Racing Métro today released a statement confirming that flanker Dan Lydiate will return to Wales full-time after the November International schedule. It is understood that Lydiate asked to return, and the club has agreed.
Racing president Jacky Lorenzetti said: “We wish Dan an excellent rest of the season with his future club, and all the best with the Wales team at the November Internationals, Six Nations and the World Cup 2015.”
Lydiate will likely become the second player to sign a dual contract with the WRU, but which club he will join is less clear cut. The Ospreys would appear to be favourites for his signature, given that they are in the midst of a back-row injury crisis and could offer him Champions Cup rugby. He would be eligible to play for them in the competition after not being picked in the opening two rounds for Racing.
Lydiate himself said: “I would like to thank Racing Métro 92 for their welcome, and the 17 months I spent at the club. I would also like to thank the club officials for their understanding, and especially the way they agreed to release me from my contract.”
Despite similar rumours surrounding Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips and Luke Charteris, it appears the rest of Racing Métro’s Welsh contingent will be remaining in Paris for now.
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
Ouch. It’s clear that RM think little of Lydiate. This can’t have done his confidence and therefore probably his playing any good. Can’t help thinking that they didn’t really understand what they were doing – they just went on a shopping spree with no thought for the type of players they needed to fit into their style and squad. Can’t wait to see where he goes.
Brighty. I think most of us are agreed he wasn’t used to great effect. He does one thing well and that is tackle. No point putting him on the openside to jackel. However it is a shame that he hasn’t been able to learn from the experience and develop his game, so his confidence may have dropped but I’m sure once he is back being used as he knows how this will come back.
In all fairness think he does more than one thing well! But yes, he is not an openside. Remembering the player that was titanic when Wales won the grand slam, such a shame he has been messed about like this. No doubt he will go back to Wales, get back to his best and completely ruin us (England) in the 6N and world cup group next year… Damn
Completely agree with Brighty (shock horror!)- if a club is going to spend big they need to look for players that fit their style and game plan, not just pick a star and ignore their strengths and try and mould him to their needs. It would be like signing Tom Croft and telling him to stay out the wide channels and just hit every ruck/carry in the close quarters. Madness.
What else does he do well Henry?
Joe Worsley had more dimensions than Lydiate and my Welsh friends always used to take the mickey out of Worsley being picked for England. Boring…defensive..blah…blah
When a welshman says “boring, boring England” what they actually mean is “the buggers are winning again, let’s at least call them boring as that seems to bother them”.
I’d be fine with “boring” Wales winning the world cup.
As for Lyds – what he does well is play as a blindside and, if given the chance, is an exceptional teammate for a centre/openside. He gets in low, exposing the ball, for the flashier other players to come in and take it. His technique in the actual tackle is well known but what we also does is be in the right positions, at the right times, to both make the tackles and do it so that his support player has that split second to jackal. He also invariably manages to do this behind the gainline. In short he does everything, everything I’d want my 6 to do.
And he doesn’t fanny about on the wing, ever.
Worsley could stop a rhino – he was one of my fave English players as he was fearless, humble. What he didn’t do as well as Lyds though was make the tackle aggressive (he usually let the players momentum continue as part of the tackle) and make it so often behind the gainline.
It makes sense for him and for Wales. It is painful to see them go abroad, although understandable as to the reasons for doing so, but the game time they receive, perhaps with the exception of 1/2p (TBC), is generally far less than they got at home.
I’ve heard Ospreys on the rumour mill.
RM used him poorly, great news for Wales they’re the real winners, will be interesting to see how he comes back, I feel like he’s no longer the best 6 on his in the British Isles anymore, perhaps slightly too one dimensional,