Top 14 Orange
Servat to retire at end of the season?
ESPNscrum Staff
February 15, 2012
France hooker William Servat prepares to pack down at training, France training session, Marcoussis, France, February 1, 2011
William Servat will take on the role of forwards coach at Toulouse next season © Getty Images
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French hooker William Servat has announced that he will take on the role of forwards coach at Toulouse and looks set to call time on his playing career at the end of the season.

Current forwards boss Yannick Bru is set to take up a contract with France at the end of the season as part of Philippe Saint-Andre's coaching team and Servat has accepted Guy Noves and René Bouscatel's offer to step into Bru's shoes for le rouge et noir. Servat's current deal expires in 2013, but it looks unlikely that he will play next season for the Top 14 champions.

Servat was reportedly courting interest from fellow Top 14 side Toulon but it appears likely that he has opted to call time on an illustrious playing career that included 45 caps for the French national side. And while at Toulouse, the 34-year-old has experienced huge success with 294 appearances, three French titles and three Heineken Cups to his name.

And in related news, Racing Metro have shuffled their coaching pack amid reports of unease behind the scenes. Director of rugby Pierre Berbizier has kept his job but his brother and forwards coach Philippe Berbizier has lost his. He is replaced by former French coach Didier Retiere while ex-Fiji captain Simon Raiwalui has been named manager of off-field matters.

"I confirm and support more than ever Pierre's presence as Racing's director of rugby," Metro president Jacky Lorenzetti said. "He will be backed by two on-the-pitch coaches: Gonzalo Quesada, in charge of team training and the backs; and Didier Retiere who comes in as a consultant in charge of the forwards."

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