-fought 22-21 victory over Stade Francais at Aimé Giral, Perpignan centre Maxime Mermoz believes the Catalans have turned the corner after a disappointing start to the season by their own standards.

"Little by little, we're getting our level of play to where we want it to be," he told l'Independant. "It was a relief. This match has really kick-started [our season] because finally there was intention there and some really positive play.

"Once we got ahead, we started to play," he added. "We were looking for a game where we could play like that. We found common points [as a team]."

Meanwhile, Montpellier captain Fulgence Ouedraogo has lauded the transformation in team spirit this season as one of the major reasons behind their 35-6 hammering of Agen at Stade Armandie.

Montpellier moved into second place in the Top 14, a dramatic turnaround in fortunes since Fabien Galthie and Eric Bechu took over the coaching roles during the summer but Ouedraogo preferred to reflect instead on the work done to the atmosphere in the dressing room.

"Our second place ranking in the Top 14 is irrelevant," he told l'Equipe. "Beyond the league table, it's necessary to look at the joy and ambiance that prevails in the team. At Montpellier, we've known seasons when there were a lot of bad things going on around us. That's why you see so much pleasure and joy. It's also why it will be necessary to keep it going."

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