Sella to take over at Agen

planetrugby.com: "Former France centre and U20 coach Philippe Sella has agreed to return to Agen where he will take over as Director of Rugby next season.

Sella - who is France's second-most capped player having worn the Bleu jersey 111 times between 1982 and 1995 - won two French championships with Agen where he played fifteen seasons before moving to Saracens.

The 49-year-old resigned as boss of the French U20 team recently, sparking speculation that he would take over at Agen following the departure of coaching duo Christian Lanta and Christophe Deylaud at the end of the season.

"I have agreed with (club) president Alain Tingaud...that I will take the post of Director of Rugby from July 2012," Sella told the Sud Ouest newspaper.

"I will look after the professional side of things and our academy project. I'm very happy that we've come to an agreement because Agen is close to my heart."

Agen are expected to name Mathieu Blin and David Darricarrère as their new coaches with Sella confirming that he will meet with the in coming days to finalise their contracts. "

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Meanwhile: "Bayonne have shown Jean-Pierre Elissalde the door just six weeks after appointing him at the helm of the struggling Top 14 team.

The former Japan head coach was recruited to halt the Basque club's slide towards relegation on December 5 but having failed to win a single game in three starts, he is the latest head to roll.

Former Stade Français coach Didier Faugeron has been named as Elissalde's replacement as 'coach-manager.'

Elissalde arrived for his second spell with Bayonne faced with massive task. He was named "Sports Advisor to the President' after Director of Rugby Christian Gajan and his coaches, Thomas Lièvremont (forwards) and Frédéric Tauzin (backs), had all been "excused from work."

Bayonne's expensively assembled squad - including Neemia Tialata, Joe Rokocoko, Mike Phillips, and Cedric Heymans - were not getting the results desired and Elissalde was brought in the shake things up.

But three games later - after losing 30-15 to Toulon, drawing 16-16 with Castres at home and then going down 27-20 at home to Bordeaux-Bègles - Bayonne have dropped into the relegation zone with Elissalde admitting that he didn't have the solutions to the problem.

"Shaking up so many things and so many people for just three points in three games...The results are thin. I don't have any solutions. The message is not getting through," said Elissalde after the latest defeat.

Forwards consultant Pierre-Henry Broncan has also been axed and Faugeron has named current prop Denis Avril as forwards coach. The 39-year-old is the oldest player in the Top 14. "

I hope that doesn't mean that Phillipe Sella's son is going to move to the Agen academy instead.

Best of luck to Phillipe. Big fan of his.

Bayonne sounds like a footie side!

They should sign up as Dave Ellis in my opinion.